Best - follow firebird's advice to remove the entry. Start, type in MSCONFIG, Boot tab, and delete the Default listing (since the default is not the one working). The second should then be made the default (being the only entry).
Next Best - if you are unsure which one to delete (if you delete the wrong one it is always possible to fix it), then you can right-click [My] Computer, Properties, Advanced System Settings (on the left), Startup and Recovery, change the Default Operating System under System Startup to the other entry, then change the Time to Display List of Operating Systems to 0.
Exactly what does the two entries say? Is one different than the other? Does one say for example "Windows 7 Home Premuim" and the other "Windows 7 Home Premium (Recovered)"? The only way to be sure if they are listed differently. If they are both exact it can get very complicated.
This is considered a "dual boot" situation. There are several ways of removing the "dual boot" so it only boots to the one you want. The easiest way is to access the "System Configuration" panel and then click on the Boot Tab. In that window you can delete the one you don't want (as long as you are sure which one to delete). To access the System Configuration, click on Start (the round ball) and then enter msconfig in the search box.
Phew...the first option worked. That was a lot easier to fix than I thought it was going to be. I thought I was going to have to wipe out the whole system and start over again. Thanks to the two of you for all your help!
No problem - glad it worked, but there might still be more to fix. Right-click [My] Computer, Manage, Storage, Disk Management.
Can you take a "screenshot" of what you see here? (You can take a screenshot by hitting CTRL-ALT-PRINTSCREEN, then paste it into Photoshop/Paintshop/Paint, save, then post it here by clicking on the "Use Rich Formatting" link, then the Upload Image button.) If you successfully installed a version of Windows without loading any drivers (which is why it didn't work right), you can get that space back by deleting the partition it was installed to. All you have done so far is remove the link to that version from the boot file.
I found that the top one doesn't pick up the internet, no matter what I do to try and the bottom one picks it up right away. When I completely turn off my computer and start it up the next day it automatically goes to the first one. I have to restart without shutting off the computer to get it to go to the second one. Unfortionately I don't know how to tell the difference between the two other than that.
Well, it is not installed on its own partition, so there may not be much you can do - and there may not be anything to do. It is possible that all you did was corrupt the boot file (mistakenly added another entry - which has now been fixed). Do you have a C:\Windows.OLD\ folder?
Not that I can tell. I have 416 GB's free of 450. I'm not sure how much room the other Win 7 would have taken up, but it doesn't appear as though I have a huge amount taken up at this point. So, it might not be a problem.
theflash1932
9 Legend
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16.3K Posts
1
November 5th, 2011 09:00
You can do one of two things:
Best - follow firebird's advice to remove the entry. Start, type in MSCONFIG, Boot tab, and delete the Default listing (since the default is not the one working). The second should then be made the default (being the only entry).
Next Best - if you are unsure which one to delete (if you delete the wrong one it is always possible to fix it), then you can right-click [My] Computer, Properties, Advanced System Settings (on the left), Startup and Recovery, change the Default Operating System under System Startup to the other entry, then change the Time to Display List of Operating Systems to 0.
fireberd
9 Legend
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33.4K Posts
0
November 5th, 2011 07:00
Exactly what does the two entries say? Is one different than the other? Does one say for example "Windows 7 Home Premuim" and the other "Windows 7 Home Premium (Recovered)"? The only way to be sure if they are listed differently. If they are both exact it can get very complicated.
This is considered a "dual boot" situation. There are several ways of removing the "dual boot" so it only boots to the one you want. The easiest way is to access the "System Configuration" panel and then click on the Boot Tab. In that window you can delete the one you don't want (as long as you are sure which one to delete). To access the System Configuration, click on Start (the round ball) and then enter msconfig in the search box.
BrendaS78
7 Posts
0
November 5th, 2011 09:00
Phew...the first option worked. That was a lot easier to fix than I thought it was going to be. I thought I was going to have to wipe out the whole system and start over again. Thanks to the two of you for all your help!
theflash1932
9 Legend
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16.3K Posts
0
November 5th, 2011 09:00
Of course, if this is good enough for you, then you can leave it as is :)
theflash1932
9 Legend
•
16.3K Posts
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November 5th, 2011 09:00
No problem - glad it worked, but there might still be more to fix. Right-click [My] Computer, Manage, Storage, Disk Management.
Can you take a "screenshot" of what you see here? (You can take a screenshot by hitting CTRL-ALT-PRINTSCREEN, then paste it into Photoshop/Paintshop/Paint, save, then post it here by clicking on the "Use Rich Formatting" link, then the Upload Image button.) If you successfully installed a version of Windows without loading any drivers (which is why it didn't work right), you can get that space back by deleting the partition it was installed to. All you have done so far is remove the link to that version from the boot file.
BrendaS78
7 Posts
0
November 5th, 2011 09:00
It says:
Choose operating system to start
Windows 7
Windows 7
I found that the top one doesn't pick up the internet, no matter what I do to try and the bottom one picks it up right away. When I completely turn off my computer and start it up the next day it automatically goes to the first one. I have to restart without shutting off the computer to get it to go to the second one. Unfortionately I don't know how to tell the difference between the two other than that.
theflash1932
9 Legend
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16.3K Posts
0
November 5th, 2011 10:00
No, what you gave me is just fine :)
Well, it is not installed on its own partition, so there may not be much you can do - and there may not be anything to do. It is possible that all you did was corrupt the boot file (mistakenly added another entry - which has now been fixed). Do you have a C:\Windows.OLD\ folder?
BrendaS78
7 Posts
0
November 5th, 2011 10:00
I cannot get the image small enough and still able to read, so i'm going to do my best to explain what it says.
First line reads: (Volumn just has a picture of a computer, no words)) Healthy (OEM Partition) Capacity 39 MB Free Space 39 MB.
Second line reads: OS C: Healthy (boot, page file, crash dump, primary partition) Capacity 450.91 Free Space 416.26.
Third line reads: RECOVERY: Healthy (system, active, primary partition) Capacity 14.81 Free Space 3.38
Hopefully that'll give you what you ened. Thanks again.
BrendaS78
7 Posts
0
November 5th, 2011 11:00
Not that I can tell. I have 416 GB's free of 450. I'm not sure how much room the other Win 7 would have taken up, but it doesn't appear as though I have a huge amount taken up at this point. So, it might not be a problem.
theflash1932
9 Legend
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16.3K Posts
0
November 5th, 2011 15:00
Good enough ... take care!