Firstly, yes that is where you delete the line of text. You may want to make a copy 
of the file and save it to your desktop. Deleting the text in C:\boot.ini makes it 
so that the computer does not give you the option to choose which OS to boot up from; 
it does not delete any files. Hence doing this will "get rid of the dual boot".

Reformatting the drive will remove all the data on the drive. Since you have mentioned 
that you want to keep programs and files, I think it would be best that you do not 
reformat the drive. Unless disk space is an issue this will probably be enough. If 
disk space is an issue, then after deleting the text from boot.ini look in the main 
C:\ (probably best to have hidden folders shown as well as having protected operating 
system files shown - When in the C:\ click Tools > Folder options > in the view tab). 
You may find the are two folders that start off with the text "Windows" there maybe, 
for example, a "Windows.0" folder. If there are you can delete the windows XP Pro 
folder. To find out which one this is, look inside the back-uped copy at the line 
of text that had "Windows XP Professional" in it, it will tell you which folder it 
relates. The example below should illustrate this:

(from microsoft.com)

[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="Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINNT="Windows 2000 Professional" /fastdetect 

Here, the folder "Windows" referes to the WinXP Pro and "WINNT" to Win2000 Pro hence 
if one wanted to get rid of WinXP Pro they can delete the "WINDOWS" folder as long 
as that is not the partition that they booted up from.

Since both XP's have the same directory for users ("C:\Documents and Settings" where 
C:\ refers to the disk drive that the files are on) all the files should be intact. 

The easiest way to reformat the harddrive, though you may need to backup the files 
(Programs CANNOT be backuped as such), is to use the Windows XP setup disc. To do 
this, boot up from the WinXP setup disc. (Use BIOS if needs be). Press "Enter" at 
the welcome screen, press "F8" to accept the EULA, Press "Esc" to bypass the repair 
option, "Press D" to delete partitions and then confim the deletion with whatever 
keys it asks for. Then press C to create a new partition, follow the steps and then 
you will be given a number of ways to format the drive, the best way is "Format the 
partition by using the NTFS file system (Quick)". This also provides a way to delete 
the partition.

Another way to delete the partition is to go to control panel > Performance and Maintenance 
> Administrative Tools > Computer Management, Find "Disk management" on the left 
handside and then click it. Find the partition you want to delete, right click and 
delete. follow the obvious steps to confim the deletion.

In summary,

To remove the dual boot option:
1. Open C:\Boot.ini in notepad and save a copy on the desktop (this is just as a 
backup)
2. Then open C:\Boot.ini (saving a file to the desktop makes it so that that file 
is open in notepad)
2. Find the line of text under the heading [operating systems] which contains the 
name of the Windows XP version that you want to remove from the boot.
3. Then save the file.

To remove the Windows XP Pro folder:
1. Open the backed up copy of Boot.ini from the desktop
2. Look at the line which contained the name of the OS that you do not want and look 
in C:\ drive for that folder.
3. Then delete this folder. This cannot be done if you have booted from the OS that 
you do not want.

To format the hard drive:
Before you do this, make sure you have installation discs for your programs and that 
you have backed up you documents.
1. Boot up from the WinXP installation disc (if you do not have one, you can download 
a copy of the internet; do not install this, though, as it is illegal) (you may need 
to make the CD-ROM drive the default boot option from the BIOS)
2. Press enter at the welcome screen.
3. Press F8 to accept the licence agreement
4. Press Esc to bypass the repair
5. use the arrow keys and d (and also the delete confirmation keys - normally L and 
Enter) to delete all the partitions.
6. Press C to create a new partition
7. Use the arrow keys to use the "Format the partition by using the NTFS file system 
(Quick)" option and press enter to confirm this.

To remove partitions:
1. Control panel > Performance and Maintenance > Administrative Tools > Computer 
Management, click on "Disk management" on the left handside. 
2. Find the partition you want to delete, right click and delete
3. Follow the delete confirmation steps.


Hope this helps, 
Mahdi Islam








On Saturday, November 24, 2007 at 8:29 pm, Alta wrote:

>"Open C:\boot.ini (where C: is the hard disk letter). under the text '[operating 

>systems]' find the OS that you don't want and delete the entire line, save it and 

>restart(just to check)."

>

>Being fairly puter illiterate...I typed that in run then got the info in a notepad...is 

>that where you delete it?  I want the partition and win xp pro off my computer and 

>still have my original home with all of my programs and data.  Can you post STEP 

>BY STEP instructions to uninstall pro, reformat drive and get rid of the dual boot? 

> Thanks. 

>

>

> 

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