hooking bootstrap, etc

[gadluk]

OK, upon startup I'll see the infamous bluish windows loading screen, then upon a black screen I'll see the hooking bootstrap... message. It'll then go to a page where I have to choose between OS's - XP or 98. I think someone tried to load XP on it and it failed but components were left behind. Is there any way to get rid of the XP remnants so these pages won't come up?

Gad

[meese]

Can you give a little more info? If you select Win98 does it boot properly and run normally? Is there more than one hard drive in this system or is there one hard drive with two partitions on it? Do you know if this person was trying to dual boot or upgrade to XP from win98?

[gadluk]

I just rebooted again so I can give you more-precise info.

The choices are: load xp op system or cancel xp op system.
I get 4 seconds to choose and it defaults to the first choice. When I choose to "cancel xp", 98 loads just fine and runs properly.

My feeling is that previous user wanted to upgrade 98 to xp and that it failed.

[ussenterprise]

What happens when you try to load XP?

[meese]

Is there a batch file that runs during startup? Locate the autoexec.bat file and the config.sys file on the C: drive. Right click each one and select EDIT. See if there are any lines in those files that would the system to boot the way it does. Also check and see if there is a boot.ini file in C:. If so open that file using notepad and see if there is anything in there.

[gadluk]

xp fails and it cycles me back to the "2 choices" page

Use a 98 bootdisk and do a "FDISK/MBR". This will rewrite the Master Boot Record.

You can then just reboot into Windows 98.

Once in, then delete the "boot.ini", "ntdetect.com", and "ntldr" from the "C:\" drive. You should never be bothered by it asking you to load XP.

[gadluk]

I found this in the C drive boot.ini! HA! so what do I do with it?

[Boot Loader]
Timeout=5
Default=C:\$WIN_NT$.~BT\BOOTSECT.DAT
[Operating Systems]
C:\$WIN_NT$.~BT\BOOTSECT.DAT="Microsoft Windows XP Professional Setup"
C:\="Cancel Windows XP Setup"

[meese]

Delete it. Windows 98 doesn't use boot.ini.

[gadluk]

thanks Meese and all.