I recently reformatted my old Dell after it started locking up on the WindowsXP Home boot-up screen (I could only start it in safe mode). I deleted the entire partition, formatted, and installed Windows. Now however, whenever I load Windows, it takes me to a screen that asks me to choose which version of WindowsXP Home to start (there are also other options below like starting in safe mode and such). The thing is, I only installed Windows once. The top selection loads Windows just fine, but the bottom one gives me an error screen saying it detected a problem with the Windows boot disc, or something to that effect (which makes it seem like it got stuck in the middle of installing Windows or something, and needs to be finished). I put in my Windows disc to see if I could somehow delete the second installation, rebooted, and chose the second selection, but it still gave me the same error even with the disc in. Then I booted straight from the Windows disc to see if Windows setup detected two versions, but there was only one copy of Windows installed according to that too. Does anyone know how to fix this? Thanks.

Check here, http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=289022 see if that helps.

Start....Run....type in msconfig. Under the 'Bootini' tab....check all boot paths.

Thanks guys, I'll try these suggestions out as soon as I can get on my other computer.

Your boot sector is seperate from your partitions usualy, unless you Fdisk and reformat the boot sect. If you just formatted then there really isnt a problem. Its simply reference your old OS in the boot sector where now there is none. I'm guessing its the HAL error or something like that... it usualy happens when you format and install windows in a non generic/diffrent directory. Nothing to worry about really... honestly... Just delete the second refrence from your Boot.ini file. Its hidden and marked system... i usualy just open notepad and edit it, then copy over the original.