Problem with Media Center re-install

I did a stupid thing and tried to re-install Media Center, basically on top of my existing Media Center OS. Anyway, it didn't work, and now my computer is confused between the two OS's, so that every time I boot up, I have to choose between the XP Install and the existing Media Center. (If I choose XP Install it fails because it "can't find a CD drive.")

Key point: System Restore is also malfunctioning, so I cannot return to an earlier state.

Short of reformatting to factory state (which would be a major time drain), what can I do? I notice that there is a folder in my C:drive called $WIN_NT$.~BT ... is that the new partial install? If I remove that, will the boot problem at least be fixed.

I'm annoyed because the only problem was the Media Center app itself -- can that app be removed and reloaded without dong the whole OS, or is it too deeply imbedded?

Thanks for any help!

Chris

 

Crisis averted. I figured out how to fix it by removing the second OS from the boot.ini file. And in case anyone else has the same problem, I found out that yes, the folder I mentioned is a temporary install folder.

Google does it again.

Chris

 

But you still have two Operating Systems; a useless OS clogging up the Hard Drive.

I think what you have done is that you have not wiped the Hard Drive of files during the Windows Media Centre Setup.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=67545

If I were you, I wouldn't mess around system files. Other programs might need to access to it. Just re-format again. That is by far the easiet way, making sure you follow the guide I have hyperlinked.

 

Yeah, eventually I'm going to do a clean re-install. The problem is, I have a few software programs that I like a lot that I may not be able to re-install.

So it'll take me some time to sort all that out, check that all my data is backed up, and then actually do it.

Chris