Dual Boot with 98SE

jonnyhawes · 01-26-2008, 12:45 PM

I have an older computer (Year 2000 lol) with 2 harddrives inside. The Primary 30GB HD holds Windows 98SE & all my (Parents) files lol. The second 10GB HD was for me and my stuff. I formatted the entire thing so I could put Fedora 8 on the computer for my Linux class this semester. However I ran into some big trouble, hence me being here.

I installed Fedora on the 2nd HD (10GB), ran it and it works great. But now my parents need 98SE back, so I restarted and low and behold, 98SE is missing!!

I figured this wasnt a big deal, so I opened the chassis and took my HD out, rebooted. It attempted to launch Fedora, but fails. So I plug the 10GB back in, take the Primary out, reboot. It says there is no OS detected.

So it apppears to me that Fedora has killed Windows 98SE, but again I am a total Linux noob. But I did not install it at all on the Primary, so why would this happen?

I am hoping you guys can tell me (1)What is going on? (2) Is 98SE gone? (3) Can it be saved short of reinstalling it?

Thanks, I am about to head off to work but I will have more info when I get back tonight.

theNbomr · 01-26-2008, 01:40 PM

First thing to do is use Linux to see if there is a filesystem on the Windows drive. Put the system back together as it was when you installed Linux. Use mount to see what the Linux drive is; probably either /dev/hda or /dev/hdb. The WIndows drive will be the other. Then, as root, do

Code:

/sbin/fdisk -l /dev/hdx

(use either hda or hdb, as appropriate). With luck, you should see a Windows FAT32 partition listed. Note its partition name; hdb1, hdb2, etc.
Then, you can try to mount the Windows partition:

Code:

mkdir -p /mnt/Win98   (use a mountpoint that makes sense to you, its arbitrary)
mount -t vfat /dev/hdb /mnt/Win98  (use partition name observed above)

Now, you should be able to browse the Win98 filesystem, starting at /mnt/Win98. Other than using grub to allow the system to boot to Windows, I'm not sure how to restore the Windows boot loader. Others on this forum may know how.
To use grub, you will have to make an entry in /boot/grub/grub. Try adding an entry like this:

Code:

title Windows 98SE
        rootnoverify (hd0,0)
        map (hd0) (hd1)
        map (hd1) (hd0)
        chainloader +1

(Hopefully, grub is already installed by Fedora)
If the Windows drive is already /dev/hda, you should be able to remove the two map commands. On the next reboot, you should see an entry for the Windows 98 OS.

--- rod.

syg00 · 01-26-2008, 03:30 PM

The Win98 disk will likely be /dev/hda with the MBR (boot-loader) overwritten. No big deal.

Couple of comments on the response above;
- do the fdisk command as "/sbin/fdisk -l" (no device, so you see everything)
- the mount needs a partition; I'm thinking this would be closer;
"mount -t vfat /dev/hda1 /mnt/Win98"
- try the new grub entry without the map commands - add them if it fails.

theNbomr · 01-26-2008, 03:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by syg00

The Win98 disk will likely be /dev/hda with the MBR (boot-loader) overwritten. No big deal.

Couple of comments on the response above;
- do the fdisk command as "/sbin/fdisk -l" (no device, so you see everything)
- the mount needs a partition; I'm thinking this would be closer;
"mount -t vfat /dev/hda1 /mnt/Win98"
- try the new grub entry without the map commands - add them if it fails.

Hmm. My fdisk without any drive named supplies nothing. Mileage may vary, apparently.
Good catch on the partition number, though. Thanks.
I wanted to show the way to add the map commands in the grub entry. You're right to add them as necessary.

syg00, do you know how to correct the overwritten Windows boot record?

--- rod.

syg00 · 01-26-2008, 04:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by theNbomr

My fdisk without any drive named supplies nothing.

Only time I have had that happen was on Ubuntu - no message, nothin'.
Needed "sudo" - don't get me started ...

As for the Win98 MBR, a (DOS, not Linux) "fdisk /mbr" will work. Generally done from a floppy, but there may be rescue CDs now that will do it.
Shouldn't be needed here.
I'd bet that fixmbr from rescue console on a Win2k or XP CD would also work, as the code is the same.

jonnyhawes · 01-26-2008, 08:38 PM

Its quite obvious both of you gentlement know lots about this, so hopefully we can resolve this.

Here is the computers response when I use the Mount command:

/dev/mapper/VolGroup00-LogVol00 on / type ext3 (rw)
proc on /proc type proc (rw)
sysfs on /sys type sysfs (rw)
devpts on /dev/pts type devpts (rw, gid=5,mode=620)
/dev/sdal on /boot type ext3 (rw)
tmpfs on /dev/shm type tmpfs (rw)
none on /proc/sys/fs/binfmt_misc type binfmt_misc (rw)
sunrpc on /var/lib/nfs/rpc_pipefs type rpc_piepfs (rw)

I see nothing of HDB or HDA in there, but again you guys know a lot more than me.

But in any case I went ahead to the next step to see if I could figure it out by trying both, since all we were doing was looking for partitions. However, when I try the "/sbin/fdisk -l /dev/hdx" (either hda or hdb) it takes the command and just drops me to the next prompt.

So more info is required for me to continue. If you guys can fix this I will dance at your respective weddings, assuming you are not married, in which case I would then have to come up with something else to repay you. lol

Thanks!

syg00 · 01-26-2008, 08:46 PM

Do these commands and post the output

Code:

/sbin/fdisk -l
cat /etc/fstab

jonnyhawes · 01-26-2008, 09:01 PM

/sbin/fdisk -l

Disk /dev/sda: 30.0GB, 30020272128 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 3649 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0xealaa9c7

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 1 25 200781 83 Linux
/dev/sda2 26 3649 29109780 8e Linux LVM

Disk /dev/sdb: 10.0GB, 10005037056 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 1216 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x0004993c

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 1 1216 9767488+ 8e Linux LVM

Disk /dev/dm-l: 536 MB, 536870912 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 65 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x30307800

Disk /dev/dm-l doesn't contain a valid partition table

And cat /etc/fstab gives me:

/dev/VolGroup00/LogVol00 / ext3 defaults 1 1
LABEL=/boot /boot ext3 defaults 1 2
tmpfs /dev/shm tmpfs defaults 0 0
devpts /dev/pts devpts gid=5,mode=620 0 0
sysfs /sys sysfs defaults 0 0
proc /proc proc defaults 0 0
/dev/VolGroup00/LogVol01 swap swap defaults 0 0

There ya go!

syg00 · 01-26-2008, 09:14 PM

According to that, Fedora has taken over both disks. Reinstall (probably of both 98 and Fedora) is probably required.
Hope you had your folks data backed up.

jonnyhawes · 01-26-2008, 09:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by syg00

According to that, Fedora has taken over both disks. Reinstall (probably of both 98 and Fedora) is probably required.
Hope you had your folks data backed up.

lol nope. Why did it do that if I just installed it on 1 drive though. Not that it really matters now.

syg00 · 01-26-2008, 09:31 PM

Dunno - it shouldn't have unless you accepted an option you didn't really understand. I don't use Fedora.
Then again I never use the automatic partitioner in any (distro) installer either.

jonnyhawes · 01-26-2008, 10:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by syg00

Dunno - it shouldn't have unless you accepted an option you didn't really understand. I don't use Fedora.
Then again I never use the automatic partitioner in any (distro) installer either.

I am not gonna lie I didnt totally understand all that was going on, but I know I didnt tell it to get on that harddrive lol. I restarted in the Installation 3 times to double check myself, and then it did it anyways.

Oh well, it was time for an upgrade anyways lol

Thanks alot guys.