Installed windows...and have 3 win pro oses to choose from?

FroGGer

Hey guys, I got a problem. I reinstalled windows because I had to get a new mobo.. and anyways, I disconected my IDE drive while installing windows onto my RAID partition. (So, I have 3 hard drives in all). When it booted up the first time while the IDE drive was still disconnected, everything was ok, but then when I turned off the comp and reconnected the drive, I got a choice of three windows professionals to choose from when I boot. The reason It's 3 not 2 is because the IDE drive is partitioned into 2 parts.
I thought I installed it wrong the first time, so I reinstalled windows and still the same thing.
Does anyone know what could cause this or how I can fix it? The new mobo I got is an ABIT IC-7 MAX 3 so everyone is informed.
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ABIT IC7 MAX 3, Corsair PC4000 Pro, P4 2.6C @3.23 GHz 1:1, 2.5-4-4-7, 2 WD Raptors in RAID 0

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Josh · Posted: Thu Jun 24, 2004 5:19 am Post subject:

Sounds like you have several OS's on separate partitions, did you format each partition then install just 1 OS on 1 partition, or leave OS's installed from previously?
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FroGGer · Posted: Thu Jun 24, 2004 10:12 am Post subject:

There were no os's on the ide drive just mp3's, videos, and important files. Windows was never installed on them. It never did this before and I had the same setup. the only thing i did was change the mobo.
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ABIT IC7 MAX 3, Corsair PC4000 Pro, P4 2.6C @3.23 GHz 1:1, 2.5-4-4-7, 2 WD Raptors in RAID 0

Josh · Posted: Thu Jun 24, 2004 10:45 am Post subject:

Try disconnesting the one with the OS on, and just try to boot onto the other one which supposedly has no OS, its a long shot, but if it boots onto something, youll kick yourself for not realising

What are the 2 hard disks you have, make/speed?
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zhensem · Posted: Thu Jun 24, 2004 12:53 pm Post subject:

Josh, if he tries to boot from the one that doesn't have the OS on then it won't work.

FroGGer, crack open notepad, click File>Open, navigate to the C:\ drive (or the drive letter of whichever drive has your OS on it) and type in boot.ini and hit open (you won't actually see the boot.ini file since it's a system file.) Then copy and paste the contents here.

I'll have a look for ya.
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[TN] Nathan · ALMIGHTY PWNER! Joined: 14 Feb 2002 Posts: 7406

Yea, I want to see it.
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ToggleHead · TWEAKGURU Joined: 03 Mar 2004 Posts: 4360 Location: Jersey

i was thinking the same thing.........its allll about that boot.ini
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Troy · SirTweaksabit Joined: 27 Feb 2004 Posts: 497

Select the raid array as 1st boot device and disable the 2nd,3rd, and so on under the bootup options. This should fix it.
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Abit Max3, Intel2.4@ 3.42, 9800pro 460core/380mem., 2 Raptors raid0

Josh · Posted: Thu Jun 24, 2004 6:04 pm Post subject:

FroGGer · Posted: Thu Jun 24, 2004 11:09 pm Post subject:

I went into msconfig and looked at this earlier, but I don't completely understand what this means. You guys can have a look.

[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 Professional" /fastdetect
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ABIT IC7 MAX 3, Corsair PC4000 Pro, P4 2.6C @3.23 GHz 1:1, 2.5-4-4-7, 2 WD Raptors in RAID 0

zhensem · Posted: Thu Jun 24, 2004 11:21 pm Post subject:

OK, very strange. Your boot.ini file is perfectly fine and it should look like that, with 1 OS choice. However, you say you get 3 which should reflect this in the boot.ini file - but it doesn't.

Sooo.... my next thought is, did you EVER install an OS on any of the other hard disks, then delete the installation without reformatting the drive. Maybe another boot.ini file is left on one of the other HDs and is being read instead of this one.

The next thing I suggest is using your WinXP CD do a Repair, not a complete re-install, just a Repair.
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FroGGer · Posted: Fri Jun 25, 2004 12:19 am Post subject:

I checked the BIOS like troy suggested and i missed something...I didn't have the raid controller selected first in the add-in bootable device list. The WD drive with the 2 partitions was first and that's what the prob was...sorry guys.
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ABIT IC7 MAX 3, Corsair PC4000 Pro, P4 2.6C @3.23 GHz 1:1, 2.5-4-4-7, 2 WD Raptors in RAID 0

Josh · Posted: Fri Jun 25, 2004 3:44 am Post subject:

lol, its always something so simple!

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