As part of a class assignment, I installed Windows Server 2008 as a second operating system. My primary operating system is Windows XP Pro, which is loaded on my C: drive. Windows Server 2008 was loaded on a partition of a second hard drive. On boot-up, I have a few seconds to select the desired operating system, either XP or Server 2008. Both operating systems work, but now that the class assignment is complete, I would like to uninstall Windows Server 2008 and return to a single operating system. The Server 2008 installation DVD does not offer an uninstall option. Help in uninstalling the second operating system would be appreciated. If additional information is needed please let me know. Thanks in advance!

Edit the boot.ini file on your C: drive. Take out the references to the secondary operating system. Make sure your default drive is the C: drive. It'll probably say something like this:

default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOW S

You can also change the timeout so it waits longer, if you wish. If there's only one operating system under the [operating systems] heading, there will be no delay. After editing the boot.ini file, you can delete the files in the windows directory on the D: drive. Nothing further is required.

Here's a link for "editing the Boot.INI file in XP".

How to edit the Boot.ini file in Windows XP (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/289022)
The purpose of the Boot.ini file in Windows XP (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314081)

Here's a typical XP boot.ini file with only one operating system (on the C: drive -- first partition)

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOW S
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect


Ignore the space in "WINDOW S" and in "Micro soft". I don't know why they're showing up here. They don't show up in the file or in the text that I typed.

Thanks, Perito, for the detailed response. Your help is appreciated!

However, installation of Windows Server 2008 seems to have created a different kind of situation than you have addressed. Examination of my boot.ini file, both directly with notepad, and with the control panel/system/startup and recovery panel, reveals no reference to the Windows Server 2008 operating system.

It appears that installing Windows Server 2008 has modified my boot process to use the BCD information, instead of the boot.ini file. Using BCDEDIT.exe, I find reference to both Windows Server 2008 well as an "Earlier Version of Windows", which references the XP operating system that is loaded on the C: drive.

I've used the Windows Server 2008 control panel/system/startup panel to select the "Earlier Version of Windows" as my default operating system, but startup still is using the BCD information.

Thanks, again, Perito for your help. Any additional help on uninstalling Windows Server 2008 and restoring my boot process to the Windows XP Pro operating system would be appreciated.