Hi,
I recently reloaded windows xp due to a virus, which has now been corrected, but now when I start up the computer it goes to a dos style screen and asks me which windows xp I want to start ? If I do not choose one it just times out and picks one then starts normally. How do I git rid of this ?
Thank you very much !Sounds like theres still a record of the previous install left on the machine.

The "DOS screen" you're refering to is controlled by the FILE "boot.ini". It's a setting that helps people who dual-boot with windows.

It resides on your C: drive, and you should be able to open it with Notepad (right click "Open with..."). Change the "timeout=30" to "timeout=0", save the document and you won't see that screen again.

This will prevent this screen, but it won't clean up the underlying problem.

How confident are you with Windows XP, and computers in general?Hi Sid,
THANKS for replying, I can get around a computer pretty well, I know how to get to the boot file by typing in msconfig, but am not sure what to do once there.
Thanks, ShermI opened up the boot.ini in the System Config Utility and tried to set the timer to 0 but it would only let me go as low as 3 seconds so that is where I set it, I could see 2 windows xp`s in the list but I dont know how to get rid of one of them. What would happen if I clicked the "check all boot paths" button ? Also the first tab of the System Config Utility called "General" , under selective start up, which is checked, there is a circle to check, called "USE original boot .ini" which is unchecked, and the circle that is checked is the one that says "use modified boot .ini, will switching these correct the problem ?
ThanksYou have XP installed twice...
Editing the bootini will only accomplish not showing both installs on startup.
Do you want to remove the first XP install or the 2nd clean install ?
The method will be different.
If you choose the 2nd install do all your programs run and is all your data where it should be ? ?

This is a little trickier than just a simple edit according to what you want to accomplish...

Let us know.Yes, I want to remove the first install. I have been reloading my software, probably shouldnt yet but it all is working so far. I did follow instructions for reformatting the hard drive and then installing, one of the reasons I reloaded it is on my Emachine t6410 there are 3 usb ports on the front and they quit working. Also in the device manager under usb controllers it said unknown device, I could not find what it belonged to, I removed all usb devices that were plugged in and restarted, no change , then removed them all in the device manager and restarted, still there. I reinstalled windows I thought on a reformatted hard drive as per a friends recommendations but when the going gets rough he is never around.
ThanksOne thing strange is every time I start the computer the numlock key is always lit up.Quote from: sherm on December 27, 2007, 09:55:33 PM

One thing strange is every time I start the computer the numlock key is always lit up.

Yes, I want to remove the first install. I have been reloading my software, probably shouldnt yet but it all is working so far. I did follow instructions for reformatting the hard drive and then installing, one of the reasons I reloaded it is on my Emachine t6410 there are 3 usb ports on the front and they quit working. Also in the device manager under usb controllers it said unknown device, I could not find what it belonged to, I removed all usb devices that were plugged in and restarted, no change , then removed them all in the device manager and restarted, still there. I reinstalled windows I thought on a reformatted hard drive as per a friends recommendations but when the going gets rough he is never around.
Thanks