At bootup in msdos it asks me which windows installation i want to login to due to an error during installation, is it possible to remove one of the windows installations or to start one of them by default and not get asked everytime i start my computer or do i need to reformat?

Yes, it's possible to remove the prompt of the installation you do not require.

Right-click on My Computer - > Properties - > Advanced.

Click the Settings button under Startup & Recovery.

Now, there're two things you could do over here, to solve your problem. But, before doin either, determine the installation of Windows XP you want to boot from, by default.

The first solution would be to Select the Default Operating System from the drop-down list, and set the Time to Display List of Operating Systems to 1 sec.

The second option would be to click on the EDIT button. This opens up the edit window for the BOOT.INI file. In BOOT.INI you will see a list of the operating systems installed. It'll look somethig like this : -

multi(0)disk(1)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINNT="Win XP Professional" /fastdetect

Determine the installation that you DO NOT require, and either remove or comment (REM) out the line for that installation.

Save the BOOT.INI file, and reboot the PC.

This should do it.

You can't REM the line out, it's only for batch files.

Basically, backup ur boot.ini file somewhere.

Under

[boot loader]

If there's a "timeout" option set it to 5.

If there isn't make a line

[boot loader]
timeout=5

Reboot.

Don't click anything. Let the countdown go to zero. If the correct windows starts, you can set the timeout to 0 so it loads instantly or you can delete the second line. e.g. if it was

multi(0)disk(1)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINNT="Win XP Professional" /fastdetect

You'd delete the line

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINNT="Win XP Professional" /fastdetect

If the wrong windows loads, ie your pc doesn't boot after setting the timeout to 5, delete the first line (ie

multi(0)disk(1)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect

and set the timeout to zero. Hope u understood.

Edited October 1, 200619 yr by T D

An easier way to edit Boot.ini is through MSConfig: How to Use and Edit Boot.ini in Windows XP