boot problem,windows reinstall?

spx2 · 01-15-2006, 11:08 PM

thank you...
than ill try to install it this way

spx2 · 01-15-2006, 11:38 PM

im gonna go make a vector linux install now
i might just have all that i need now
thank you

spx2 · 01-16-2006, 12:42 AM

ok so i just tried with partition magic to resize one of my ntfs partitions(the one
with w2k) to make space for vector linux.
after i rebooted the system doesnt want to start no more.
i tried to boot of a wxp customized cd with and it gave me a long
string like this
99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99
99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99
99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99
99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99
well isnt that nice ?
wounderfull
now i cant use my computer today
and my sisters data are totally compromised.
that is just wonderfull.
ok
so now i tried to resize that partition back to its normal
size it still doesnt boot
i tried that dd of=/dev/hda if=backup.file bs=446 count=1 with
backup.file(wich is very strangely
weighing just 1 byte in size ??!?!) wich i stored on mandrake's partition.
i rebooted still nothing works
i dont know what to try now.
im writing this message from a live cd with damnsmalllinux
thanks to god i have dhcp on my 'hood network so i easily configured
it with netcardconfig.
I'm really waiting for some heavy feedback as i need to get this going.
I must mention i can see all my partitions as before.
I will write down here some output from some commands so you guys
can help me please.i'm desperate

summary :
My sister will freakout 1 hour from now after she
realises what happened.
I dont want to be there when she does or i want to
be there if i fix my system.
I HAD A PERFECTLY GOOD SYSTEM
NOW ITS all f***** up!
that is not good

Code:

spx2 · 01-16-2006, 12:44 AM

This is what

Code:

 cfdisk /dev/hdb

gives me.
I have only a fixed disk and thats hdb:

Code:

                                  cfdisk 2.11z

                              Disk Drive: /dev/hdb
                        Size: 20547841536 bytes, 20.5 GB
              Heads: 255   Sectors per Track: 63   Cylinders: 2498

    Name        Flags      Part Type  FS Type          [Label]        Size (MB)
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    hdb1        Boot        Primary   NTFS                              7081.97
    hdb5                    Logical   NTFS                              6802.31
    hdb6                    Logical   Linux ext3                        3758.96
    hdb7                    Logical   Linux swap                         518.20
    hdb8                    Logical   Linux ext3                        2385.34







     [Bootable]  [ Delete ]  [  Help  ]  [Maximize]  [ Print  ]
     [  Quit  ]  [  Type  ]  [ Units  ]  [ Write  ]
                               No more partitions
                 Toggle bootable flag of the current partition

spx2 · 01-16-2006, 12:45 AM

i was really sure this was to happen again i dont know why
i installed that vector linux(it just said it was more fast
than other distros)

spx2 · 01-16-2006, 12:50 AM

this is what emelfm( wich is some sort of commander
on damn small linux)
shows me when i go to /mnt :

Code:

hd auto cdrom floppy hdb1 hdb5 hdb6 hdb8 pts sys test ..

I can identify hdb1 with the wxp install
hdb5 with the w2k install
hdb6 is the mandrake root
and hdb8 is the /home directory on mandrake
hd is empty even after i mount it.

spx2 · 01-16-2006, 12:54 AM

now i also would like to print out the contents of the
fomerly WORKING!!! lilo.conf on hdb6
here goes

Code:

dsl@box:~$ more /mnt/hdb6/etc/lilo.conf 
# File generated by DrakX/drakboot
# WARNING: do not forget to run lilo after modifying this file

boot=/dev/hdb
map=/boot/map
default="linux"
keytable=/boot/us.klt
prompt
nowarn
timeout=100
message=/boot/message
menu-scheme=wb:bw:wb:bw
disk=/dev/hdb bios=0x80
image=/boot/vmlinuz
        label="linux"
        root=/dev/hdb6
        initrd=/boot/initrd.img
        append="devfs=mount acpi=ht resume=/dev/hdb7 splash=silent"
        vga=788
        read-only
image=/boot/vmlinuz
        label="linux-nonfb"
        root=/dev/hdb6
        initrd=/boot/initrd.img
        append="devfs=mount acpi=ht resume=/dev/hdb7"
        read-only
image=/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.3-7mdk
        label="263-7"
        root=/dev/hdb6
        initrd=/boot/initrd-2.6.3-7mdk.img
        append="devfs=mount acpi=ht resume=/dev/hdb7 splash=silent"
        read-only
image=/boot/vmlinuz
        label="failsafe"
        root=/dev/hdb6
        initrd=/boot/initrd.img
        append="failsafe acpi=ht resume=/dev/hdb7 devfs=nomount"
        read-only
other=/dev/hdb1
        label="windows"
        table=/dev/hdb
other=/dev/fd0
        label="floppy"
        unsafe

image=/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.3-7mdkcustom
        label=263-7custom
        root=/dev/hdb6
        read-only
        optional            
        vga=788             
        append=" devfs=mount acpi=ht resume=/dev/hdb7 splash=silent"

spx2 · 01-16-2006, 01:00 AM

so now im sitting with my eyes glued to the display
with a 2 liter(80% empty) fanta in my hands at 8 in the morning
watching and hitting f5 every 20secs or so to see if anyone
in the world pleas reply my post
this is really patethic!!!

spx2 · 01-16-2006, 01:14 AM

ok so ill go do a format /mbr from a diskette
i dont think that will solve much but what the hell
my sistem is f***** up anyway
still waiting for some feedback

saikee · 01-16-2006, 02:40 AM

I haven't time to read all your posts but the "99" problem is self inflicted. Lilo boots its master by recording the actual position of the hard disk. Resizing it causes Lilo to search the right location but with the wrong information. Get a Live CD ready and everything is salvagable. Nothing is lost if you stop formatting it!

This a very common problem. I have a 60-partition fully populated with Linux. If I alter the partition of one everyone of will be in the same siatuation as yours. It is a few minutes job to pull up a Lilo.

saikee · 01-16-2006, 03:58 AM

Just boot up a Live CD. Any one will do as long as you can use its terminal mode.

This is the basic technique to rescue any Linux so do learn it if you want to survive. Bascially with a Live CD Linux you make a temporary directory (any name will do) in its "/mnt" which is the normal place for mounting partitions, mount the unbootable Linux on it, change root from the Live CD Linux into the unbootable Linux, restore its boot loader into the MBR, exit back to the Live CD Linux and reboot.

The information of the "root" of the unbootable Linux is showed in lilo.conf is hdb6 by the "root=/dev/hdb6" statement and that is the partition you need to mount. The change root "chroot" does exactly what it says because after this command you will be inside the unbootable Linux. It is magic! Depending on the Live CD version sometimes (but not always) you can start using the unbootable Linux by typing

Code:

startx

immediately after a change root.

As mounting a partition and change root are privileged activities and you will need root privileges. The way to obtain it is different from Live CD to Live CD. In general just typing

Code:

su

should be enough for most Live CDs. If you have a problem just preceed every instruction with "sudo" can also get you there. For example "mount" command becomes "sudo mount" and so on as already explained previously by another replier..
The full commands are as follow (please do try to understand them) after booting up to the Live CD are

Code:

mkdir /mnt/temp
mount /dev/hdb6 /mnt/temp
chroot /mnt/temp
lilo -b /dev/hdb
exit
reboot

There is nothing to it. Remember the cause of your "99 99 99..." is because you altered the hard disk location of hdb6 but did not tell Lilo. 20 years ago you could be jailed six months for such a crime but the law has changed after Live CD is made available.

If you have problem with a Linux with Grub just use the same technique above but replace "lilo -b /dev/hdb" above with

Code:

grub-install /dev/hdb

spx2 · 01-16-2006, 08:48 AM

managed to solve my problem
now i have my sister's windows xp wich is booting up
when i start my machine
mandrake wich is in the air and also vector linux
but vector linux i can start up by booting it from the
install cdrom.
now im trying to find a way to make a lilo without
for these 3 oses.

about saikee's post
mkdir /mnt/temp
mount /dev/hdb6 /mnt/temp
chroot /mnt/temp
lilo -b /dev/hdb

this mounts /dev/hdb6 in /mnt/temp
and then changes root directory to it
now lilo -b is an enigma to me ??!?!
what does it do exactly ?
because as you can see from the info i have
provided... i have a bootloader and its
NTLDR now...and i dont want to replace it...
i dont want to f*** up worse what i have so
if i do this lilo thing ill lose it prolly
(will it still be available after a fdisk /mbr ?)

saikee · 01-16-2006, 11:29 AM

No problem

You can have your Linux without the use of the MBR.

3 methods available in

To install Linux and keep Windows untouched like a virgin

You can also just boot all the systems a Lilo floppy.

The command

Code:

lilo -b /dev/hdb

ask Lilo to put the boot loader in the boot sector of hdb which is for the whole disk, therefore the MBR.

You can change the destination from hdb to fd0 and Lilo boot loader will go straight into a floppy. Therefore if you amend /etc/lilo.conf to boot 3 systems the floppy will boot them exactly the way it boots from the MBR.

Any more booting problem?

You don't appear to be rich enough to afford two hard disks and therefore can only use the Section B or Section C method of the above link.

To go for Section C method you can resize your hdb8 and get 0.5Gb out to make a fat32 partition and it will become hdb2. With that you can put Grub inside as described by Section C. You can control the booting of 3 systems by Grub without using a floppy. This is a technique using the XP's MBR to boot either XP or Grub in a fat32 partition. Grub in turn boots XP, Mandrake and victor.