aaaaaaaaaaaaaah: SUSE install problem, can't get past BIOS!!!!
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aaaaaaaaaaaaaah: SUSE install problem, can't get past BIOS!!!!
Hi,
I've recently installed suse linux 10.0, alongside Windows XP, giving each OS half of my HD. I got to the perform install part after i selected which packages to install and the computer did a reboot, I got to the part where the GRUB bootloader checks the BIOS and loads linux and it just hangs, with a message like "GRUB bootloader loading..."
I ran the resuce cd and did a check on everything except the software packages, and it installed a package the bootloader needed, but this did nothing to help, and the problem persisted. I tried to install the LILO bootloader and it just hangs at "L" which i think means a disk error... I managed to boot the SUSE installation from the install DVD, after manually configuring the bootloader to options i know worked before, the problem still persisted!
To try to salvage my windows installation i tried to boot from the windows recovery cd (to run CHKDSK)and that hangs as well! deadlocked with the screen "setup checking computer configuration" when i should get that blue windows screen loading. Somehow i think i have corrupted my harddrive and i can't delete the linux partition because i can't run the diskpart command because i can't boot from the windows cd.. Therefore i cannot run windows or linux.
Ive installed and deleted linux 3 times before in the past and have had no problems like this...
All i want to do is run SUSE alongside windows, with a bootloader on boot
If anyone could help shed some light on this i would greatly appreciate it
IM AT MY WITS END
If anyone could help me i would really appreciate it,
Thanks in advance!
Tom
Last edited by Fezar; 02-10-2006 at 10:45 AM.
Reason: typos made no sense :-)
Good idea! I tried using the windows XP recovery cd but for some reason it still hangs and does not load the recovery console...
I am unsure how restore or fix the MBR in suse linux, i tried the command "fdisk /mbr" from a 'rescue system' boot, all i got was the message "Unable to open /mbr"
If you could inform me of a way of restoring the MBR properly I would really be greatful!
I doubt very much that (code in) the MBR is the problem.
Both grub and Lilo are indicating that the stage1 code has executed.
I'd be suspecting a mismatch in the drive paramters - making the partition table suspect.
i know what youre talking about... i had the exact same problem, did the computer reboot after it finished with the 1st cd? because if it did, i can help
Ive downloaded the Ultimate Boot CD iso image and ran it on startup. I noticed an option for dos/linux boot disks and tried it with the command "fdisk /mbr" but got the message 'PANIC: MBC corrupted System halted'...
Is there a non-linux DOS (ie windows DOS) boot disk on teh ultimate boot cd? If not what exactly am i looking for to download?
I doubt very much that (code in) the MBR is the problem.
Both grub and Lilo are indicating that the stage1 code has executed.
I'd be suspecting a mismatch in the drive paramters - making the partition table suspect.
I got suspicous about the fact i could not boot from a windows boot cd, i made another using Ultimate Boot CD for Windows and again could not boot. I think this is because the partition table has been corrupted. I tried using FDISK in a rescue system console and the sytem couldn't find /mbr
i ran a linux expert repair to recover lost paritions and got the mesage error no valid partitions found on the partition table of /dev/hda, you can try to restore partition manually. To do that enter the cylinder values in fdisk can i please stress at this point i am a neebie to linux and havent got a clue what this means..
[when i installed suse linux 10.0 i used the dvd to resize my windows partition, could the file partition table have been corrupted?, has anyone else had a problem like this?]
I still have no working LILO bootloader, after bios startup, i get a floating letter "L" and a blinking cursor _
I really can't afford to lose my windows partiion, and if there is anything that can be done to restore my system to a workable state with just windows (for me to install Linux later) if anyone could help.....
As it seems you have access to another machine, I'd suggest you download Knoppix.
Boot that and from a terminal session enter
Code:
fdisk -l
(that's ell as in list). Post the output (any and all, uneditted), along with what you believe is the size of your hard-disk. Also can you check what you have in your BIOS for hard disks - LBA or AUTO, or whatever.
On the face of it, that looks o.k.
Don't worry about hda2 - that's an extended partition. Basically a container for logical partitions; in your case hda5 and hda6.
This is a MS-DOS construct from the mists of time - nothing to do with Linux.
Have a look at this article for some good background info on problems similar to yours.
Fixing it is another matter - I'd be backing up the whole disk (with dd or similar) before I did anything.
Thank you so much! that article you gave me was great in changing the geometry of the bootloader, used sfdisk to copy the proper values and thenm wrote them to the partition table, LILO bootloader works, so does Windows!!!!!!!!!!!
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