(c) 1996 Matt Ginzton, MaDdoG Software
released 12/13/96

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Contents of this document:

• program description
• installation instructions
• usage instructions
• terms and conditions of use
• related information

If you have both Windows NT and Windows 95 installed for dual-boot and switch between them regularly, you'll find Boot ChoOSer a must-have. It sits on your taskbar notification area, next to the clock (although it also works with versions of Windows NT lacking a taskbar) and allows you to switch between all installed operating systems with a right click.

Without Boot ChoOSer, switching between operating systems requires being present -- and paying attention -- as your computer reboots, so that you can select the correct OS from NT's boot menu. Set the delay too low, and you might miss it; set it higher, and your computer takes longer to boot. And if you're using an operating system that was not the default at boot time, a computer restart will boot back into the default operating system, which can wreak havoc with installation programs and Windows NT's crash-recovery features.

With Boot ChoOSer, one click does the work, and your computer will restart into the chosen OS without any further input required. The new OS will remain the default until you again change OS's with Boot ChoOSer (of course, you can still select a different OS at boot time).

Boot ChoOSer features:

• Sets reboot timer to 5 seconds to speed unattended reboots
• Can change default OS (for next boot) without rebooting
• Boldfaces current default operating system (so you'll know which one starts after an unattended reboot)
• Fits on taskbar (to conserve screen space) if available; still works if not

Boot ChoOSer runs under any version of Windows NT or Windows 95. It will not run under Windows 3.x, as it is a 32-bit program.

To install, right-click the ChooseOS.inf file (its icon is a notebook with a gear on it), then choose Install. Boot ChoOSer will be copied to a new folder in your Program Files folder. A shortcut to it will be created in your Start Menu, in the Startup group. You can uninstall Boot ChoOSer via the Add/Remove Programs control panel.

Now, run Boot ChoOSer from the Startup submenu of the Programs menu. (It will be run automatically every time you start Windows after it is installed, but you haven't started Windows since the install, so you have to start it yourself this once.)

On operating systems with a taskbar (Windows 95 or Windows NT 4.0), Boot ChoOSer will show up as a notification icon on your taskbar. Right-click this icon for a list of operating systems you can reboot to. The current default operating system (the one that will load if you reboot and don't press any keys) will be listed in bold.

On earlier versions of Windows NT, the ChoOSer will show up as a normal minimized icon. Click on this icon, then choose Reboot To and select the operating system to reboot into.

Note that Boot ChoOSer will ask for confirmation before rebooting; to force a reboot without confirmation, hold down the Shift key as you select the operating system to reboot to. If you want to change the default OS for the next reboot without immediately rebooting, hold down the Ctrl key as you select an OS.

Boot ChoOSer works by modifying the "default=" and "timeout=" values in your BOOT.INI file. If you don't want these values changed, don't use Boot ChoOSer.

If you want to change any Boot ChoOSer behavior -- which keys modify its reboot behavior, and what operations require confirmation -- choose Properties from the Boot ChoOSer menu.

Boot ChoOSer is freeware, but if you like it (or if you don't!) please send feedback to one of the email addresses listed in the About... box. Boot ChoOSer is supplied without any warranties, expressed or implied.

The following documents are not created or maintained by MaDdoG Software. They are listed here because they have relevance to Boot ChoOSer.

• Use Windows NT boot manager to boot directly into Linux, bypassing LILO, with BootPart. Also allows you to boot directly into MS-DOS or OS/2 without additional boot managers.
• Boot directly into MS-DOS from Windows NT boot manager (bypassing Win95 dual boot) with instructions from David Bryan, or a modified version by Sean Edmison.