System Cleanup After a Parallel Installation of Windows NT 4.0

ID: Q244378

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Windows NT Workstation version 4.0
Microsoft Windows NT Server version 4.0
Microsoft Windows NT Server, Enterprise Edition version 4.0

SUMMARY

After you install a parallel installation of Windows NT, a folder is left that contains an installation of Windows NT that may be no longer needed. This article describes how to clean up the system safely after you install a parallel installation of Windows NT.

MORE INFORMATION

The default installation of Windows NT names the %SystemRoot% folder "Winnt." The %SystemRoot% folder contains the operating system files for Windows NT. A parallel installation names the %SystemRoot% folder to something other than the original %SystemRoot% folder (for example, "Winnt_TS"). To determine the current folder name, click Start, click Run, type winmsd, and then click OK. Click the Environment tab, and check the value for the WINDIR variable. This is the current installation's folder.

If the parallel installation of Windows NT (possibly created for troubleshooting purposes) is no longer needed, locate the troubleshooting folder in Windows NT Explorer while you are booted into the installation of Windows NT that you want to keep. You can safely delete the troubleshooting folder and all of its subfolders.

Next, locate the Boot.ini file, which is normally located in the root folder on drive C. Right-click the Boot.ini file, and then click Properties. Click to clear the Read-Only check box, and then click OK. Double-click the Boot.ini file to open it, and then delete the two lines that refer to the parallel installation of Windows NT. The top two lines in the [Operating Systems] section refer to the most current or recent installation of Windows NT:

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT_TS="Windows NT Workstation Version 4.00"
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT_TS="Windows NT Workstation Version 4.00 [VGA mode]" /basevideo /sos

Note that in this example, the folder name is listed just before the name of the operating system, which is enclosed in quotation marks. Deleting these two lines removes the entries from the Boot menu that appears when you start the computer. In addition to removing the two lines in the Boot.ini file that refer to the parallel installation, also change the ARC path under the "Default" heading.

When you make changes to the Boot.ini file, it is a good idea to make a copy of the file for backup purposes. You should also update the repair information and your Emergency Recover Disk (ERD).

For additional information about the Boot.ini file, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Q102873 Boot.ini and ARC Path Naming Conventions and Usage

For additional information about the ERD, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Q156328 Description of Windows NT Emergency Repair Disk

You do not need to delete the Windows NT paging file, unless the troubleshooting installation of Windows NT was installed on a partition other than the location of the current installation. If you set up the installation on a different drive or volume, you can safely delete the Pagefile.sys file.

You do not need to delete the Recycled folder on any drive.

Do not delete the Program Files folder unless all the following conditions are true:

The computer has more than one physical driver or more than one disk partition.

You set up the troubleshooting installation on a partition or drive other than the current installation.

No programs that should be saved were installed in the Program Files folder.

If all of these conditions are true, you can safely delete the Program Files folder. You may want to copy this folder to another location for backup purposes.

Additional query words:

Keywords : kbenv
Version : winnt:4.0
Platform : winnt
Issue type : kbinfo