how to get rid of duplicate copy of OS (2000)

[Gizmo123]

First, patience with a dummy! Had a boot failure...I have two hard drives so I installed OS on the slave (D) so I could access my files on the primary(C) to move them. Of course the second crashed since I didn't do anything to make it my primary drive. Re installed Win2000 on primary. Does windows automatically partition(?) the drives? Can I safely just delete the copy of the OS on the D drive so I won't have the option of dual boot? I was told by someone to make the OS on the c drive my default OS and then delete the one on the D but I can find no way to make the Cdrive OS my default. Please direct me to the proper place!
Also, since I don't want to go through this again - re-installing all programs, not to mention the 70 some odd updates to OS, can you give me a list of things I need to do. I have never backed up anything or made a rescue disk or any of the things that seem to be necessary. Just the list for now (in order) then I can research each one to find out how to do them. Thank you in advance for any help!

[Spider]

Hi Gizmo123 welcome to Cyber Tech Help.

On your C: drive is the C:\boot.ini file. You'll need to enable Show hidden files and folders (http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/helpandsupport/learnmore/tips/hiddenfiles.mspx) to see it.

If you load that file into Notepad and copy and paste here I can show you what to do to it.

[Gizmo123]

Thank you Spider...but....can't find the boot.ini file.....Where is it? Looked in program files and also did a search - no joy. I did enable show hidden files.

[Gizmo123]

This is the only thing I found - folder just says boot

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT="Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINNT="Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional" /fastdetect

Is this it?

[Spider]

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT="Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINNT="Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional" /fastdetect

Is this it?

That boot.ini file you need to right-click it and select
Propertes
then uncheck Read-only
click OK
then load it into Notepad and change it to this

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT="Microso ft Windows 2000 Professional" /fastdetect

Don't forget to make a back up of the boot.ini file before you alter it.

[Gizmo123]

Sorry for the long delay - had to go away - family emergency. Just want to make sure I've got this right. It appears I'm just deleting the last line of the boot file - correct? By backup do you mean to just copy the folder (before changing it) to the desktop? After I do this (make the chnage), I'm assuming the second copy is taken off the boot options, which I guess I'll know for sure when I reboot. Yes? Then can I just delete the OS folders from the second drive? And the copy of the boot folder I've made? I'm being cautious because in the past I have jumped ahead and done something when I thought I knew what to do and wound up the proverbial creek sans paddle. Thank you for your patience and by the by, I've been perusing the site and want to thank you guys for a great site! Will wait for verification before I proceed......

[Spider]

Just want to make sure I've got this right. It appears I'm just deleting the last line of the boot file - correct?
Correct.
By backup do you mean to just copy the folder (before changing it) to the desktop?
boot.ini is actually a file not a folder. Files are like socks, shirts, and other individual things.
Folders are like dresser drawers, they contain the individual things.

Yes copy the boot.ini file to the desktop. If after your changes to the boot.ini successfully boot the
computer (a couple of times in a row) you can then delete the backed up boot.ini file on the Desktop
or save it or whatever you please.

After I do this (make the change), I'm assuming the second copy is taken off the boot options, which I guess I'll know for sure when I reboot. Yes?
Yes.

The computer will also not pause at the boot menu any more. When there is only one Operating System
the boot up menu does not appear.

Then can I just delete the OS folders from the second drive?
What I like to do is get into Add/Remove Programs in Control Panel and start uninstalling everything in
the list. This you do booted to the Operating System your about to get rid of.
Leave any Windows associated items in the list till all the other stuff is gone first. You should end up with
an empty list.
(some times programs in the Add/Remove Programs list will not remove their own reference in the list,
the program will have been uninstalled so don't worry about achieving a blank list)

Once the list is emptied you can then boot to the Windows your keeping and then delete the O/S folder on
the second drive.

Thank you for your patience and by the by...I've been perusing the site and want to thank you guys for a great site!
Your welcome and thanks for the nice words.

[Gizmo123]

Thanks again For your help. Boots up fine, I'm leaving the second OS on for now. I can't boot up from that one because of reasons I won't bother to to into. I'm going to move anything I want to save to my primary drive. I would like to then erase (reformat?) the second drive. How do I accomplish this? I also intend to buy Norton partiton magic to partition both drives. I'm not real clear on what Norton go back or Ghost does. Sounds like Go Back gives you the option that XP has - to go back to an earlier date when the OS worked. What I would really like to do is have a mirror image of my OS on the second drive (I have plenty of space). Can I do this with Ghost - or what do you recommend?

[Spider]

I would like to then erase (reformat?) the second drive. How do I accomplish this?
Boot to the Window CD and select to install, when you get to the partition requests then select to "delete"
that second drive's partition(a) and after "create" one partition the select to "format" it. When the format
part is done hit the F3 key on your keyboard to escape the Windows CD.

What I would really like to do is have a mirror image of my OS on the second drive (I have plenty of space).
There wouldn't be any reason to do that. Two of the exact same O/S on a drive would be redundant
and not really serve any purpose.

Sure, image the drive after Windows is all updated and all programs are installed. That would be the
best back up.

[degsy]

What kind of mirrored system do you want?

If you want a live mirror then your only real option is RAID.
If you want a sheduled mirror then a program such as Acronis True Image will be able to perform a scheduled incremental image.

[Gizmo123]

Sorry to be so obtuse but just making sure. I'm going to 'install' the OS on my second drive but not really doing it, right? Hitting the F3 will stop the process before the actual install and I'll be left with a clean drive?
Sure, image the drive after Windows is all updated and all programs are installed. That would be the
best back up.
Yes, that is what I want. In case of future problems I want a working backup. Is the program Degsy suggested what I want? Or is that just backup? (which I also want for files.)

[Spider]

I'm going to 'install' the OS on my second drive but not really doing it, right?
Right.
Hitting the F3 will stop the process before the actual install and I'll be left with a clean drive?
Right.

Other ways to halt the install of Windows (after the `file system format")
You can hold the power button in on the tower for 5 seconds and shut off.
You can hit the reset button on the tower and then hit the CD-ROM eject
button to take out the Windows CD. You want to move to the next screen,
that's just after the file system format is finished, then reboot or whatever.

Is the program Degsy suggested what I want?
degsy will answer that.

[degsy]

True Image will create an exact copy of the drive. You can then restore this image or have it mounted as another drive e.g. V:\