Guest JS Posted August 14, 2007 Posted August 14, 2007 Re: remove dual boot Thanks for the kind remarks but you were the one that actually walked Ed carefully and step by step through the process, this is not something everyone would or has the patience or skill to do! JS "Pegasus (MVP)" <I.can@fly.com> wrote in message news:%23LCcAxr3HHA.484@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl... > > "Ed Mc" <namvtn@noway.com> wrote in message > news:IvadndGAd9v2h1_bnZ2dnUVZ_hqdnZ2d@comcast.com... >> Pegasus (MVP) wrote: >>> "Ed Mc" <namvtn@noway.com> wrote in message >>> news:-tudnUpCbbt6e1zbnZ2dnUVZ_hCdnZ2d@comcast.com... >>>> Pegasus (MVP) wrote: >>>>> "Ed Mc" <namvtn@noway.com> wrote in message >>>>> news:mb2dnewYdp0HCl3bnZ2dnUVZ_rignZ2d@comcast.com... >>>>>> Pegasus (MVP) wrote: >>>>>>> "Ed Mc" <namvtn@noway.com> wrote in message >>>>>>> news:pP2dnd0kcvc8613bnZ2dnUVZ_uiknZ2d@comcast.com... >>>>>>>> Pegasus (MVP) wrote: >>>>>>>>> "Ed Mc" <namvtn@noway.com> wrote in message >>>>>>>>> news:bsudneH8p8KoCCLbnZ2dnUVZ_t7inZ2d@comcast.com... >>>>>>>>>> Ed Mc wrote: >>>>>>>>>>> I have 2 hard drives in the same computer. Each has it's >>>>>>>>>>> own copy of XP installed. It's a dual boot system. I would like >>>>>>>>>>> to erase one drive and just use the disk for storage. Is this a >>>>>>>>>>> simple task? My main disk is formatted NTFS. The one I want to >>>>>>>>>>> erase is FAT32. Could someone give me a step by step procedure? >>>>>>>>>>> Google gives answers for dual boot with different OS's. Thanks >>>>>>>>>>> for any help. >>>>>>>>>>> JS wrote: >>>>>>>>>>>> I also should mention to check you applications load OK while >>>>>>>>>>>> your at it. >>>>>>>>>>>> I think Pegasus and I are basically thinking along similar >>>>>>>>>>>> lines so I follow that post as well. >>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>> Idea is that if the drive you want to keep XP on (I'll call it >>>>>>>>>>>> the main drive) is OK then I'd take a slower and probably over >>>>>>>>>>>> cautious approach in that my next step would then be to >>>>>>>>>>>> disconnect the main drive, connect the drive the you want to >>>>>>>>>>>> remove Windows from (it should now be the only drive connected) >>>>>>>>>>>> and boot from the Windows CD and do basically a clean install >>>>>>>>>>>> but when you reach the point about choosing the location to >>>>>>>>>>>> install you will select 'D' option to delete the partition. The >>>>>>>>>>>> reason I choose the long way is that there is no way you can >>>>>>>>>>>> accidentally delete Windows on the drive you wish to keep. >>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>> Then after you have deleted the partition you can shutdown the >>>>>>>>>>>> PC, connect both drives, boot to Windows and use Disk >>>>>>>>>>>> Management to create a new partition on the second drive and >>>>>>>>>>>> format it. But I'm getting ahead of my self. >>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>> JS >>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>> "JS" <@> wrote in message >>>>>>>>>>>> news:%23CGl%23iR3HHA.600@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl... >>>>>>>>>>>>> One thing you can try first is to disconnect the cable to the >>>>>>>>>>>>> second drive and see if you are able to boot from the drive >>>>>>>>>>>>> you wish to keep Windows on. If you can accomplish this (boot >>>>>>>>>>>>> to Windows) without problems then you know it's safe to >>>>>>>>>>>>> delete the contents of the second drive. >>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>> As to how to delete/repartition the second drive I wait until >>>>>>>>>>>>> you report back. >>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>> JS >>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>> "Ed Mc" <namvtn@noway.com> wrote in message >>>>>>>>>>>>> news:c46dnZYc8dDmoiLbnZ2dnUVZ_oaonZ2d@comcast.com... >>>>>>>>>>>>>> I have 2 hard drives in the same computer. Each has it's >>>>>>>>>>>>>> own copy of XP installed. It's a dual boot system. I would >>>>>>>>>>>>>> like to erase one drive and just use the disk for storage. Is >>>>>>>>>>>>>> this a simple task? My main disk is formatted NTFS. The one I >>>>>>>>>>>>>> want to erase is FAT32. Could someone give me a step by step >>>>>>>>>>>>>> procedure? Google gives answers for dual boot with different >>>>>>>>>>>>>> OS's. Thanks for any help. >>>>>>>>>>> Diskmgmt.msc indicates that my E: drive is active. My C: drive >>>>>>>>>>> is simply Healthy(System). >>>>>>>>>>> If I disconnect my slave disk, (where E: drive is located), >>>>>>>>>>> computer won't boot up. It sees no drives whatsoever. I'm afraid >>>>>>>>>>> things are really screwed up! Thanks for help, everyone. >>>>>>>>> Let's look at this calmly: >>>>>>>>> - Why should things be screwed up? Reconnecting the slave >>>>>>>>> disk should restore them to normal! >>>>>>>>> - What makes you think that the PC sees no drives whatsoever? >>>>>>>>> - What message(s) do you see on the screen with only the slave >>>>>>>>> disk >>>>>>>>> connected? >>>>>>>>> - When only the slave disk is connected, what disks does the >>>>>>>>> BIOS report? Primary? Secondary? Master? Slave? >>>>>>>> With only the slave drive connected BIOS sees it and cdrom. With >>>>>>>> the slave disconnected and my main drive connected BIOS sees no >>>>>>>> drives at all. I think I'm beginning to understand my boot record >>>>>>>> must be on my slave drive. Unfortunately this is the drive I want >>>>>>>> to purge. >>>>>>>> I really appreciate everyone's help and patience. >>>>>>> No, that's not the way it works. Here is the order of >>>>>>> things in a PC: >>>>>>> 1. The BIOS must recognise a primary master disk. >>>>>>> 2. The primary master disk must have a Master Boot >>>>>>> Record (MBR). >>>>>>> 3. The primary master disk must have appropriate >>>>>>> boot files (ntldr, ntdetect.com and boot.ini in the >>>>>>> case of Windows). >>>>>>> 4. The folder referenced by boot.ini must have a valid >>>>>>> Windows installation. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> Each item is fully dependent on each of its predecessors. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> You report that your BIOS will no longer recognise your >>>>>>> hard disks when both are plugged in. The PC therefore >>>>>>> fails at Step 1 above. This usually happens when one of >>>>>>> the disk is incorrectly jumpered (Slave rather than master) >>>>>>> or if the 50-core IDE cable is plugged in back to front. >>>>>>> You must resolve this matter before you can proceed. >>>>>> Pegasus, >>>>>> Sorry for the confusion. When BOTH are plugged in BIOS sees all >>>>>> disks. When my main disk (with c:\) is plugged in, by itself, BIOS >>>>>> does NOT see it. When my SLAVE disk is plugged in, by itself, BIOS >>>>>> sees it as secondary. This disk contains E:\, which has the WindowsXP >>>>>> I want to remove. Thanks again. >>>>> If the BIOS does not see your primary master disks >>>>> by itself then you need to change its jumper setting >>>>> to "Single Disk" or words to this effect. If unsure, try >>>>> every position until you find the one that lets the BIOS >>>>> see the disk. >>>> Thanks, Pegasus. >>>> I disconnected my slave drive, removed the jumper shunt from the >>>> primary drive making it a single disk. Windows booted right up after >>>> the "dual boot" option screen. Can I now simply format and reinstall >>>> the other disk and remove entry from boot. ini? >>> >>> Yes, provided you're satisfied that everything works the way >>> it should and that you have access to all your important files, >>> including your EMail files. Please make very, very sure you >>> format the right disk. We've had some posts here recently >>> where the wrong disk got formatted . . . >> THANKS PEGASUS, >> You are a "virtual" lifesaver. Please accept my sincerest thanks and best >> wishes for you. > > Thanks for the feedback, and let's include JS in your praise. > He first proposed the solution you finally adopted. >
Guest Ed Mc Posted August 15, 2007 Posted August 15, 2007 Re: remove dual boot JS wrote: > As Pegasus mentioned the wrong disk has been formatted by users in the past, > it's an easy mistake to make. > Again one way to eliminate this from happening is to disconnect the cable to > your Windows drive now that it's working correctly. > Next connect the drive you want to format (it should be the only drive > connected at this point) and perform a clean install of Windows to the drive > you wish to format. You will stop/abort the clean install after the point > were Windows install ask you to delete/partition/format the drive. > > How to do a Clean Install of Windows XP: > From Michael Steven's: http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html > more info: http://windowsxp.mvps.org/XPClean.htm > and: http://www.theeldergeek.com/clean_installation_of_windows_xp.htm > also: http://www.bootdisk.com/ > > Now that second drive should be wiped and formatted. Make certain that if > you plan to connect the second drive to your system that the drive jumpers > are set correctly, that is the Windows drive will not longer be set as > Single but as a Master and the second drive as a Slave. > > JS > > "Ed Mc" <namvtn@noway.com> wrote in message > news:IvadndGAd9v2h1_bnZ2dnUVZ_hqdnZ2d@comcast.com... >> Pegasus (MVP) wrote: >>> "Ed Mc" <namvtn@noway.com> wrote in message >>> news:-tudnUpCbbt6e1zbnZ2dnUVZ_hCdnZ2d@comcast.com... >>>> Pegasus (MVP) wrote: >>>>> "Ed Mc" <namvtn@noway.com> wrote in message >>>>> news:mb2dnewYdp0HCl3bnZ2dnUVZ_rignZ2d@comcast.com... >>>>>> Pegasus (MVP) wrote: >>>>>>> "Ed Mc" <namvtn@noway.com> wrote in message >>>>>>> news:pP2dnd0kcvc8613bnZ2dnUVZ_uiknZ2d@comcast.com... >>>>>>>> Pegasus (MVP) wrote: >>>>>>>>> "Ed Mc" <namvtn@noway.com> wrote in message >>>>>>>>> news:bsudneH8p8KoCCLbnZ2dnUVZ_t7inZ2d@comcast.com... >>>>>>>>>> Ed Mc wrote: >>>>>>>>>>> I have 2 hard drives in the same computer. Each has it's own >>>>>>>>>>> copy of XP installed. It's a dual boot system. I would like to >>>>>>>>>>> erase one drive and just use the disk for storage. Is this a >>>>>>>>>>> simple task? My main disk is formatted NTFS. The one I want to >>>>>>>>>>> erase is FAT32. Could someone give me a step by step procedure? >>>>>>>>>>> Google gives answers for dual boot with different OS's. Thanks >>>>>>>>>>> for any help. >>>>>>>>>>> JS wrote: >>>>>>>>>>>> I also should mention to check you applications load OK while >>>>>>>>>>>> your at it. >>>>>>>>>>>> I think Pegasus and I are basically thinking along similar lines >>>>>>>>>>>> so I follow that post as well. >>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>> Idea is that if the drive you want to keep XP on (I'll call it >>>>>>>>>>>> the main drive) is OK then I'd take a slower and probably over >>>>>>>>>>>> cautious approach in that my next step would then be to >>>>>>>>>>>> disconnect the main drive, connect the drive the you want to >>>>>>>>>>>> remove Windows from (it should now be the only drive connected) >>>>>>>>>>>> and boot from the Windows CD and do basically a clean install >>>>>>>>>>>> but when you reach the point about choosing the location to >>>>>>>>>>>> install you will select 'D' option to delete the partition. The >>>>>>>>>>>> reason I choose the long way is that there is no way you can >>>>>>>>>>>> accidentally delete Windows on the drive you wish to keep. >>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>> Then after you have deleted the partition you can shutdown the >>>>>>>>>>>> PC, connect both drives, boot to Windows and use Disk Management >>>>>>>>>>>> to create a new partition on the second drive and format it. But >>>>>>>>>>>> I'm getting ahead of my self. >>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>> JS >>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>> "JS" <@> wrote in message >>>>>>>>>>>> news:%23CGl%23iR3HHA.600@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl... >>>>>>>>>>>>> One thing you can try first is to disconnect the cable to the >>>>>>>>>>>>> second drive and see if you are able to boot from the drive you >>>>>>>>>>>>> wish to keep Windows on. If you can accomplish this (boot to >>>>>>>>>>>>> Windows) without problems then you know it's safe to delete >>>>>>>>>>>>> the contents of the second drive. >>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>> As to how to delete/repartition the second drive I wait until >>>>>>>>>>>>> you report back. >>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>> JS >>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>> "Ed Mc" <namvtn@noway.com> wrote in message >>>>>>>>>>>>> news:c46dnZYc8dDmoiLbnZ2dnUVZ_oaonZ2d@comcast.com... >>>>>>>>>>>>>> I have 2 hard drives in the same computer. Each has it's >>>>>>>>>>>>>> own copy of XP installed. It's a dual boot system. I would >>>>>>>>>>>>>> like to erase one drive and just use the disk for storage. Is >>>>>>>>>>>>>> this a simple task? My main disk is formatted NTFS. The one I >>>>>>>>>>>>>> want to erase is FAT32. Could someone give me a step by step >>>>>>>>>>>>>> procedure? Google gives answers for dual boot with different >>>>>>>>>>>>>> OS's. Thanks for any help. >>>>>>>>>>> Diskmgmt.msc indicates that my E: drive is active. My C: drive is >>>>>>>>>>> simply Healthy(System). >>>>>>>>>>> If I disconnect my slave disk, (where E: drive is located), >>>>>>>>>>> computer won't boot up. It sees no drives whatsoever. I'm afraid >>>>>>>>>>> things are really screwed up! Thanks for help, everyone. >>>>>>>>> Let's look at this calmly: >>>>>>>>> - Why should things be screwed up? Reconnecting the slave >>>>>>>>> disk should restore them to normal! >>>>>>>>> - What makes you think that the PC sees no drives whatsoever? >>>>>>>>> - What message(s) do you see on the screen with only the slave disk >>>>>>>>> connected? >>>>>>>>> - When only the slave disk is connected, what disks does the >>>>>>>>> BIOS report? Primary? Secondary? Master? Slave? >>>>>>>> With only the slave drive connected BIOS sees it and cdrom. With the >>>>>>>> slave disconnected and my main drive connected BIOS sees no drives >>>>>>>> at all. I think I'm beginning to understand my boot record must be >>>>>>>> on my slave drive. Unfortunately this is the drive I want to purge. >>>>>>>> I really appreciate everyone's help and patience. >>>>>>> No, that's not the way it works. Here is the order of >>>>>>> things in a PC: >>>>>>> 1. The BIOS must recognise a primary master disk. >>>>>>> 2. The primary master disk must have a Master Boot >>>>>>> Record (MBR). >>>>>>> 3. The primary master disk must have appropriate >>>>>>> boot files (ntldr, ntdetect.com and boot.ini in the >>>>>>> case of Windows). >>>>>>> 4. The folder referenced by boot.ini must have a valid >>>>>>> Windows installation. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> Each item is fully dependent on each of its predecessors. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> You report that your BIOS will no longer recognise your >>>>>>> hard disks when both are plugged in. The PC therefore >>>>>>> fails at Step 1 above. This usually happens when one of >>>>>>> the disk is incorrectly jumpered (Slave rather than master) >>>>>>> or if the 50-core IDE cable is plugged in back to front. >>>>>>> You must resolve this matter before you can proceed. >>>>>> Pegasus, >>>>>> Sorry for the confusion. When BOTH are plugged in BIOS sees all disks. >>>>>> When my main disk (with c:\) is plugged in, by itself, BIOS does NOT >>>>>> see it. When my SLAVE disk is plugged in, by itself, BIOS sees it as >>>>>> secondary. This disk contains E:\, which has the WindowsXP I want to >>>>>> remove. Thanks again. >>>>> If the BIOS does not see your primary master disks >>>>> by itself then you need to change its jumper setting >>>>> to "Single Disk" or words to this effect. If unsure, try >>>>> every position until you find the one that lets the BIOS >>>>> see the disk. >>>> Thanks, Pegasus. >>>> I disconnected my slave drive, removed the jumper shunt from the primary >>>> drive making it a single disk. Windows booted right up after the "dual >>>> boot" option screen. Can I now simply format and reinstall the other >>>> disk and remove entry from boot. ini? >>> Yes, provided you're satisfied that everything works the way >>> it should and that you have access to all your important files, >>> including your EMail files. Please make very, very sure you >>> format the right disk. We've had some posts here recently >>> where the wrong disk got formatted . . . >> THANKS PEGASUS, >> You are a "virtual" lifesaver. Please accept my sincerest thanks and best >> wishes for you. > > I do, indeed, want to thank all who helped me with my dual boot quagmire. It restores a little faith in mankind when some would share valuable information that resolves problems and not soak the receipient for it. Thanks.
Guest JS Posted August 15, 2007 Posted August 15, 2007 Re: remove dual boot You're welcome. JS "Ed Mc" <namvtn@noway.com> wrote in message news:D9Odnb2nl6KN0l_bnZ2dnUVZ_tbinZ2d@comcast.com... > JS wrote: >> As Pegasus mentioned the wrong disk has been formatted by users in the >> past, it's an easy mistake to make. >> Again one way to eliminate this from happening is to disconnect the cable >> to your Windows drive now that it's working correctly. >> Next connect the drive you want to format (it should be the only drive >> connected at this point) and perform a clean install of Windows to the >> drive you wish to format. You will stop/abort the clean install after the >> point were Windows install ask you to delete/partition/format the drive. >> >> How to do a Clean Install of Windows XP: >> From Michael Steven's: >> http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html >> more info: http://windowsxp.mvps.org/XPClean.htm >> and: http://www.theeldergeek.com/clean_installation_of_windows_xp.htm >> also: http://www.bootdisk.com/ >> >> Now that second drive should be wiped and formatted. Make certain that if >> you plan to connect the second drive to your system that the drive >> jumpers are set correctly, that is the Windows drive will not longer be >> set as Single but as a Master and the second drive as a Slave. >> >> JS >> >> "Ed Mc" <namvtn@noway.com> wrote in message >> news:IvadndGAd9v2h1_bnZ2dnUVZ_hqdnZ2d@comcast.com... >>> Pegasus (MVP) wrote: >>>> "Ed Mc" <namvtn@noway.com> wrote in message >>>> news:-tudnUpCbbt6e1zbnZ2dnUVZ_hCdnZ2d@comcast.com... >>>>> Pegasus (MVP) wrote: >>>>>> "Ed Mc" <namvtn@noway.com> wrote in message >>>>>> news:mb2dnewYdp0HCl3bnZ2dnUVZ_rignZ2d@comcast.com... >>>>>>> Pegasus (MVP) wrote: >>>>>>>> "Ed Mc" <namvtn@noway.com> wrote in message >>>>>>>> news:pP2dnd0kcvc8613bnZ2dnUVZ_uiknZ2d@comcast.com... >>>>>>>>> Pegasus (MVP) wrote: >>>>>>>>>> "Ed Mc" <namvtn@noway.com> wrote in message >>>>>>>>>> news:bsudneH8p8KoCCLbnZ2dnUVZ_t7inZ2d@comcast.com... >>>>>>>>>>> Ed Mc wrote: >>>>>>>>>>>> I have 2 hard drives in the same computer. Each has it's >>>>>>>>>>>> own copy of XP installed. It's a dual boot system. I would like >>>>>>>>>>>> to erase one drive and just use the disk for storage. Is this a >>>>>>>>>>>> simple task? My main disk is formatted NTFS. The one I want to >>>>>>>>>>>> erase is FAT32. Could someone give me a step by step procedure? >>>>>>>>>>>> Google gives answers for dual boot with different OS's. Thanks >>>>>>>>>>>> for any help. >>>>>>>>>>>> JS wrote: >>>>>>>>>>>>> I also should mention to check you applications load OK while >>>>>>>>>>>>> your at it. >>>>>>>>>>>>> I think Pegasus and I are basically thinking along similar >>>>>>>>>>>>> lines so I follow that post as well. >>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>> Idea is that if the drive you want to keep XP on (I'll call it >>>>>>>>>>>>> the main drive) is OK then I'd take a slower and probably over >>>>>>>>>>>>> cautious approach in that my next step would then be to >>>>>>>>>>>>> disconnect the main drive, connect the drive the you want to >>>>>>>>>>>>> remove Windows from (it should now be the only drive >>>>>>>>>>>>> connected) and boot from the Windows CD and do basically a >>>>>>>>>>>>> clean install but when you reach the point about choosing the >>>>>>>>>>>>> location to install you will select 'D' option to delete the >>>>>>>>>>>>> partition. The reason I choose the long way is that there is >>>>>>>>>>>>> no way you can accidentally delete Windows on the drive you >>>>>>>>>>>>> wish to keep. >>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>> Then after you have deleted the partition you can shutdown the >>>>>>>>>>>>> PC, connect both drives, boot to Windows and use Disk >>>>>>>>>>>>> Management to create a new partition on the second drive and >>>>>>>>>>>>> format it. But I'm getting ahead of my self. >>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>> JS >>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>> "JS" <@> wrote in message >>>>>>>>>>>>> news:%23CGl%23iR3HHA.600@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl... >>>>>>>>>>>>>> One thing you can try first is to disconnect the cable to the >>>>>>>>>>>>>> second drive and see if you are able to boot from the drive >>>>>>>>>>>>>> you wish to keep Windows on. If you can accomplish this (boot >>>>>>>>>>>>>> to Windows) without problems then you know it's safe to >>>>>>>>>>>>>> delete the contents of the second drive. >>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>> As to how to delete/repartition the second drive I wait until >>>>>>>>>>>>>> you report back. >>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>> JS >>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>> "Ed Mc" <namvtn@noway.com> wrote in message >>>>>>>>>>>>>> news:c46dnZYc8dDmoiLbnZ2dnUVZ_oaonZ2d@comcast.com... >>>>>>>>>>>>>>> I have 2 hard drives in the same computer. Each has >>>>>>>>>>>>>>> it's own copy of XP installed. It's a dual boot system. I >>>>>>>>>>>>>>> would like to erase one drive and just use the disk for >>>>>>>>>>>>>>> storage. Is this a simple task? My main disk is formatted >>>>>>>>>>>>>>> NTFS. The one I want to erase is FAT32. Could someone give >>>>>>>>>>>>>>> me a step by step procedure? Google gives answers for dual >>>>>>>>>>>>>>> boot with different OS's. Thanks for any help. >>>>>>>>>>>> Diskmgmt.msc indicates that my E: drive is active. My C: drive >>>>>>>>>>>> is simply Healthy(System). >>>>>>>>>>>> If I disconnect my slave disk, (where E: drive is located), >>>>>>>>>>>> computer won't boot up. It sees no drives whatsoever. I'm >>>>>>>>>>>> afraid things are really screwed up! Thanks for help, everyone. >>>>>>>>>> Let's look at this calmly: >>>>>>>>>> - Why should things be screwed up? Reconnecting the slave >>>>>>>>>> disk should restore them to normal! >>>>>>>>>> - What makes you think that the PC sees no drives whatsoever? >>>>>>>>>> - What message(s) do you see on the screen with only the slave >>>>>>>>>> disk >>>>>>>>>> connected? >>>>>>>>>> - When only the slave disk is connected, what disks does the >>>>>>>>>> BIOS report? Primary? Secondary? Master? Slave? >>>>>>>>> With only the slave drive connected BIOS sees it and cdrom. With >>>>>>>>> the slave disconnected and my main drive connected BIOS sees no >>>>>>>>> drives at all. I think I'm beginning to understand my boot record >>>>>>>>> must be on my slave drive. Unfortunately this is the drive I want >>>>>>>>> to purge. >>>>>>>>> I really appreciate everyone's help and patience. >>>>>>>> No, that's not the way it works. Here is the order of >>>>>>>> things in a PC: >>>>>>>> 1. The BIOS must recognise a primary master disk. >>>>>>>> 2. The primary master disk must have a Master Boot >>>>>>>> Record (MBR). >>>>>>>> 3. The primary master disk must have appropriate >>>>>>>> boot files (ntldr, ntdetect.com and boot.ini in the >>>>>>>> case of Windows). >>>>>>>> 4. The folder referenced by boot.ini must have a valid >>>>>>>> Windows installation. >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> Each item is fully dependent on each of its predecessors. >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> You report that your BIOS will no longer recognise your >>>>>>>> hard disks when both are plugged in. The PC therefore >>>>>>>> fails at Step 1 above. This usually happens when one of >>>>>>>> the disk is incorrectly jumpered (Slave rather than master) >>>>>>>> or if the 50-core IDE cable is plugged in back to front. >>>>>>>> You must resolve this matter before you can proceed. >>>>>>> Pegasus, >>>>>>> Sorry for the confusion. When BOTH are plugged in BIOS sees all >>>>>>> disks. When my main disk (with c:\) is plugged in, by itself, BIOS >>>>>>> does NOT see it. When my SLAVE disk is plugged in, by itself, BIOS >>>>>>> sees it as secondary. This disk contains E:\, which has the >>>>>>> WindowsXP I want to remove. Thanks again. >>>>>> If the BIOS does not see your primary master disks >>>>>> by itself then you need to change its jumper setting >>>>>> to "Single Disk" or words to this effect. If unsure, try >>>>>> every position until you find the one that lets the BIOS >>>>>> see the disk. >>>>> Thanks, Pegasus. >>>>> I disconnected my slave drive, removed the jumper shunt from the >>>>> primary drive making it a single disk. Windows booted right up after >>>>> the "dual boot" option screen. Can I now simply format and reinstall >>>>> the other disk and remove entry from boot. ini? >>>> Yes, provided you're satisfied that everything works the way >>>> it should and that you have access to all your important files, >>>> including your EMail files. Please make very, very sure you >>>> format the right disk. We've had some posts here recently >>>> where the wrong disk got formatted . . . >>> THANKS PEGASUS, >>> You are a "virtual" lifesaver. Please accept my sincerest thanks and >>> best wishes for you. >> >> > I do, indeed, want to thank all who helped me with my dual boot quagmire. > It restores a little faith in mankind when some would share valuable > information that resolves problems and not soak the receipient for it. > Thanks.
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