Metropol

Last night I tried installing Linux Mandrake 10, and, you know, I have that special ability to make easy tasks totally difficult.

I didn’t understand the Linux petition program (In retrospect, I should’ve pushed auto allocate – assuming that would’ve kept XP) so I used Partition Magic. I haven’t seen windows since. So, now, I thought fuck it, I’ll just wipe C:\ and let Linux do the rest. It took me a while to realise I don’t need the boot loader if I’m not using windows anymore. (I doubt that’s true, but no other option I chose helped it to work) The installation went fine, no problems what so ever, it was just trying to load it.

Now, I load my computer, and I get Error Loading Operating System. I did get Error with Partition Table, but that’s stopped, I think after I stopped using a boot loader. I’ve tried out the rescue command, but I can’t really use it. Because I don’t know Linux, and I’m not sure what’s wrong with it.

Thanks, James.

I forgot to mention: I have a FAT32 1.9GB partition (D:) that I kept all my documents on, so I havnt lost everything when I went to format.

Well, it turns out if i just pushed Auto Allocate everything would have been fine. So now im reinstalling XP and then doing mandrake. Turns out i managed to brake the boot sector. And found out i have two hard drives...

Ok, I have XP and Madrake installed. XP will run, but I cant even get to linux.

Is there anything I can add to what I found in System>> Advanced>> Startup and Recovery ?

[boot loader]
timeout=0
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect


Or is there a different bootloader I can install to pick up the two OS's?

Help

Thanks, James

A few questions:

Did you select the option to install LILO or GRUB?

In what order did you install the Operating Systems?
Windows then Mandrake, or Mandrake then Windows?

What does your partition layout look like?

From the Linux Mandrake manual:

Boot-Loader Reinstall

Sometimes you will make a mistake and wipe your disk's MBR (Master Boot Record), or some misbehaving program does it, or you dual boot with Windows and catch a virus that does it. So, you say, I won't be able to boot my system anymore, right? Wrong! There are many ways to recover the boot record.

To recover your boot loader you will need a boot disk. Without a boot disk of some kind you might be completely lost.

Put the diskette in the floppy drive and reboot your computer from it. What you do next varies according whether you use LILO or GRUB. No matter which boot loader you use, all the commands you must execute will need to be run as root.

Windows 9x, NT, 2000 and XP upgrades.

If you are running a dual-boot system, be very careful to always have a GNU/Linux boot disk prepared. Windows (all versions) usually replaces LILO or GRUB (the boot loader that starts up GNU/Linux and other operating systems) without any warning at all, and if you don't have a boot disk, you will not be able to boot GNU/Linux after you perform the Windows upgrade.

Try using the Mandrake CD; there may be an option to boot from a Linux partition there.

As above - boot from CD 1 of the Mandrake installation.

When you are given the command prompt, type 'rescue' (obv. without the quotes!) and after a moment you'll get a new menu.

On that, choose reinstall bootloader (NOT the Windows one which is the second option I think). It will check your partitions automatically for all different OSes and then install the bootloader.

Reboot (have you removed the CD?!) and you'll get all the options of OSes to boot from.

I've tried that option before, but I will try it again because I think that I havnt done it for this latest installation.

I havnt installed either LILO or GRUB. I selected the first option, a friend told me that was the option I should be using.

Order of installation? I had XP, then accidentally wiped it, then tried to install Linux, didnt work, so then Reinstalled Windows XP, then Reinstalled Mandrake.

I've got a screengrab from Parition Manager, I'll post it tommorrow (Or later today?)

Well, I realised that my two hard drives are in the wrong order, smallest first, so I switched them round.

That seemed to help, I now get GRUB when I boot up, but linux says something about flags and No Init Kernel. I'll post the actual thigs when I next can.

Is it worth reinstalling (again......) ?

Linux recognises the hard discs as /dev/hdx where x is a letter a-d (primary master, primary slave, secondary master, secondary slave)

Changing the hard discs around would have swapped the letters and might have confused linux

I've got Mandrake 10 Community installed and put LILO on the MBR and it can load Windows and Linux fine

Previously I added an option to the Windows Bootloader with a program called bootpart ( http://www.winimage.com/bootpart.htm ). I couldnt get it to work with Mandrake but I think I cocked it up though

I'm no expert on Linux though - I can't get the Linux Nvidia drivers to work

Sort of off-topic, but does Mandrake 10 do anything with WinModems? I used to use Mandrake 9 but the fact that I couldn't find a way to use the modem with the OS or by download irritated me.