Default Boot

[joepole]

I have one NT4SP6a workstation that refuses to boot without user interaction.

My boot.ini file reads as such...

[boot loader]
timeout=5
Default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT
[Operating Systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT="Windows NT Workstation Version 4.00"
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT="Windows NT Workstation Version 4.00 [VGA mode]" /basevideo /sos

...but when the machine boots it gets to the menu where you choose what OS to load and it just sits there instead of counting down from 5 and then booting the default.

This is really annoying when working remotely, as the machine can't be restarted until there's somebody there to press Enter.

Any ideas?

 

[jrbarnett]

Hi,

Not sure if this is the problem or not, but on my system the "d" in "default" is lower rather than upper case.
Try changing it to lower case and see if this makes any difference. It shouldn't, but you know MS...

John

 

[joepole]

I was so hoping it was something that simple, but I just tried it and it wasn't.

 

[wolluf]

Have you tried changing the timeout to zero?

 

[joepole]

Yes, changing the timeout does nothing, I just like 5 because 30 is way too much but I want to be able to stop it if I need to.

 

[wolluf]

Some things you could try:-

1. Create an NT boot disk (copy ntldr, ntdetect.com & boot.ini from root of C: to newly formatted floppy) & see if that 'works' properly (it will boot your installation). If it does - try suggestion 3.

2. If 1. doesn't work, replace ntldr & ntdetect.com with the ones from install CD - in \i386 & try again. If this now does work - try the same trick with ntldr & ntdetect.com on the C: drive.

3. Try an NT repair - just repair the boot sector (you should create an ERD for this - run rdisk).

4. If no joy - but have a working boot floppy - try removing second (VGA mode entry) from C: drive's boot.ini (with just one selection it shouldn't offer a choice at all). Or try removing boot.ini entirely (I think it defaults to disk 1, partition 1). You can use the boot floppy to get back in and put it right if this stops booting altogether.