home *** CD-ROM | disk | FTP | other *** search
- DOCUMENT:Q103049 26-JAN-1994 [W_NT]
- TITLE :How to Remove Windows NT Boot Sector
- PRODUCT :Windows NT
- PROD/VER:3.10
- OPER/SYS:WINDOWS
- KEYWORDS:
-
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------
- The information in this article applies to:
-
- - Microsoft Windows NT operating system, version 3.1
- - Microsoft Windows NT Advanced Server, version 3.1
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------
-
- This article details procedures that enable you to remove Windows NT
- boot sector from your system. Before you begin, make sure you know
- where Windows NT is installed, how much of it you want to remove, and
- how your hard disk drive is partitioned and formatted. Then, go to one
- of the following sections:
-
- - Removing Windows NT from the Boot Sequence
- - Removing a Primary NTFS Partition
-
- Removing Windows NT from the Boot Sequence
- ------------------------------------------
-
- There are two ways to remove the Windows NT boot sector from your
- machine:
-
- - If you want to return to your original MS-DOS configuration, boot
- MS-DOS and type "sys c:" (without the quotation marks). This
- command replaces the Windows NT boot sector with the MS-DOS boot
- sector, and allows your machine to boot straight into MS-DOS. The
- following files are left in the root directory and can be deleted
- after you perform the SYS operation:
-
- PAGEFILE.SYS
- BOOT.INI
- NTLDR
- NTDETECT.COM
- NTBOOTDD.SYS
-
- NOTE: NTBOOTDD.SYS is installed only if you have a SCSI Host
- Adapter installed in Windows NT.
-
- - If you want to leave NTLDR on the disk, you can boot MS-DOS without
- prompting by changing the startup operating system and time-out
- value. To do so, choose the System icon in the Control Panel,
- select MS-DOS in the Startup box, and type "0" (without the
- quotation marks) in the Show List For box.
-
- NOTE: If the primary partition was converted to NTFS, the only way
- to return to starting MS-DOS only is to reformat the drive and
- reinstall MS-DOS. See the next section if this is the case.
-
- Removing a Primary NTFS Partition
- ---------------------------------
-
- In general, attempts to modify the primary, bootable, NTFS partition
- fail for the following reasons:
-
- - MS-DOS versions 5.0 and 6.0 do not recognize an NTFS partition. The
- MS-DOS Fdisk program reports an NTFS partition as an OS/2
- high-performance file system (HPFS) partition.
-
- - You cannot modify or delete an NTFS primary partition within
- itself.
-
- To delete or modify a primary NTFS partition, perform any one of the
- following four procedures:
-
- - Boot MS-DOS version 6.0 from a floppy disk and press RETURN to
- continue installing MS-DOS 6. When prompted to do so, choose
- "Remove files".
-
- - Initiate Windows NT installation from floppy disks or CD-ROM.
- When prompted to do so, choose "P" to remove the partition.
-
- - Use the DELPART utility to delete the NTFS partition. DELPART is
- provided in the Microsoft Windows NT Resource Kit. Note that
- DELPART cannot delete a logical drive in the extended partition.
-
- - Boot OS/2 version 1.x from a floppy disk and run its Fdisk program.
- To remove the partition, specify the /D option.
-
- Additional reference words: 3.10 uninstall
- KBCategory:
- KBSubCategory: WINNT STP
-
- =============================================================================
-
- THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THE MICROSOFT KNOWLEDGE BASE IS
- PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. MICROSOFT DISCLAIMS
- ALL WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES
- OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO
- EVENT SHALL MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR
- ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL,
- CONSEQUENTIAL, LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS OR SPECIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF
- MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE
- POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION
- OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES
- SO THE FOREGOING LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY.
-
- Copyright Microsoft Corporation 1994.