Accidentally started XP Home install over XP Pro, system now broken!

ezatnova · #1 08-30-2004, 06:28 PM

I need some quick help guys so I don't have to physically beat my little bro. I have Windows XP Pro on my main desktop here at home. Everything was fine with it, and my brother went to install something that called for drivers, ended up finding my XP Home edition disc that came with my Dell laptop, and popped that in. God knows what happened next, but he finally ran to get me when the PC was at a blue screen as a final confirm of installing Home over my XP pro! It said I could hit F3 to back out, to which I gave a sigh of relief and did. Now, when the machine boots, it shows a message that it is looking for the Windows setup CD in the drive then says "Failure" (I removed it) then goes to a dual boot screen. I can choose
1. Windows XP Pro
2. Windows XP Setup
If I select 1, it boots my XP, but things are screwed up. I am running on about 4 colors and can barely see anything. Things seems slow and just not right. So, my main questions are:
1. how can I remove that dual boot so it resorts to my old XP, and
2. how can I get it back running/looking normal? If I go to Properties on the desktop, all I can select is 4 bit for colors!

I tried editing boot.ini after typing msconfig at the Run prompt. I could SEE the offending windows setup boot but I don't see any option to delete it!
I also don't see any "advanced options" that will help me when it gives me the option of hitting F8 at the dual bootup screen.
Thanks!

Play_The_0dds · #2 08-30-2004, 06:35 PM

i have actually seen this work,...before you laugh it's worth a try. if your system restore is still on on the xp pro see if you can pick a checkpoint just before the install and see if it brings it back.

ezatnova · #3 08-30-2004, 06:38 PM

Believe me, no laughing here. I tried that though. I got all excited and thought it was working, then it came on and said "unable to perform system restore". blach!

Kyliefan001 · #4 08-30-2004, 06:45 PM

Have you tried a repair install with your Pro disc?

Overclocked Doc · #5 08-30-2004, 06:56 PM

Do you have the XP Pro Disk? You can do a system repair using the disk and everything should be fine after that.

As far as the "Dual boot" thing Probably the simplest thing is to remove the start line for the "xp setup" in the "boot ini" file.
You can do that in control > system > advanced > startup and recovery > edit start options.

To do a system repair start computer with disk in and continue as if you are installing new. You will be given the option upfront to do a repair but this is not the one you want. Continue on as if you want to reinstall XP. You will then find the option to repair a current intstallation SELECT THAT.

You will need to have your XP #'s handy to do this.

You will not lose any data this way but will have to reinstall any updates that are available.

ezatnova · #6 08-30-2004, 07:06 PM

OK, Here's some updates on my end:

I put in my Pro disc and am worried to go further into it. I do NOT see the option to do a repair. I got as far as the screen on the new install where it says it will take about 60 minutes. I'm just not sure it will let me do a sort of repair option.

I think my 4 colors may be a video driver issue. I just remembere way back when I got my XP pro that it looked this way and I had to fight with drivers to get it to work. I don't even remember the card/drivers I have/need now. ugh.

I also get a missing file error on bootup for c:\windows\system32\nvcpl.dll

This MAY be something with Nvidea??? Which may be my video issue.

I am editing the boot.ini per your directions in System, below. Also, next to my good XP Pro boot line, there is "/fastdetect" after it. Was that probably always there?

If I can somehow correct the dual boot and then the video, I may be able to avoid this repair issue. Deep breaths....

ezatnova · #7 08-30-2004, 07:18 PM

WHAT THE HECK!? I go into control > system > advanced > startup and recovery > edit start options, then open the boot.ini (opens in notepad) delete the xp home startup line, save, and get out, then if I go back in, it's there again!!

If it helps you guys, this is what the boot.ini looks like when I get it to open in notepad, after I delete the last line (and before it comes back if I save, close and reopen it.

[Boot Loader]
Timeout=5
Default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOW S
[Operating Systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Micro soft Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect

ezatnova · #8 08-30-2004, 07:31 PM

Ok, as crazy as that boot.ini was acting, once rebooted, that evil line is gone. On the black CMOS or whatever you call it startup screen, it ran through all the normal harware and memory checks, then it did say "booting from cdrom: failure" but maybe it always does that in case I have a boot CD, and if there is not a CD in there it says failure, and I never noticed??

Anyway, my next mission is to fix this video. hmmm.

Kyliefan001 · #9 08-30-2004, 07:39 PM

Try this site.

http://www.webtree.ca/windowsxp/repair_xp.htm

go to middle of page!

good luck.

ezatnova · #10 08-30-2004, 08:16 PM

Well, things have taken a turn for the better! I went to Nvidia's site and installed their latest drivers... no more 4 colors! I can see! And no more boot issues! I am back at an operable state. I guess I lost some windows stuff because windows update is goig nuts with a million updates. Oh well. I can't thank you guys enough. Much better than the other board that told me reformatting was my only option!
Time for a beer. Here's a round for everyone.

Hopefully I won't need to be back for a while!

Overclocked Doc · #11 08-30-2004, 08:21 PM

Look under "how to do a repair install" That is what I was attempting to explain (from memory).
Thanks for posting a link Kyliefan001.

Overclocked Doc · #12 08-30-2004, 08:24 PM

" ezatnova" We new yah could do it!