How do I remove Vista's Boot loader?

[andyd]

I can't get Vista to install...keeps failing. Boot loader is intact, though. Is there any way to remove this without reformatting? I tried using fixmbr in recovery console but it did nothing.

[fizban2]

you can go into your boot.ini and take out the entry out of there so that xp boots first

[phatcat42141]

I can't get Vista to install...keeps failing. Boot loader is intact, though. Is there any way to remove this without reformatting? I tried using fixmbr in recovery console but it did nothing.

Did you try doing the "FIXBOOT" option in the Recovery Console? I do this all the time and never had a problem yet. Use both the "FIXMBR" and the "FIXBOOT". Cheers

[gunsmokingman]

These are wrong and will not work

Did you try doing the "FIXBOOT" option in the Recovery Console? I do this all the time and never had a problem yet. Use both the "FIXMBR" and the "FIXBOOT". Cheers

you can go into your boot.ini and take out the entry out of there so that xp boots first

What my Boot.ini looks like with Vista installed

;

;Warning: Boot.ini is used on Windows XP and earlier operating systems.

;Warning: Use BCDEDIT.exe to modify Windows Vista boot options.

;

[boot loader]

timeout=30

default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS

[operating systems]

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Test Install 002" /NOEXECUTE=OPTIN /FASTDETECT

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Family XP Use This" /NOEXECUTE=OPTIN /FASTDETECT

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Test Install 001" /NOEXECUTE=OPTIN /FASTDETECT

To remove Vista Boot menu do this

1:\ Enable hidden files and folder in the folder options

2:\ Go to C:\ after this is enable

3:\ Delete this file C:\bootmgr

4:\ Delete this folder C:\Boot

this should remove Vista boot menu

[Mr Snrub]

Older versions of Vista used "FIXNTFS", but the later builds will use "BOOTSECT.EXE" found in the BOOT folder on your installation media.

This allows you to switch between the XP and Longhorn styles of the boot loader (the former using BOOT.INI which is ignored by the latter).

I don't have 5308 installed so I don't know whether you need to run FIXNTFS or BOOTSECT, but if you open a command prompt and run C:\BOOT\FIXNTFS /? it will tell you what you need to know.

Edit:

Make sure you read what I put next time

Edited March 4, 2006 by Mr Snrub

[gunsmokingman]

Here is what you get doing what you suggested, as you can see this is not the way to remove Vista Boot loader.

Edited March 14, 2006 by gunsmokingman

[fizban2]

bootsect.exe can be found on the CD media or ISO that vista came on, use this to change back to the XP bootloader

<cdrive:\boot> bootsect /nt52 C:

this will reapply the boot code for NTLoader back to the c: volume

[gunsmokingman]

Thank you for psoting that, I have been doing manually, next time I will try what ypu posted.

[andyd]

Thanks for the info guys!

[nedge2k]

Insert original XP install disc (if dual booting) and repair windows installation. FIXBOOT and FIXMBR worked fine for me.

[fizban2]

repairing the widows install is a long way of doing it, and possibly a bad thing if the install doesn't go through well,