Choices From Dual Boot Remain After Format

[DimMe]

Just formatted system, had three OS's for a TriBoot (?) After formatting two drives (leaving XP Pro on C:, with D:, and E: empty), when I boot up, I have to choose from the three OS's as if they were all still there.
Any thoughts on clearing this? It's before the load, so I assume the registry is out.
BIOS?
If so, where?
How?

 

[bcastner]

Start, Run, CMD

bootcfg /query

Will return as numbered paragraphs the existing configuration and indicate the default. If the installation of XP Pro is configuration #1, and the others #2 and #3 respectively:

bootcfg /delete 2
bootcfg /query
bootcfg /delete 2

The other way is to use the boot.ini editor. Right-click my computer, Properties, Advanced, Startup and Recovery, Edit.

 

[bcastner]

Sorry, I forgot the ID tag:

bootcfg /delete /id 2
bootcfg /query
bootcfg /delete /id 2

 

[mmv]

Although it might seem obsolete, its by design.

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;225997

Its the same with if you Ghost a machine.

 

[wolluf]

Bill - what time do you get up!! (its c. 10:30 here in UK - so presumably 05:30 with you?)

 

[bcastner]

Insomnia is my friend.

 

[DimMe]

I'm sure that will do the trick, I think I'll start with boot.ini and if that doesn't do it then 'bootcfg'.

One question about that;
When my machine is booting, my first OS, on drive C: is the bottom of the three choices, with D: being the middle, and the newest install on E: the uppermost and default.......Is C:, the original and the one I have left, on drive 3 or 1 ?

Thanks

 

[wolluf]

From your description, should be on drive 1 - does its boot.ini entry look like:-

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect

(rdisk(0) is disk 1, rdisk(1) is 2 etc).

 

[bcastner]

The following is a sample of bootcfg /query output:
Boot Loader Settings
--------------------
timeout: 30
default: multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS

Boot Entries
------------
Boot entry ID: 1
Friendly Name: "Microsoft Windows XP Professional"
Path: multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
OS Load Options: /fastdetect /debug /debugport=com1:

You of course will have 3 boot entry IDs.

wolluf is correct about reading the rdisk value; similarly the physical partitions on the drive are enumerated beginning with 1 (not 0).

But as you really just want to stop the boot behavior, just check the second line for the default entry, and be sure not to remove that ID entry with bootcfg /delete. Remember that once you remove an ID entry, you should do a bootcfg /query to see the new IDs before trying another /delete /id # statement.