Help changing the MBR

Boffy · 08-06-2004, 04:51 AM

I cannot boot into windows at them moment, and from forum surfing i have established that the problem is that windows is unable to see my FAT 32 parition as such. Can anyone help me change this so windows will see it and boot using it.

Boffy

P.S. Please no posts asking why i need windows. I use linux 99% of the time but my minidisc player works only with sony software on windows.

Frustin · 08-06-2004, 04:59 AM

so are you using linux at all on that disk? if not the get hold on a dos boot disk with fdisk on it and type:

fdisk /mbr

at the prompt, this will write a MBR that you will be able to boot windows from.

on the other hand you are using linux and want to duel boot then we need to know the boot loader you are using e.g lilo, grub or whatever.

Boffy · 08-06-2004, 05:31 AM

I am using lilo. I am using linux on this disk. I have also just tried fdisk /mbr but that did ot help. I then had to reinstall lilo.

Boffy

pingu · 08-06-2004, 06:15 AM

What message do you get when trying to boot Windows?
Also post your /etc/lilo.conf.

Boffy · 08-06-2004, 07:05 AM

as requested, lilo.conf:

Code:

# File generated by DrakX/drakboot
# WARNING: do not forget to run lilo after modifying this file

boot=/dev/hda
map=/boot/map
default="linux"
keytable=/boot/uk.klt
prompt
nowarn
timeout=30
message=/boot/message
menu-scheme=wb:bw:wb:bw
image=/boot/vmlinuz
	label="linux"
	root=/dev/hda5
	initrd=/boot/initrd.img
	append="devfs=mount acpi=ht resume=/dev/hda6 splash=silent"
	vga=788
	read-only
image=/boot/vmlinuz
	label="linux-nonfb"
	root=/dev/hda5
	initrd=/boot/initrd.img
	append="devfs=mount splash=silent acpi=ht resume=/dev/hda6"
	read-only
image=/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.3-7mdk
	label="263-7"
	root=/dev/hda5
	initrd=/boot/initrd-2.6.3-7mdk.img
	append="devfs=mount acpi=ht resume=/dev/hda6 splash=silent"
	read-only
other=/dev/hda1
	label="windows"
	table=/dev/hda
other=/dev/fd0
	label="floppy"
	unsafe
image=/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.3-7mdk
	label="old_linux-nonfb"
	root=/dev/hda5
	initrd=/boot/initrd-2.6.3-7mdk.img
	append="devfs=mount acpi=ht resume=/dev/hda6"
	read-only
image=/boot/vmlinuz
	label="failsafe"
	root=/dev/hda5
	initrd=/boot/initrd.img
	append="failsafe splash=silent acpi=ht resume=/dev/hda6 devfs=nomount"
	read-only

pingu · 08-11-2004, 01:30 AM

Come to think of it, there have been problems with booting Windows after installing SuSe9, I think it's the version of parted SuSe uses causes that problem.
There have been a few threads about that, can't remember exactly but try searching for "SuSe install problems" (since it's a problem concerning reading partitiontable, it might apply to other than SuSe-users.)

masand · 08-11-2004, 02:52 AM

hi there

what error did u encounter while booting lilo

post that ,that will be helpfull..

regards
gaurav