Boot setups

[zandiago]

Good day. I'm helping a friend who has got a laptop...wasn't used for ages and is really messed up. I haven't completed the diagnostics/repairs yet. I have a quick question, if he tried to do a fresh install and it never worked, at start-up it shows options such as 'Contine to set up XP' or I also see 'Continue to Boot'....not the exact wording, but something to that effect. So i guess I'm suppose to continue with the fresh install, but what if he doesn't want that...is there anything I can do so that it boots normally without those booting options. Thanks and have a good day.

[caperjack]

not likely ,if it wants to continue with setup then he went as far as formating the drive, and there will be no windows installed to boot to anymore .

[zandiago]

Thx for the reply...but the hard-drive hasn't been formatted...so it gives me the option to boot normally XP OS...so i can go to the desktop normally.

[bobbyraw]

but do u get to the desk top? and able to work on the pC

[zandiago]

Yes, the desktop comes up...it works fine...

[bobbyraw]

if it boots up ok you can edit the boot INI file to remove the deal link xp has a check that can be run on the boot file

[zandiago]

where is the location of the boot.ini file? Thx for ur assistance.

[jbennet]

C:/ or C:/windows

you can edit it through Control Panel -> System -> Advanced Tab -> Startup and Recovery settings button -> edit button

[bobbyraw]

right click on the my computer icon, choose properties, advance tad, under startup and rescovery click settings, then you can edit the boot.ini. from there

[zandiago]

What exactly should I change the boot file info to? In the default operating system box...I got "XP Professional Setup" and I also have "XP Professional"...so I'm assuming that it should be changed to "XP Professional"...Thx for all the assistance thus far.

[caperjack]

What exactly should I change the boot file info to? In the default operating system box...I got "XP Professional Setup" and I also have "XP Professional"...so I'm assuming that it should be changed to "XP Professional"...Thx for all the assistance thus far.

you edit out the one that doesn't boot to the desk top ,they should be worded different ,you will see this when you are sitting at the computer ,looks to me like you need to edit out the setup one .

[zandiago]

The boot.ini file for the setup says:

[Boot Loader]
Timeout=5
Default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[Operating Systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect /NoExecute=OptIn
C:\$WIN_NT$.~BT\BOOTSECT.DAT="Microsoft Windows XP Professional Setup"

[bobbyraw]

The boot.ini file for the setup says:

[Boot Loader]
Timeout=5
Default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[Operating Systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect /NoExecute=OptIn
C:\$WIN_NT$.~BT\BOOTSECT.DAT="Microsoft Windows XP Professional Setup"

delete whats in red

[zandiago]

Additionally, though not virus/software, my friend's monitor is dark....now if you shine a torch on it...you can see the desktop...but I gotta now be using a separate monitor to use with the laptop....i'm thinking that it's the backlight thats no good and not the actual monitor itself...what do you think? Thx for the feedback!

[zandiago]

Just to be extra cautous....bobbyraw...the pair of " they aren't included correct? Thx