How do you get rid of the boot up menu?

[Mini-Me]

Hi.

Windows XP Home.

System restore CD from a DELL Dimension 3000 machine, being used to restore that machine(a Dell Dimension 3000). It is the CD that came with the machine.

The CD is the FULL version of XP Home - it is not an automated install - you have to configure everything like the retail version. I setup as I would on any other install, including a FULL LONG FORMAT of the HDD to NTFS.(one partition only - all old partitions were deleted before reformatting)

Install completes just fine, but when you boot-up for the first time, you get prompted to select the operating system to boot:

Windows XP Home Edition
Windows XP Home Edition

The top one works if you press [ENTER] right away, but if you select the 2nd one just to see what happens, the system reports that it cannot boot the selected operating system as it is corrupted or missing - not surprising really, as there should only be one copy of XP on there.

Does anyone know how I can delete the boot-up menu, as it should not be coming up anyway, and it's just a pain in the posterior having it coming up at all...

[mjc]

Edit boot.ini...there should only be one OS listed, but, obviously, there has to be two...take out the one that doesn't work (probably the second one listed).

You could also post the contents of the boot.ini and Paul or myself could guide you on what to chop out.

[Paul Komski]

All the Dells that I see use an installation CD - A Dell OEM version of a normal Windows setup CD. Some additionally have a proprietary restore partition (http://www.goodells.net/dellrestore/) accessible with a special keypress during bootup (and as long as the MBR has never been tampered with).

I personally only ever use quick formats (FAT or NTFS) during installs or they take "forever". If you want to check the disk surface then do it later with a 3rdPary app or with chkdsk and the /R switch.

Unusual to have duplicate boot.ini line after using setup to do the format.

[Sylvander]

How to install and use the Recovery Console in Windows XP (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307654).
Once you have eliminated the 2nd boot option that points to a non-existent WinXP Operating System...
Perhaps you should install the Recovery Console to your C: partition, and then that would become the 2nd choice available in your boot.ini file and boot menu options. :)

Then...
A simple tweak turns XP's low-level Recovery Console into a complete, standalone mini-operating system--in effect, an XP DOS! (http://www.informationweek.com/news/windows/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=187000225)

[Mini-Me]

Edit boot.ini...there should only be one OS listed, but, obviously, there has to be two...take out the one that doesn't work (probably the second one listed).

You could also post the contents of the boot.ini and Paul or myself could guide you on what to chop out.

I will post BOOT.INI in the next day or so - I don't want to use my weekend time, to go visit the problem!!!!
:D

Thanks for the suggestions - seems like it is relitively simple to fix.

I only did a long-format during setup, as it was only a 80GB drive.
Basically, anything under 100GB does not take THAT long, but anything over 160GB or more does, so I quick format them.

And as for the 500GB ones...
:p

PAUL: Yeah, it's a purple and white CD with OPERATING SYSTEM on it's label. Interestingly, it never asked for the authentication code from the sticker on the box, and never asked to activate itself once installed like most "Normal" XP Home installs...
:rolleyes:

Not that I care - If it's working, thats all that matters really.

...but it is curious - obviously the key is part of the install, but you'd still think it would want to activate once installed being XP Home...

[jlreich]

PAUL: Yeah, it's a purple and white CD with OPERATING SYSTEM on it's label. Interestingly, it never asked for the authentication code from the sticker on the box, and never asked to activate itself once installed like most "Normal" XP Home installs...

...but it is curious - obviously the key is part of the install, but you'd still think it would want to activate once installed being XP Home...
It checks and as long as it sees that is being installed on a Dell BIOS it will not need the key or to activate. ;)

[Mini-Me]

It checks and as long as it sees that is being installed on a Dell BIOS it will not need the key or to activate. ;)

Ahhhhhhhhhh
:)

Thanks.
:cool:

[Mini-Me]

Hi all.
Boot.ini was referring to a 2nd copy of XP on partition 2, even though there is only one partition on the system. I deleted the entire line from Boot.ini with reference to the 2nd non-existant partition, and the system boots directly to XP now without asking which one to boot.

Thanks for the pointer to Boot.ini.
:)