my LILO disappeared , how could I load Mandriva Linux again ?

Please in detail, as I am not familiar with Linux. Thank you !

OK, as I have only the vaguest idea of what you mean by this thread title, I'm guessing that you upgraded XP home to XP pro?

Which, if thats a correct guess, means that the XP pro will have overwritten your bootloader with the windows one.

If that is the case, then AFAIK it's reasonably straight forward to repair (theoretically it shouldn't have damaged the mandriva install if the XP pro installed to the same place as the Home was in).

So, presuming that the mandriva is OK, then all you should need to do, is to boot the mandriva install disc (the first one if you have the multi CD set), when it asks you whether you want to install or other options (sorry I don't recall the exact wording), you select the other options.

This in turn should offer you some dialogue and a CLI like "input opportunity". You should type "rescue" (without the quotes of course) and hit enter.

This should then offer you a dialogue box of options - one of which, should be "re-install linux bootloader". If it's not highlighted, you'd use arrow keys to get the right option and then hit enter for it too proceed.

Obviously, I'm presuming that you want it so that the bootloader will see all installed OS - so you will probably have to select/answer yes to any questions which are usually the default options

Like, you will want the bootloader installed to the MBR (major boot record) which is normally located on the first section of the first hard drive (if you have more than one).

Also, it may be the case that it didn't see the windows install (though it usually does). If so, then you will have to google for the correct entry to add to the lilo.conf file so that "it" knows where the windows lives and to boot that if selected.

If you are on a mission to learn, then you can also make a windows bootloader boot a linux distro. Though you'd have to google for that and I understand that it can be some hassle to get working, though it is possible.

regards

John