changing the boot partition

[serg33]

after various experimenting with linux, ive decided to delete all my linux partitions and stick to windows. However, after deleting all the partitions, I'm left with my 2 original ones, except windows is booting to the wrong one. The 1st partition is a system recovery one, and the 2nd has windows on it. No matter what I've tried in the Recovery console from the windows cd, I can't make it boot to the 2nd partition. So, I can only boot into the system recovery and not windows.

I've tried using fixmbr, fixboot, bootcfg, in different order and with different parameters but nothing works. My partitions look like this

C:/miniNT

I:/WINDOWS

The I drive is the one I want booting but I can't figure it out. Any help is appreciated. TIA.

edit: i don't have a floppy drive so no access to fdisk. The only things I can do now are Recovery console and BIOS adjustment (as well as system recovery since that is where my computer boots to, but I'm pretty sure even that wouldn't fix the problem)

Edited June 25, 2006 by serg33

[allen2]

The problem perhaps come from the boot.ini.

Check in recovery console what map gives you for the windows partition and see if it's the same in the boot.ini.

[Andromeda43]

It sounds like something I'd use FDISK to fix....but then, I only use FAT-32 partitions....all of them.

However if you'd like to have a great service tool in the form of a ME boot disk with FDISK on it,

Download:

ME-Boot CD.iso

from Here..

Andy decent CD burning software will put that file on a bootable CD for you and you'll have a

Windows ME boot CD that will make you a great service tool. Feel free to share it.

It's completely menu driven so nothing to type.

If FDISK can see your HD, then you should be able to make the second partition the boot partition.

No Guarantees, but I'd start there anyway.

Good Luck,

Andromeda43

[Takeshi]

Not knowing exactly where your partitions were and how you deleted them it's a bit tricky to pinpoint the problem.

But, RC's bootcfg /rebuild command should rebuild your boot.ini. If the boot.ini is incorrect or missing you'll see an error message. You haven't said if there's a boot screen. If you don't then the boot.ini entry is set to boot automatically to the specified partition.

If the above doesn't apply, I suspect your Windows partition, or at least where the Windows boot files (boot.ini, ntldr, NTDETECT.COM) are located, is set non-active at present.

The minint entry rather suggests it's Windows PE on a harddisk, in which case it's a bit more involved and the WinPE subforum has articles on multibooting WinPE/XP.

Edited June 26, 2006 by Takeshi

[pmshah]

Download bootitng from terabyteunlimited. The current version also includes a utility to either create an iso or writing out a floppy disk. Boot from it & at the first screen opt for maintenance instead of install. Select partition manager. You will see all the partitions on your hdd. It can also find & undelete partitions in the free space area. Select any one & select properties. Click on edit file & you will see contents of your partition. This should help you locate & select the partition you want to set active for your system to boot properly.

Hope this helps.

Edited June 28, 2006 by pmshah