Hello
Im new to this and new to linux so I decided to try ArkLinux as I heard it was user friendly.
I have a Dell inspiron 6000 with windows XP home.
When installing linux I allowed it to boot through GRUB. However when I tried to run Ark Linux for the first time the system stalled when it got to the login screen. Also it didnt allow me to choose whether I wanted to boot windows or linux. I tried to delete Ark Linux and reinstall it but it exited in the middle of the installation.
Now when I turn on my laptop all I get is:

GRUB loading stage 1.5
GRUB loading, please wait ...
Error 17

Although windows XP is still fully installed on my laptop, the only way I can use my laptop is through a Knoppix Live CD.
Can someone please help

P.S. If someone could also suggest a good distribution for a new, but potentially long, time user that would be great.

For your second question:
If you are new to linux, try mandriva, suse, Unbutu or Fedora Core
They are the easiest to use distro

this recent link may help you.

Thnks for the replies but my ploblem has changed. On another thread I read about entering the command "fixmbr" on the repair screen of the XP-startup CD. Now when I turn my laptop on it says:
"No bootable devices -- strike F1 to retry boot, F2 for setup utility"
Am I in over my head?

dude, that doesnt sound so good

I also had the VERY SAME problems when trying a couple of disro' that ued GRUB as the boot loader.
I also have a DELL laptop (700m) with WIndows XP Home

After Installing Ubuntu it installed GRUB and stuffed the Master Boot Record as well - same error! I recomment Slackware 10.1 for a perfect install w.windows XP

Okay so. I assume that you let the installer create 2 new partitions for linux? One for the OS and another for the scratch space..

I am sure there are tools around to fix the master boot record of your hard drive if there is a problem but i know for a fact that the below will work as i have done it myself with the same error.

Install Slackware 10.1 on your pc.
The install program is quite nice and easy to use (plus slackware ROX)
At some point it will ask where you want to create the Main linux partition and also the scratch.
It will show you the current ones (like /hda2 , /hda6) etc..
Ensure you pick the same partitions as from your previous install (IE write over the top of the old linux you installed) if you see it say antthing about NTFS DO NOT do it... go BACK and try another partition. Otherwise you will write over windows...
A give away should be the size of the partitions.. if you know your windows partition is say 40GB, then dont go near anything that looks like 40GB.. look for smaller ones.
It will most likely reformat the desired partition so as to remove traces of the old distro

At the final point it will ask if you want to install LILO as the boot manager. Say YES.
It will give you options as to where to put it. it gives 3 options.
PICK "MBR" or Master Boot Record"
It will say it is the most dangerous - as it writes to the very start of your hard drive... I found however that LILO will see the windows install that you have...
I have used this a number of times now , each time after using GRUB.

good luck - im sure someone has better suggestion .. but thought id let you knopw..

Hello,
fixmbr installs the boot loader of windows in mbr (replacing that one of linux i.e grub in this case).

as everything seems to be messed up now.....better go for retriving the data if there is something meant to be retrieved.
And next time try out with some other linux......do experiments....its the way to learn.
And its not so that grub is not good. lilo is older bootloader and grub is newer one. I used grub many times.
so go ahead and give it one more shot.

Best of luck !!!

regards

Thanks for the help, I have XP up and running again. I have Slackware 10.2 DVD (from a "Linux Format" mag) and when I installed it I chose to install Lilo at the start of Linux partition. But it wont boot for me, even if I use cfdisk to set the linux partition as my bootable one. It just says "No bootable devices -- strike F1 to retry boot, F2 for setup utility". However if I set windows as my bootable partition it just loads windows. Is there something I can do or should I reinstall Slackware and tell to overwrite my masterboot recorder with Lilo. I'd say I have made 10 attempts to install various distributions of Linux at this stage and if it doesnt work soon I'll probably give up. If someone could tell me how my already installed verion of slackware could be booted I would be very grateful.

It sounds like your partition table info in the MBR got corrupted and that might be the reason why existing and perfectly valid partitions are not being recognized by grub/lilo at boot time.

There may be better tools available for this task, but have a go with fdisk.
v verify the partition table
w write table to disk and exit

Hi there,

Yes, when i had this problem i also chose the option to install at the start of the linux partition which also did not solve my problem - i alsoi received the error.
I then took the scary option of writing over the MBR and then lilo detecgted everything as it was - asssuming your Master boot record is not suffering corruption i thinkm it may work - as it did for me.

I would however first BACKUP EVERYTHING that you want to keep on your windows drive, i.e all documents, favourites, personal stuff - burn it to DVD or someting then give it a go.. that way you can always start again from scratch if need be.

If you picked the 'install lilo to start of linux partition' it will not fix as your linux parition is most lilkely NOT the most primary partition on your hard drive (as WIndows XP is) so it is installing lilo on an extended partition and hence (after grub/or the courruption).

good luck!

Install LILO to mbr. If you can get to Slackware, at the console, type 'liloconfig', use the 'expert' mode, and tell lilo where everything is.

Slackware is a technical distro, not as user friendly as most others. You may want to go to the Slackware forum for further help, as then you would get slackware specific advice.

Will the result of following two things same ????
1. "installing lilo to start of linux partion" and this linux partition is the first primary partition.
2. installing lilo to MBR.....the linux partition may or may not be the primary one......it could be extended one.

Actually till date i've done the '2' option only....never thought of the "first" one.

regards

Hey there,

Yeah if linux is the Primary partition then i am not sure...
Mine was WIndows XP as the primary so when i installed LILO over the MBR it detected WIndows XP and the linux installation

If linux is the primary then it might work - unsure sorry

I couldn't follow the problems here but am trying to intervene because there seems to be some misunderstanding.

Linux does not need to be installed in a primary partition. I have over 100 distros in the box and never put them in primaries because Dos, Windows, BSD and Solaris need them.

You can boot any Linux with either Lilo or Grub. Whenever there is a problem with booting it rarely has anything to do with partition table. It is 99% to do with the owner not knowing where is his/her Linux partition and not knowing how to find it out.

To tackle any booting problem a user needs tools. The two tools I need for booting 100+ systems are

(1) A Live CD (any one wiil do)
(2) A bootable Grub floppy (burn it into a CD from a friend's PC if you have no floppy drive).

Here are the booting tips I summarised after booting the 100+ systems.

Inside the tips are enough for any user to go to a computer he/she has never seen before, use the the tools to find out the partitioning scheme, access any file in Linux partitions, display any Lilo or Grub configuration file, following the displayed information to boot up Linux and any other system manually. The tips can be used to boot a Linux that has no boot loader installed!

Let me know if you still have a booting problem. All I would be doing is just cut and paste the tips with the partition numbers relevant to your cases.