Removing windows server 2003 from laptop

manishrathi · Feb 26, 2009

I tried to install windows server 2003 on my laptop. It was not successful and was giving error during installation aftyer few steps. So cancelled the installation from where it started giving errors. Now everytime I start the computer, it shows two systems installed on my laptop 1) windows XP and 2) Windows Server 2003 and by default windows servers 2003 is selected. If I dont select windows XP, then computer starts on windows server 2003 and immediately gives an error that windows server 2003 is not installed.
I want to remove windows server 2003 from my computer, so that it does not come up as selection when computer starts.
How to do that ?
I dont think that I can remove it from "ADD/REMOVE" programs.
Do I need to uninstall both windows XP and windows server 2003 to remove windows server 2003 and then reinstall windows xp ? Or can I remove windows server 2003 only ? How to do that ?

Stratus_ss · Feb 26, 2009

you want to edit your boot.ini
in there has the options of what shows up in your boot menu. After you get rid of it, just delete the 2003 files off your laptop

manishrathi · Feb 26, 2009

where do I find locate windows server 2003 files ?

rainless · Feb 27, 2009

manishrathi said:
where do I find locate windows server 2003 files ?

Umm... The WINDOWS directory?

curtis1552 · Feb 27, 2009

It depends on where you actually installed it and how far the install got.
If it's on another partition then you can just format that partition, if you installed it in the same partition as XP then you might have a more difficult time removing it.

manishrathi · Feb 27, 2009

I did search for boot.ini and that file is located in "C:\". But when I look in C:, I can not find this file directly. Only when I do search, I can locate this file.
Why is it so ?

I have created another folder in boot1 in C: and copied boot.ini file in this folder boot1. Still this file is not visible in this folder and I can see it only when I do search. How can I make this file visible ? I checked the properties of file, but there is no hidden attribute.

I have edited this file by replacing default boot os from win server 2003 to windows xp from search folder and saved it. After removing windows server 2003 as default option, and applying changes, I shut down computer and restarted it. This time again there are two options but both are windows xp. So I let the computer chose default one, which is bottom one (It used to be win server 2003 before editing). Again the same error comes up. The error message is "<system root>/system32/ntoskrnl.exe can not be found. Please reinstall above file"
So I am not sure whats going on over here and how to get rid of this problem.

How can I check in which partition windows xp and windows server 2003 are located ?If both of them are in the same partition, how to remove windows server 2003 ?

I can not locate windows server 2003 files. I tried looking in windows directory C:\WINDOWS, but I could not find anything there. Pls let me know what to do next.

thanks

Stratus_ss · Feb 27, 2009

manishrathi said:
I did search for boot.ini and that file is located in "C:\". But when I look in C:, I can not find this file directly. Only when I do search, I can locate this file.
Why is it so ?

I have created another folder in boot1 in C: and copied boot.ini file in this folder boot1. Still this file is not visible in this folder and I can see it only when I do search. How can I make this file visible ? I checked the properties of file, but there is no hidden attribute.

I have edited this file by replacing default boot os from win server 2003 to windows xp from search folder and saved it. After removing windows server 2003 as default option, and applying changes, I shut down computer and restarted it. This time again there are two options but both are windows xp. So I let the computer chose default one, which is bottom one (It used to be win server 2003 before editing). Again the same error comes up. The error message is "<system root>/system32/ntoskrnl.exe can not be found. Please reinstall above file"
So I am not sure whats going on over here and how to get rid of this problem.

How can I check in which partition windows xp and windows server 2003 are located ?If both of them are in the same partition, how to remove windows server 2003 ?

I can not locate windows server 2003 files. I tried looking in windows directory C:\WINDOWS, but I could not find anything there. Pls let me know what to do next.

thanks

Generally speaking you have to tell windows explorer that you want to be able to view hidden and system files as it hides them by default

I am doing this from memory since i dont have windows installed. On the top it says like file, edit etc etc
Go to tools >folder options
Then click the view tab. You want to uncheck the "hide system operating files" thing

As for the actual ini file. You didnt want to replace the 2003 just simply remove it. Since you already had a Windows XP option, by replacing 2003 with XP, thats why you have 2 XP listings.
As for the 2k3 files, they are indeed stored in c:\windows however they do not denote themselves in an special way. You would have to know what you were looking for before you could go in and delete the excess files. To sum up, there is not a Windows 2003 folder, or anything that will specifically tell you it belongs to Windows 2003 unless you know what you are looking for

Neuromancer · Feb 27, 2009

You can also open notepad, click "file -- Open"

then type C\boot.ini and press enter

hidden means from sight not access

Removing windows server 2003 from laptop

manishrathi

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Stratus_ss

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manishrathi

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rainless

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curtis1552

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manishrathi

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Stratus_ss

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Neuromancer

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