Windows corrupting Linux

geyes30 · 03-24-2004, 08:08 AM

Hi!

I have read in some forum before that if Windows accesses a Linux filesystem it can, presumably, overwrite the whole Linux boot record and such. Is there any truth to this? I am working on a undergraduate project on the behaviour of Windows, and would appreciate any links to anywhere with relevant information can be provided. Cheers!

Regards,
Cyrus

Kovacs · 03-24-2004, 08:22 AM

If you reinstall windows on a dual boot system then it will overwrite the master boot record again with it's filthy and degrading boot loader, but that is easily solved by running lilo again (or grub I guess) from linux. On an old PC I always found that windows 98 disk defragmenter corrupted the partition table and caused a kernel panic in (mandrake) linux, I have no idea if that's a common problem though.

skel · 03-24-2004, 08:44 AM

the only time I have had windows corrupt my linux partitions is if i re-install windows on a dual boot system, then the MBR is overwritten.

I know that there are applications for windows that will allow you to read/write to an ext2/ext3 filesystem, i don't know if any of those apps corrupt data or not.