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Muti OS boot loader


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#1
Borrowed Time

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I used to have a dual boot. But no longer. Now just Vista is installed. Yet the Multi OS selector still remains with it's choices. I'd like to get rid of that if I could. I wonder if someone could tell me how to do that.

Thanks
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#2
hendaz

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I used to have a dual boot. But no longer. Now just Vista is installed. Yet the Multi OS selector still remains with it's choices. I'd like to get rid of that if I could. I wonder if someone could tell me how to do that.

Thanks


Try this,

Go to start, type msconfig in the search box and hit enter (accept the message box that appears), click the boot tab from the menu along the top, set the vista system as the default and then click the other OS and hit the delete button, click apply and ok, restart system.

Let me know if that works or not. Thanks.
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#3
Borrowed Time

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Thanks. That worked for one of the selections. I had three (never three different versions installed), now I have two selections. And there is only one selection viewable in msconfig.

However I see that on the first tab which is marked 'General' there are three possible selections. 1. Normal startup 2. Diagnostic startup and 3. Selective startup. Perhaps I should switch it to 'Normal startup'? At present I see it is set to #3. Selective startup. But I have edited my startup services slightly so probably I think it refers to that rather than the OS selection screen I want to get rid of.

I just want to end up with the boot process booting directly into Vista without the selection screen.

Edited by Borrowed Time, 22 August 2010 - 02:06 AM.

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#4
hendaz

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Editing the general tab will only affect the programs and services that load so I would leave that as selective startup - as changing it will not solve your problem. Since msconfig isn't showing the other OS I can only suggest you pick one of the following options:


1.) If you have the original windows cd insert the cd into the drive and boot from the disc. Click repair your computer and it may autodetect that the boot menu contains invalid entries and auto correct it.

2.) Using a utility called bcdedit. A full guide below:

http://www.sevenforu...it-how-use.html

3.) There is a program out there called EasyBCD. I haven't used it myself but I think it could solve your problem.

http://neosmart.net/dl.php?id=1


Hope this helps, if you need more details let me know.
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#5
Borrowed Time

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I haven't forgotten. I will try it. I need to just find some free time when I feel comfortable. Sometimes a thing like this can screw up a guys computer if it isn't done right. :)
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#6
rshaffer61

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Please do the following in the exact steps. Failure to do so could make the boot.ini damaged and cause unstable or unusable results with your system.:

Save a Backup Copy of Boot.ini

1. Click Start, click Run, type sysdm.cpl and then click OK.
2. Click on the Advanced tab, and then click Settings
3. In the Startup and Recovery area at the bottom click Settings.
4. Under System Startup click Edit. This opens the Boot.ini file in Notepad ready for editing.
5. In Notepad, click File on the Menu bar, and then click Save As.
6. First in here change the location in the top white drop down box to Desktop. Then in the file name change to Boot.old and save as Text Document(*.txt) and save it to your Desktop and then click Save



Please copy and paste all the lines from your Boot.ini file in your next reply.
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#7
Borrowed Time

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System properties - Advanced Tab - Start up and Recovery - Settings - Unfortunately does not yield any 'edit' button.

I get a drop down window which allows for selection of one or two of my choices as default for the Boot Manager selection. And below that are the choices in the event of System failure. But no 'edit' button.
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#8
rshaffer61

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Post a screenshot please of the above so we can figure out what is going on. Redo the steps I outlined and where the Edit is suppose to be then do the screenshot by following the steps below.
To do a screenshot please have click on your Print Screen on your keyboard. It is normally the key above your number pad between the F12 key and the Scroll Lock key
Now go to Start and then to All Programs
Scroll to Accessories and then click on Paint
In the Empty White Area click and hold the CTRL key and then click the V
Go to the File option at the top and click on Save as
Save as file type JPEG and save it to your Desktop


Attach it to your next reply
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#9
diabillic

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Please do the following in the exact steps. Failure to do so could make the boot.ini damaged and cause unstable or unusable results with your system.:

Save a Backup Copy of Boot.ini

1. Click Start, click Run, type sysdm.cpl and then click OK.
2. Click on the Advanced tab, and then click Settings
3. In the Startup and Recovery area at the bottom click Settings.
4. Under System Startup click Edit. This opens the Boot.ini file in Notepad ready for editing.
5. In Notepad, click File on the Menu bar, and then click Save As.
6. First in here change the location in the top white drop down box to Desktop. Then in the file name change to Boot.old and save as Text Document(*.txt) and save it to your Desktop and then click Save



Please copy and paste all the lines from your Boot.ini file in your next reply.


rshaffer, we are using Vista here....no boot.ini

Try this:

1. Open System by clicking the Start button , clicking Control Panel,
clicking System and Maintenance, and then clicking System.

2. In the left pane, click Advanced system settings. If you
are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the
password or provide confirmation.

3. Click the Advanced tab, and then, under Startup and
Recovery, click Settings.

4. Under System startup, choose a default operating system and
the amount of time to display the list of operating systems, and then click
OK.

Edited by diabillic, 24 August 2010 - 07:51 AM.

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#10
Borrowed Time

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I did that one actually. I selected by default OS and then 'unchecked' the time to display. That comes close to eliminating the boot manager but doesn't do away with the potential selection that goes nowhere. What happens now is that the Boot Manager will blink for a microsecond and then boot into Vista. I would still like to get rid of the bad selection. It just makes me nervous.
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#11
diabillic

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I wouldn't be concerned about that.
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#12
Borrowed Time

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Yea maybe. But what about if somehow the boot loader gets corrupted and loads the wrong OS. Then I'll be hooped because the Boot Manager isn't visible so you can't make a different choice and the one that is set at is dead. Too paranoid? :)
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#13
DaffyKantReed

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I used to have a dual boot. But no longer. Now just Vista is installed. Yet the Multi OS selector still remains with it's choices. I'd like to get rid of that if I could. I wonder if someone could tell me how to do that.

Thanks


Boot from the Vista DVD. Choose the Repair your computer option, fig 3, followed by the command prompt option, fig 9, in the link below.

http://www.bleepingc...utorial148.html

At the black command prompt, type both of the following, each followed by Enter.

bootrec.exe /fixmbr
bootrec.exe /fixboot

Now type exit and reboot the PC.
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#14
Borrowed Time

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Sorry about taking so long to try your suggestion. Actually neither /FixMbr nor /FixBoot solved my particular problem. However some searching http://support.microsoft.com/kb/927392 showed me the option /RebuildBcd which did solve the problem. It scanned for Windows installations, found only one, which I added to the bootloader.

Many thanks for everybody's interest.
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