two operating systems on same computer.

Why don't you try to make a lemonade, since life handed you lemon? All of my laptops are dual botted with different Linux distros.

You could try one and install it over the newer Vista. Then if you don't like it go and try the reinstall again.

Also, you could just leave it as it is. If you get a virus, you still will have a working copy of Windows and could save files and such...The only downside is that you are wasting HD space...
 
google "vista dual boot" because sounds like this is what you have right now. each vista must be on a different partition right now so you can reformat the partition you don't want. make sure you figure out which vista is on which partition first.
 
Did you have trouble installing or reinstalling Vista? Try selecting the second operating system and see if it boots. Do you have two drives/partitions on your HDD? (Does it say C: and D:?) It is possible but highly unlikely that you have installed two OS on the same partition however I doubt it.

I would guess that since you did not reformat the boot.ini file was modified and not re-created. I've never used Vista (XP to W7) but I would imagine its not that hard to fix.

Assuming you have only one partition and one OS install (search for i386 folder or system32 folder and see how many come up):

Right click on my computer, select properties. Either go to the advanced tab or select the "advanced system properties" choice on the window. Click the Settings button under the Startup and Recovery section and up top there should be a choice to manually edit the boot.ini file. Google Vista boot.ini and edit out the second operating system splash display.

You probably don't have two OS on your computer, its probably just two names in the boot.ini file.

Cheers,
 
I really thank you people for all of the replies but so far nothing has worked.

Now the second install doesn't want to boot when I switch to it, and my computer is still running low on resources.

Its not apparent that a command like "my computer" is on Vista and if it is, I can't find it.
 
Quote from hoodooman:

I really thank you people for all of the replies but so far nothing has worked.
More...

IMHO, and this is speaking as someone who's been working with computers before Microsoft existed and with Windows since it was a GUI bolted on top of DOS, your best bet as a non-techie to get a stable, reliable computer is to start with a factory install.

Short of that, you need to find and pay someone who's got the chops to fix it for you.

Best of luck.
 
Thanks. I worked in a computer lab starting in 1963 when they were a trillionth as complicated as they are now. They regularly went to hell just like they do now. Nothing has changed.

I'll keep working on my dell this weekend.

regards
 
Quote from hoodooman:

Thanks. I worked in a computer lab starting in 1963 when they were a trillionth as complicated as they are now. They regularly went to hell just like they do now. Nothing has changed.
More...

Yep, nothing has changed...

Fixing hardware/software problems will always be trivial compared to undoing the damage done by end users who think they know what they're doing.

I hope you give us a post mortem after your trip down the rabbit hole.
 
You nailed it rabbit. I thought that I had a virus and it was my dsl connection acting up. Grrrrrr. Will keep you guys posted as to how I come out of this. All you people have been great and I appreciate it.
 
It sounds like you have the Vista installation DVD because you said you had tried installing it. If so... and that you really want to get ride of the "second" Vista OS... would you consider formatting the drive clean and re-do the installation of Vista?

Was the "first copy" of Vista OS installed in factory by Dell?
 
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