I've installed my XPpro on my second (slave) HD as an independent second OS. Then i changed my mind, deleted installation and formatted that HD, to use it as a common storage place. But the dual boot screen keeps appearing: Microsoft Windows XP Professional Microsoft Windows XP Professional with removed OS highlighted! So, i went to boot.ini and removed additional line (for the second (deleted) XP OS). Boot.ini now contains: [boot loader] timeout=30 default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOW S [operating systems] multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect That didn't solve the problem, because now i have the following dual boot screen: Microsoft Windows XP Professional Windows(default) with Windows(default) highlighted. This (second) OS simply doesn't exist, so (of course) boot fails, with the message: hal.dll is misssing or corrupt. I also went to the System Startup and Recovery, where I have 'Microsoft Windows XP Professional' as the default (and only) OS. I did "Check All Boot Paths" too (msconfig/boot.ini), and system responded 'boot paths are correct' (something like that). Well, i tried all i knew. It's now up to you guys. How to get rid of that dual boot screen ? Thanks

edit the boot ini to the following: [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 Professional" /fastdetect /NoExecute=OptIn I used to have a signature but it disappeared and I just couldn't be bothered writing another so please feel free to ingore this.

The difference is the RDISK value in the default line. Your primary master where most BIOS looks for boot record regards that as RDISK 0 not 1 I used to have a signature but it disappeared and I just couldn't be bothered writing another so please feel free to ingore this.

Thanks a lot Richard59, that's it. Can you explain in short, what's the meaning of that rdisk index.

Not 100% certain. I think primary master is RDISK 0 Primary Slave RDISK 1 (if present) Secondary Master 2, Secondary Slave 3 followed by any additional disks on SATA controllers or on PCI Plug-in controller cards. If there are any gaps in the line-up then everything moves up a number. eg in my system I have one IDE harddrive and one SATA drive. The two optic drives I have on the secondary IDE controller don't count, so my disks are RDISK 0 for the primary IDE drive and RDISK1 for the SATA drive. If I were to add a second IDE drive into the mix it would assume RDISK1 position and push the SATA down to 2. This can complicate the boot settings particularly if an operating system happens to be installed on anything other than the primary IDE drive. Of course the bios can be set to look for SATA drive as first boot device so that would in effect be the C drive but if an IDE drive is also present then the boot.ini would reflect the fact that the operating system was not on RDISK 0 but on RDISK 1. Do not confuse the RDISK value with drive letter assignment within windows. The RDISK value refers to an individual physical drive. Drive letter assignment refers to partitions and as you know a physical drive can contain multiple partitions. It is possible to rename partitions (subject to certain limitations) but the RDISK value of a particular drive is solely a function of it's physical attachment to the particular controller on the motherboard. I used to have a signature but it disappeared and I just couldn't be bothered writing another so please feel free to ingore this.