Removing windows XP dual boot

Snake05 · Nov 3, 2007

Ok, here's my situation. I had been running XP on my primary partition, and then Vista (mainly as a trial) on another partition. I just recently decided to stick with XP and format the other partition for all storage. I used Disk Management to do the format, but whenever my computer reboots, I still get the dual boot screen. How do I go about removing this dual boot screen? Or at least, how do I set my primary boot to XP if I can't remove it, so I don't always have to hit the arrow key up to "Previous Version of Windows" every time I boot?

Snake05 · Nov 3, 2007

If it makes any difference, I had XP installed first, then installed Vista. Don't know if that changes the procedure and boot.ini file or not.

ex_reven · Nov 3, 2007

Dont you need to remove the whole partition? Rather than just format its contents.

If you cant be bothered, you can always just edit it out of your boot list so that it boots straight to vista, though that might lose you some of your hard drive space.

Wile E · Nov 3, 2007

Boot to the XP cd's Recovery Console, and do a fixmbr.

If you're not comfortable with that, download VistaBootPro (it runs in XP as well), and you can use it to remove the Vista bootloader. It's free as well. http://www.vistabootpro.org/

oily_17 · Nov 3, 2007

1. Boot your computer in to Windows XP.
2. Ensure you have the Vista DVD in the DVD drive.
3. Go to “Start” and “Run”. Type in :- d:\boot\bootsect.exe /nt52 ALL /force (replacing d: with the drive letter of your Vista DVD).
4. Restart the computer, and you will notice the boot selection menu is gone.
5. Format the partition/drive where you had Vista installed.
6. Remove two files (Boot.BAK & Bootsect.BAK) on your XP drive’s root folder C:, these were backup files of your previous bootloader, now no longer useful.

X800 · Nov 3, 2007

I han that broblem too and i did like oily 17 said but i did not help.I had my vista on C that was a ide drive and D for XP.I did allso have XP first installed.So had edit my BOOT.INI
Like this
[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(X)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(X)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /NOEXECUTE=OPTIN /FASTDETECT

X was 1 so i changed it 0 and the old xp was booting normal =)

JrRacinFan · Nov 3, 2007

Wile E said:
Boot to the XP cd's Recovery Console, and do a fixmbr.

Do this! It will fix the issue.

No offense to you Wile E, just backing you up and agreeing with you 110%.

Metalingus · Nov 5, 2007

Guys, I have two WinXP installed on the same partitions C: drive. The other WindowsXP is stored on the Windows2 folder... I installed a new copy of WinXP after I messed up my NTFS partition but that's a different story already... Now, what I'd like to focus on doing is to remove that Windows2 folder which is basically uninstall the 2nd WinXP installation. I hooked up a primary hard drive already and used that hard drive with two WinXP OS as a secondary hard drive.

*** NOTE : I do not want to reformat and clean install WinXP. I have lots of files to retrieve there.***

Yin · Nov 5, 2007

Metalingus said:
Guys, I have two WinXP installed on the same partitions C: drive. The other WindowsXP is stored on the Windows2 folder... I installed a new copy of WinXP after I messed up my NTFS partition but that's a different story already... Now, what I'd like to focus on doing is to remove that Windows2 folder which is basically uninstall the 2nd WinXP installation. I hooked up a primary hard drive already and used that hard drive with two WinXP OS as a secondary hard drive.

*** NOTE : I do not want to reformat and clean install WinXP. I have lots of files to retrieve there.***

edit the boot.ini

Metalingus · Nov 6, 2007

Yin said:
edit the boot.ini

Yah, I know that buddy!

Mind if you support your response and not just post a very commanding word ? :rolleyes:

I know I have to edit the boot.ini... what I'd like know is after that editing, can I delete the WINDOWS FOLDER and free up that space on my hard drive ?

Coz as far as I know, all the WINDOWS files will stay on your hard drive and you won't be able to delete all of it... even if you have already installed another WINDOWS OS on the same partition... or was my theory wrong ? :ohwell:

Yin · Nov 19, 2007

Metalingus said:
Yah, I know that buddy!

Mind if you support your response and not just post a very commanding word ?

I know I have to edit the boot.ini... what I'd like know is after that editing, can I delete the WINDOWS FOLDER and free up that space on my hard drive ?

Coz as far as I know, all the WINDOWS files will stay on your hard drive and you won't be able to delete all of it... even if you have already installed another WINDOWS OS on the same partition... or was my theory wrong ?

well firstly make a back up....
and then edit it by removing the window line u dont want
this is what mine looks like

[boot loader]
timeout=10
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" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect /usepmtimer

ur 1 should look similar but it would have 2 entries instead of one
post ur boot.ini and i'll show u

Processor	Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Kentsfield 2.4GHz G0 @3.6GHz
Motherboard	MSI P35 Neo2 FR
Cooling	Thermalright Ultra-120 Extreme w/Scythe S-FLEX 1600rpm
Memory	4 x G.SKILL 2GB DDR2 1066
Video Card(s)	SAPPHIRE Radeon HD 6870
Storage	OCZ Vertex 2 3.5" 90GB SSD/Seagate Barracuda LP 2TB/750GB WD Caviar
Display(s)	Samsung 24" LCD/Samsung 941BW
Case	Thermaltake Soprano DX
Audio Device(s)	Creative X-Fi XtremeMusic w/ Logitech Z-5300e
Power Supply	Mushkin NANOPOINT 550W
Software	Windows 7 Ultimate x64
Benchmark Scores	3DMark06 - 15647

Processor	Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Kentsfield 2.4GHz G0 @3.6GHz
Motherboard	MSI P35 Neo2 FR
Cooling	Thermalright Ultra-120 Extreme w/Scythe S-FLEX 1600rpm
Memory	4 x G.SKILL 2GB DDR2 1066
Video Card(s)	SAPPHIRE Radeon HD 6870
Storage	OCZ Vertex 2 3.5" 90GB SSD/Seagate Barracuda LP 2TB/750GB WD Caviar
Display(s)	Samsung 24" LCD/Samsung 941BW
Case	Thermaltake Soprano DX
Audio Device(s)	Creative X-Fi XtremeMusic w/ Logitech Z-5300e
Power Supply	Mushkin NANOPOINT 550W
Software	Windows 7 Ultimate x64
Benchmark Scores	3DMark06 - 15647

System Name	The ClusterF**k
Processor	980X @ 4Ghz
Motherboard	Gigabyte GA-EX58-UD5 BIOS F12
Cooling	MCR-320, DDC-1 pump w/Bitspower res top (1/2" fittings), Koolance CPU-360
Memory	3x2GB Mushkin Redlines 1600Mhz 6-8-6-24 1T
Video Card(s)	Evga GTX 580
Storage	Corsair Neutron GTX 240GB, 2xSeagate 320GB RAID0; 2xSeagate 3TB; 2xSamsung 2TB; Samsung 1.5TB
Display(s)	HP LP2475w 24" 1920x1200 IPS
Case	Technofront Bench Station
Audio Device(s)	Auzentech X-Fi Forte into Onkyo SR606 and Polk TSi200's + RM6750
Power Supply	ENERMAX Galaxy EVO EGX1250EWT 1250W
Software	Win7 Ultimate N x64, OSX 10.8.4

Processor	Q9550 @3.8
Motherboard	Asus Maximus Extreme
Cooling	Custom water cooling
Memory	4GB Patriot Viper DDR3 1600MHz
Video Card(s)	2x HD4870 512MB
Storage	2x 500GB
Display(s)	3x LG L226WTQ 22" Widescreen LCD
Case	Modded TJ07
Audio Device(s)	On board
Power Supply	PC P&C Silencer 750
Software	Windows 7 Ultimate

System Name	FPS Cruncher
Processor	Intel Core i7 12700K
Motherboard	Asus Rog Strix Z690-A D4 Gaming
Cooling	Kraken X73
Memory	G.Skill Trident Z DDR4-3200 DIMM CL14-14-14-34 16Gb
Video Card(s)	MSI 3080 Ventus 3X 10Gb OC
Storage	Samsung 970 EVO 500G,SSD 840 EVO 500G,WD10EZRX-00L4HB0,SSD Crucial CT525MX300
Display(s)	ACER Nitro VG270UP Freesync 144Hz
Case	LANCOOL II MESH RGB
Audio Device(s)	Sound BlasterX AE-5
Power Supply	EVGA 750 G2
Mouse	Logitech Preforance MX
Keyboard	Logitech G513 Carbon
Software	Win10 Pro 64Bit
Benchmark Scores	3dmark06 P13046 =2900XT 3dmark vantage P4614 =2900XT

Removing windows XP dual boot

Snake05

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Snake05

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ex_reven

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Wile E

Power User

oily_17

X800

JrRacinFan

Served 5k and counting ...

Metalingus

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Yin

Metalingus

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Yin

System Name	Dual Build Streamer
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Cooling	Custom Water 1x420 : Stock
Memory	32GB T-Force Deltas : 16GB Dominator Platinums
Video Card(s)	PowerColor 7900 XTX Liquid Devil: iGPU
Storage	20+ TB
Display(s)	Sammy 49" 5k Ultrawide
Case	Custom White Painted Phanteks Enthoo Pro 2
Audio Device(s)	Onboard : Onboard
Power Supply	EVGA 1200W P2
Mouse	Corsair M65 RGB Elite White
Keyboard	Hyperx Origins 65
Software	Windows 10

Processor	Intel i7 920
Motherboard	ASUS RAMPAGE II Extreme
Cooling	CM v10
Memory	Corsair 3 x 2GB TR3X6G1866C9DF
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