Create a Startup Menu Even If You Have Only One OS

Even if you have only one operating system, you can create a boot menu that will let you choose to load your operating system with different parameters.

The boot.ini file is a plain-text file found in your root C:\ folder. You might not be able to see it because it's a system file, and if you can see it, you might not be able to edit it because it's a read-only file. To make it visible, launch Windows Explorer, choose View --)Tools --)FolderOptions --)View. Select the Show Hidden Files and Folders radio button. To make it a file you can edit, right-click it in Windows Explorer, choose Properties, uncheck the Read-Only box, and click.

To edit the file, open it with a text editor such as Notepad.


multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Trace Problems XP Home Edition"/fastdetect /bootlog /sos

This entry creates a startup log and displays information about the drivers and other operating system information as it loads.


For the version of the operating system that loads in Safe Mode but that still allows networking, you could create this entry: multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Safe Start XP Home Edition" / fastdetect /safeboot:network


The boot.ini file would look like this, assuming that you want the menu to display for

30 seconds and you want normal XP startup to be the default:


[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="Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition"/fastdetect

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Trace Problems XP Home Edition"/fastdetect /bootlog /sos

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Safe Start XP Home Edition" /fastdetect /safeboot:network