ProblemYou want to create a multiboot menu that will allow you choose from several different customized versions of Windows for example, one without a boot screen, one that will automatically create a log about the boot process, and so on. SolutionUsing a graphical user interfaceThe boot.ini file, a plain text file found in your root C:\ folder, determines how XP starts up and controls a variety of startup options, including whether to use the XP splash screen when XP starts, whether to create a log file about the boot process, and so on. You might not be able to see boot.ini, because it's a system file, and if you can see it, you might not be able to edit it, because it's a read-only file. To make it visible, launch Windows Explorer, and choose View Tools Folder Options View and select the radio button "Show Hidden Files and Folders." To make it a file you can edit, right-click on it in Windows Explorer, choose Properties, uncheck the Read-Only box, and click on OK. If you have only one operating system on your PC (XP), boot.ini will look something like this: [boot loader] timeout=30 default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS [operating systems] multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition" /fastdetect In this instance, your PC will boot straight into XP; no menu will be displayed to give you any other startup choices. If you have more than one operating system on your PC, in the following instance XP Home Edition and Windows 2000 Professional, Windows boot.ini would look like this: [boot loader] timeout=30 default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS [operating systems] multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition" /fastdetect multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINNT="Windows 2000 Professional" /fastdetect In this instance, when you boot your PC, a menu would be displayed, allowing you to choose between booting into XP Home Edition or Windows 2000 Professional. Even if you have only one version of XP installed, though, you can create a multiboot menu that will let you choose to load XP with different parameters by editing the boot.ini file. For example, for menu choices, you might have your normal operating system; the operating system loading in a mode that lets you trace any startup problems; and the operating system loading in safe mode. To do it, create separate entries for each new operating system choice. For example, for the version of the operating system that traces potential startup problems, you could create this entry: multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Trace Problems XP Home Edition" /fastdetect /bootlog /sos This entry creates a startup log and displays information about the drivers and other operating system information as it loads. For the version of the operating system that loads in Safe Mode but that still allows networking, you could create this entry: multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Safe Start XP Home Edition" /fastdetect /safeboot:network So the boot.ini file would look like this, assuming that you want the menu to display for 30 seconds, and you want normal XP startup to be the default: [boot loader] timeout=30 default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS [operating systems] multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition" /fastdetect multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Trace Problems XP Home Edition" /fastdetect /bootlog /sos multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Safe Start XP Home Edition" /fastdetect /safeboot:network To edit the file, open it with a text editor such as Notepad. Following is a typical boot.ini file for a PC that has two operating systems installed on it Windows XP Home Edition and Windows Me: [boot loader] timeout=30 default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS [operating systems] multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition" /fastdetect multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINNT="Windows 2000 Professional" /fastdetect As you can see, there are two sections in the file: [boot loader] and [operating systems]. To customize your menu and startup options, edit the entries in each section. Before editing boot.ini, make a copy of it and save it under a different name (such as boot.ini.old), so that you can revert to it if you cause problems when you edit the file. Following are details about how to edit the entries in each section:
When you've finished editing the boot.ini file, save it. The next time you start your computer, its settings will go into effect. So, in our example, if we wanted the menu to appear for 45 seconds, the default operating system to be Windows 2000, and the XP splash screen to be turned off when we choose to load XP, the boot.ini file would look like this: [boot loader] timeout=45 default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINNT [operating systems] multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition" /fastdetect /noguiboot multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINNT="Windows 2000 Professional" /fastdetect DiscussionIf you've installed another operating system in addition to XP on your system, your PC automatically starts up with a multiboot menu, which allows you to choose which operating system you want to run. The menu stays live for 30 seconds, and a screen countdown tells you how long you have to make a choice from the menu. After the 30 seconds elapse, it boots into your default operating system, which is generally the last operating system that you installed. To change that menu and your startup options, edit boot.ini. See AlsoAdvanced Startup Manager will let you create different profiles for starting XP. It's shareware; the registration fee is $19.95. Download it from http://www.rayslab.com/startup_manager/startup_manager.html. Also see MS KB 314081, "The purpose of the Boot.ini file in Windows XP." |