17 replies to this topic

[LoneWolfMage]

well i know this topic title sounds Weird ( may be) but that is whats happening ..


After Reformatting a customers system TOTALLY and reinstalling Xp Home .. i end up on reboot with the Black screen with the option to pick which version of XP Home i would like to boot to ..

One version boots with no problem .. the other is "corrupted" and asks for the "system disk"

i KNOW i totaly formatted and deleted the Partitions that were necessary ... but still end up with the "Boot selection " screen

if i attempt to boot WITH the cd and try a Repair of the installation .. it will only list ONE version of XP home on the Drive ...

a little lost on this one and would love a suggestion as to keep the system from attempting a dual boot situation.

Thanks

Lone Wolf

[Nvyseal]

boot from the CD, Go into install, Remove the bad partitionrestart the system W/O the CD

[LoneWolfMage]

ok just tried delete the partiton ....


no dice .. there is only ONE partion listed as having Win Xp home installed on it and a second section of "unpartitioned pace" listed in the setup ....


hmmm ... odd


as i said before i did remove all the partitions so acctually only showing one partiotion as being formatted really isnt unusual ...

[m.oreilly]

yep, there is still a partition with windows files in there. is this a dell or hp? this could be a restore partition.
sounds like another try or two

Quote

only showing one partiotion as being formatted really isnt unusual

it should show one raw unpartitioned space on the disc, otherwise you do have another area, a partition (formated area), with windows files on it.

and once you have formated the one large raw partition, you should only have a formated larg partition, no raw space...

[LoneWolfMage]

Its Acctually a Compaq...

when i went to to put the XP CD in to do the reformat ( he wanted it clear of all Compaq crap and just a retail copy of XP Home among other stuff) ...


I inserted the Cd as per usual .. and proceded with the "windows Setup" procedure..

Deleted the partitions and reformatted the drive ( 80gb total) using the quick format technique ( maybe now thinking of it i should have done the other option) .... Xp installed on the only partion .. after format the "unpartitioned space" is negligable ( 7 or 10 MB MAYBE)


then proceded to install Xp and updates and in between like the first and second reboot (after intitial installation and still does so currently even after updates being installed)... it presentes me with the "dual boot" situation im in now ....

[Nvyseal]

i think if i remember correctly, these compaq and dells have their own system restore.

[m.oreilly]

LoneWolfMage, on Sep 18 2006, 04:20 PM, said:

Its Acctually a Compaq...

when i went to to put the XP CD in to do the reformat ( he wanted it clear of all Compaq crap and just a retail copy of XP Home among other stuff) ...


I inserted the Cd as per usual .. and proceded with the "windows Setup" procedure..

Deleted the partitions and reformatted the drive ( 80gb total) using the quick format technique ( maybe now thinking of it i should have done the other option) .... Xp installed on the only partion .. after format the "unpartitioned space" is negligable ( 7 or 10 MB MAYBE)
then proceded to install Xp and updates and in between like the first and second reboot (after intitial installation and still does so currently even after updates being installed)... it presentes me with the "dual boot" situation im in now ....

there should be no "unpartitioned" space. you just formated the entire drive, right? i bet there is a rescue partition, cab files in that 10 meg area. does the 7-10 space apear as "raw", unformated? if not, that is where the problem is (i bet...i think... ).

i have had this happen before, and it was just some basic windows files left on an "unpartitioned" area...pre formated, not raw, but became unpartitioned during the fresh install.

[LoneWolfMage]

Nvy~

Yes you are correct they do have thier own recovery partition ....

But the person did not want the Compaq "stuff" or the exta "bloatage" of the recovery partion from that on his system ...

thats why he bought a copy of XP and wanted it reformatted .. funny thing is i have ran into this before on another system and i cant for the life of me remeber how to keep this from happening with the "dual boot " situation im having now ...

the other time it happend was also with a Full not Quick format ... so this situation nis just to opposite .... if that makes sense lol

[LoneWolfMage]

M.O ~

Quote

does the 7-10 space apear as "raw", unformated?

Yes you are correct ...thats what that "partition" is showing up as "unformatted" (7 mb to be exact)

The remaing shows up as
C: Partition1 [NTFS] 78154MB (75174MB Free)

that is on the Windows XP Home Setup Menu (Blue scree that appears when rebooting with Cd in drive)

[LoneWolfMage]

Well guys ~

i fixed it on a wing and a prayer .... no i didnt re do the format LOL


ill try to explin ass best i can ...

on a "off thought" i did a google search for "Stopping windows dual boot"

ando ne of the things in the results caught my eye .. it mentioned somethign alonf the linbes of editing the "boot.ini" file ... it refered to Dualbooting Win 98 and Win Xp

then a "light bulb" lit up ...why not try it on Win Xp Specifically

so i went to run and did "msconfig" and looked in the "boot.ini" tab and sure enough 2 Win Xp's were listed ....

i check both instances of Win Xp Parts and they both came up with the same "error" about boot pats not being correct.. or some such.... so i just picked one and lo' and behold i rebooted and NO DUAL BOOT


so problem solved ... albeit ripping the problem out by toenails .. but i defianetly learned ... it never hurts to be a bit agressive in "search and destry " missions so to speak when it comes to customer satisfation


Thanks Nvy and M.o for trying to assist ... its most appreciated i owe ya both

[m.oreilly]

how in the heck did yo get two boot.ini entries the same... some funny business that

[simon]

I was outside mowing the grass when alll this started.. I knew about the daul boot but I had a brain fart.......................

[David_Heavey]

I happens a lot on preinstalled systems MO. I see it every day at work ...

Edited by David_Heavey, 19 September 2006 - 12:23 AM.

[m.oreilly]

simon, on Sep 18 2006, 05:20 PM, said:

I was outside mowing the grass when alll this started.. I knew about the daul boot but I had a brain fart.......................

then stay away from lawn mowers, young man

David_Heavey, on Sep 18 2006, 05:23 PM, said:

I happens a lot on preinstalled systems MO. I see it every day at work ...

but the OP said he "formated" the entire drive...should be no extra boot/files laying around...

[David_Heavey]

I never said I could explain it. But it does happen a lot