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Thread ID: 65822 2006-02-01 05:18:00 installing Linux jupiter1 (2578) Press F1
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425973 2006-02-11 02:28:00 It's a separate disk. Linux happily coexists with Windows in separate partitions on the same drive. So it doesn't matter that it's a slave drive.

Can you select the drive to boot from your BIOS? Try that. I/m sure the problem is that Grub hasn''t been installed properly.

Your reserve Windows should be easily fixed ... just replacing the MBR will do that. I'm not sure of the method with W2K... I've never had to do it with W2K (and all of mine share a disk with Linux).
Graham L (2)
425974 2006-02-11 05:22:00 Hi Graham,
Thanks for such a quick reply.
Yes, I have tried changing the bios to boot from the Linux disk, didn't work I'm afraid.

My next question obviously will be how to fix the MBR.

The whole purpouse of thisLinux exercise (and the backup win2k disk) is because windows is so flakey. :-(

Cheers,
Phil
jupiter1 (2578)
425975 2006-02-11 05:23:00 I think I will try one more install of Linux (it is pouring with rain).
Phil
jupiter1 (2578)
425976 2006-02-11 05:34:00 At the Recovery Console prompt, type fixmbr , if that doesn't work, type fixboot at the prompt.

Didn't work for me in the example I gave previously, but then I'd totally muffed the whole show.

BTW, if you can access your Linux drive/partition from the live CD, you can fix Grub and/or edit /etc/fstab (is the latter correct Graham).

Have a tootle around NTFS .com (http://www.ntfs.com/) for info on the MBR, Boot Sector and Patition Tables.
Murray P (44)
425977 2006-02-11 08:12:00 Hi Guys,
Well, the re-install of Linux although it apparently went faultlessly didn't work .

All the suggestions you gave Murray for the MBR problem including some on the NTFS . com site didn't help my backup Win2k problem either .

It must be obvious by now why I want to migrate to Linux .

Course, I could always go back to win 3 . 11 or 95 . At least they were more solid and securer than the what I've got at the moment :-((( (and I could fix any prob's that I did get) .

Cheers,
Phil .
jupiter1 (2578)
425978 2006-02-11 09:50:00 I got back into my win2k installation by doing a parallel installation (instruction on MS site and various others). It was never quite right, though it allowed me to shift the stuff I wanted to keep, in the end I reinstalled win2k and put Mepis back on with the boot loader on C:\ (hda), and I've not had an issue since. Oh, and I whiped all partitions, reformed them and formated using Qtparted from the Mepis Live CD prior to installing win2k, then went through the usual formatting during that. Murray P (44)
425979 2006-02-11 22:25:00 A nasty thought, Jupiter. Does your BIOS have a boot sector protection option? That's intended to stop viruses being installed, but it can make OS installation interesting. :D I would expect some sort of error message when it stops you doing things, though. :( Graham L (2)
425980 2006-02-12 04:58:00 Hi Graham,
Not to my knowledge but will investigate and get back to you.
Phil.
jupiter1 (2578)
425981 2006-02-14 07:58:00 Hi Graham,
Yes, it does have a boot sector protection option but it is disabled.

Where to now ??

Phil.
jupiter1 (2578)
425982 2006-02-14 08:10:00 If you wanna fix the MBR, and happen to have a floppy disk drive, then hop onto www.bootdisk.com, download a MS-DOS 6.22 bootdisk, write it to a floppy.

Now, make sure the floppy is inserted, and restart the computer.

Now, it should come up with a DOS prompt like:


a:\>

Now, type:


fdisk /mbr

Now press enter once that is done, eject the floppy, and restart the computer, the MBR should now be fixed.

This worked for me when a sloppy uninstallation of Xandros left LILO intact.
Haze (3028)
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