Member Avatar for wanabbouncer

I installed windows xp onto a second hard drive that I had, but i removed it. When I start my computer, it would ask which windows to start. Even though i removed the hard drive with the other windows installed, the option to start the other windows appears. How would I remove that option from appearing everytime i start my computer?

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by caperjack

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Quick, safe way to fix this (and why it happens)

What you see is the Windows boot menu drawing entries from the boot configuration; even after the second drive is gone an old entry can remain. As suggested, remove the obsolete entry rather than reinstalling anything.

Where to look and a safe workflow

  • The file that controls the menu is on the root of the active system partition (usually C:). It is a hidden, protected file, so you must enable viewing of hidden and protected operating-system files in Explorer (Tools -> Folder Options -> View) to see it.
  • Before changing anything, make an exact copy (for example C:\boot.ini.bak) so you can restore it if needed.
  • Edit the file with Notepad and remove the line that refers to the removed Windows installation (leave any line that refers to your current installation). Save, then reboot to verify the menu is gone. If the menu still appears, check Disk Management to ensure the expected partition is marked Active — boot entries can come from whichever partition the BIOS/MBR hands off to.

Easier alternatives and warnings

  • If you prefer a UI, use the Startup and Recovery settings in System Properties (Advanced) to change the default OS or timeout, or run msconfig and use its Boot tab to inspect entries.
  • Editing the wrong line or on the wrong partition can make the PC unbootable. Keep the backup copy, and if unsure, remove the drive physically and repair the boot configuration from the Windows install CD or ask someone comfortable with recovering XP boot files.

This expands on ’s pointer to editing the boot configuration and gives a step-by-step, low-risk approach for to remove the stray entry.

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Member Avatar for caperjack

you need to edit out the reference to the hard drive in the boot.ini file ,you can use note pad to open the file
!!save a copy of the boot.ini file before you make changes to it .

Member Avatar for wanabbouncer

where would i find the boot.ini file?

Member Avatar for caperjack

search files and folders

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