I was installing Win2K so i could get away from this terrible WinME. Well in middle of install sorta discovered had a file transfer problem with the Win2K cd and had to abort install but now my system asks me which one of op systems I want to boot to when the computer is booting up so I guess it got far enough to modify the Msdos.sys file that I'm pretty sure holds the multiboot setting. Dang WinME won't let me un-hide the file so I can edit it. Also anyone know what's up with being able to allow a WinME system to boot up to DOS mode? I can see that ME was sorta a preliminary step or 'tease' to Win2K but I also quickly am learning why people say it is bad. Thanks for your help.
Tek-Tips is the largest IT community on the Internet today!
Members share and learn making Tek-Tips Forums the best source of peer-reviewed technical information on the Internet!
-
Congratulations bkrike on being selected by the Tek-Tips community for having the most helpful posts in the forums last week. Way to Go!
How to edit msdos.sys file in WinME for dual boot problem?
- Thread starter nate901
- Start date
If you cannot remove the system and hidden attributes of MSDOS.SYS and BOOT.INI, it might be an idea to create a startup diskette and boot from that one.
I posted here yesterday - but its disappeared!
msdos.sys is not involved in dual boot. You will now have a 2k boot sector (boot.ini - with menu in, ntldr, ntdetect.com and bootsect.dos - copy of ME boot sector).
What do you want to achieve (clean ME, clean 2k etc), and do you need to backup existing data?
msdos.sys is not involved in dual boot. You will now have a 2k boot sector (boot.ini - with menu in, ntldr, ntdetect.com and bootsect.dos - copy of ME boot sector).
What do you want to achieve (clean ME, clean 2k etc), and do you need to backup existing data?
- Thread starter
- #4
Thanks for your replay Wolluf. I'm just trying to remove the requirement to have to chose whether I want to boot up in Win2000 Setup or WinME, since I'm having problems with my Win2000 install disk. My ME works so I just want to boot up to it. The Boot.ini file is hidden also and cannot be unhidded at the dos prompt using the Attrib command.
Thanks.
Thanks.
First time I've heard that attrib can't unhide a file!
You can access & change attributes of files in explorer - as long as you have options set to view hideen and system files. So you should be able to get to see boot.ini in explorer, change its read only tab and edit it. It will look something like:-
[boot loader]
timeout=5
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT="Windows 2000 Professional Setup"
C:\="Microsoft Windows"
If you want to continue using this boot loader, make it look like this (back up original version first!)
[boot loader]
timeout=5
default=C:[operating systems]
C:\="Microsoft Windows"
If you want to restore ME boot sector, boot from ME boot floppy and type sys C: at dos prompt. Before you do this, you might want to save msdos.sys (assuming its not a minimal file - not sure what 2k setup does to it. If it is you'll need to restore a proper version - look here or post back if necessary), in case sys C: overwrites it with a minimal version (which causes boot to dos prompt only).
If you really can't make hidden/system files visible, post back exactly what you are doing (eg, at a C:\> dos prompt running 'attrib -s -h -r boot.ini').
You can access & change attributes of files in explorer - as long as you have options set to view hideen and system files. So you should be able to get to see boot.ini in explorer, change its read only tab and edit it. It will look something like:-
[boot loader]
timeout=5
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT="Windows 2000 Professional Setup"
C:\="Microsoft Windows"
If you want to continue using this boot loader, make it look like this (back up original version first!)
[boot loader]
timeout=5
default=C:[operating systems]
C:\="Microsoft Windows"
If you want to restore ME boot sector, boot from ME boot floppy and type sys C: at dos prompt. Before you do this, you might want to save msdos.sys (assuming its not a minimal file - not sure what 2k setup does to it. If it is you'll need to restore a proper version - look here or post back if necessary), in case sys C: overwrites it with a minimal version (which causes boot to dos prompt only).
If you really can't make hidden/system files visible, post back exactly what you are doing (eg, at a C:\> dos prompt running 'attrib -s -h -r boot.ini').
- Thread starter
- #6
I figured out I needed un-set boot.ini as a system file at same time as un-hide it using following at dos prompt
Attrib -s -h boot.ini
My boot.ini file looks as follows:
[Boot Loader]
Timeout=5
Default=C:\$WIN_NT$.~BT\BOOTSECT.DAT
[Operating Systems]
C:\$WIN_NT$.~BT\BOOTSECT.DAT="Microsoft Windows 2000 Server Setup"
C:\="Microsoft Windows"
From your info I see I should take out the part C:\$WIN_NT$.~BT\BOOTSECT.DAT="Microsoft Windows 2000 Server Setup" so it will just boot up on ME. I will reset it as a system file and hide it again afater I edit it. Thanks again for all your help on this .
Attrib -s -h boot.ini
My boot.ini file looks as follows:
[Boot Loader]
Timeout=5
Default=C:\$WIN_NT$.~BT\BOOTSECT.DAT
[Operating Systems]
C:\$WIN_NT$.~BT\BOOTSECT.DAT="Microsoft Windows 2000 Server Setup"
C:\="Microsoft Windows"
From your info I see I should take out the part C:\$WIN_NT$.~BT\BOOTSECT.DAT="Microsoft Windows 2000 Server Setup" so it will just boot up on ME. I will reset it as a system file and hide it again afater I edit it. Thanks again for all your help on this .
- Thread starter
- #8
Yea and I changed my boot.ini to what I said I would do above and now on bootup it still gives me a choice and wants to boot on Win2K as default because that Default=C:\$WIN_NT$.~BT\BOOTSECT.DAT was still in there. I came back to read your earlier reply and will do what you mentioned making the boot.ini like this after backing up files you mentioned of course.
[boot loader]
timeout=5
default=C:[operating systems]
C:\="Microsoft Windows"
Also I now see the only way to get ME to boot to a dos prompt is using the startup disk. I've blown off making startup disk in the past when installing Windows on systems but I learned my lesson the hard way on that now. Lately I've been telling people that computers are the most undependable friend they'll ever have in their life, as a way of getting them to understand the importance of backing up important files, not depending too much on their pc's and expecting that their pc can and will do some unexpected and nasty things to make their life miserable occasionally. If you like that phrase feel free to share it yourself with people.
Thanks.
Nate
[boot loader]
timeout=5
default=C:[operating systems]
C:\="Microsoft Windows"
Also I now see the only way to get ME to boot to a dos prompt is using the startup disk. I've blown off making startup disk in the past when installing Windows on systems but I learned my lesson the hard way on that now. Lately I've been telling people that computers are the most undependable friend they'll ever have in their life, as a way of getting them to understand the importance of backing up important files, not depending too much on their pc's and expecting that their pc can and will do some unexpected and nasty things to make their life miserable occasionally. If you like that phrase feel free to share it yourself with people.
Thanks.
Nate
- Status