Changing boot.ini to only boot windows 98

[handlebars]

I have put on windows 2000 pro onto the same partition as windows 98 and have tried adusting the boot.ini file.

There is only one hard drive with one partition and i want to get the machine to start only into windows 98 for the time being - i have tried changing the boot.ini but keep on getting various error messages.

Is the boot.ini file not present in a normal win 98 installation?

Any help would be appresiated.

Andrew

 

[comtec17]

Windows 98 does not use a boot.ini file. It uses the MBR on the disk to boot.

 

[Blujacket]

The way to 'kill' the Win2000 choice is to first delete the boot.ini file [or rename it] then boot to a Win98 or Win98SE floppy [for your version] and at the A: prompt type fdisk /mbr. Reboot to the floppy and type sys c:. This will kill off the ability to boot Win2000 [same with WinXP] but you will not be able to access hard drives formatted as NTFS. If sys.com is not on the floppy it can be found in C:\Windows\Command on Win98.

 

[Blujacket]

Oops, change this line If sys.com is not on the floppy it can be found in C:\Windows\Command on Win98. to read If sys.com is not on the floppy it can be found in C:\Windows\Command on Win98 and copied to the floppy and run when booted to the floppy.

 

[wolluf]

If you want to keep the ability to boot 2k at a later date (though I'd suggest its a bad idea - needs separate partition for dual boot), just edit boot.ini to look like:-

[boot loader]
timeout=5
default=C:[operating systems]
C:\="Microsoft Windows 98"

running sys C: from A: prompt booting from 98 boot floppy will restore 98 boot sector (so will boot 98 - but you'll need to reinstall 2k - or repair its boot sector to regain ability to boot it). You don't need to run fdisk /mbr (98 & 2k use same standard mbr - so will have no effect at all).