YES ! Installing windows first and after that Linux saves you hassle with the bootloader.

CONGRATS ! I'm glad you found your tax-file back. I hope you'll manage to write it somewhere. A fat32 partition and mcopy with dos ??

Bruno

If I go through Windows first, will I still have to repartition using PM? It didn't work the first time. Is there a better way?

Thanks!

Sadie,
I know nothing about XP but, what if you installed XP on a new free partition ( your linux partition now ) would you not be able to acces your old, corrupt, XP partition from there, transfer the files to the new one. After that you could reformat the old partition into being the new Linux partition.

Update: Just saw your other post: NO don't use PM !!!! it's useless !

Bruno

(sorry did not see this part ) Yes let Mandrake handle it !

Okay, so if I'm understanding your multi-piece posts (lol), then here's what I have to do:

Reformat drive, reinstall Windows XP, and reinstall Mandrake allowing it to make the partition itself. Do not use a 3rd party partition-making program?

Btw - a friend of mine (bless all my friends old and *new*!) pointed out to me that if I get my network up and the other computer on my network running, I'll have solved my problem. It's a Windows 98 machine, and since I downloaded the NTFS reader for Windows 98 last night (as well as the DOS one), all I'll have to do is run Win98, install the NTFS reader, read from the machine and copy to the Win98 harddrive, copy back under linux and burn to CD. Whee me! I may be able to do this yet!

Now let's just hope that the files aren't corrupted. *crosses fingers*

Sadie
(should I have hope yet? lol)

Woo me! Did anyone notice? I switched from Newbie to Member finally! *dances around*

You're truly blessed, and will get this working I'm sure !

As for your first question, you could reformat, Install XP on fat32 ( better read and write from Linux ) and I know that the XP installer lets you make an extra ( free ) fat32 partition. This way you're absolutely safe installing Mandrake that will convert the ( free ) fat32 partition in ext3. ( ext3 is better than ext2 )
As you install Mandrake make sure "pnp aware os" is disabled in your BIOS !

Good luck, hold on, you'll get it done !!

Bruno

Okay, thus ends one trial and begins another. I've had one helluva night! I haven't slept yet and I'm a step ahead of where I was before - sort of.

I hosed my internet connection trying to get the linux server to show up on the network. Since I couldn't get the network up and running, I figured my best bet was to make a FAT partition on the harddrive, transfer the old NTFS data over to it, and then let linux read the stuff out of the FAT and onto disk. If only it were that easy!

My machine does *not* like partitioning software! Either that, or it was so hosed from the failed Partition Magic partition that it just wouldn't take anything. In the process of using Mandrake to resize one of the partitions and create a FAT partition, it ate the boot sector of the drive and linux went down with a "no init file, please add init to the kernel error". Talk about being ready to pull your hair out!!

Figuring I had nothing left to lose, I finally solved the problem this way: I removed and reformatted all the data on the C drive (where the linux partition was). I did this through DOS making a nice, neat DOS partition. I then copied everything from the NTFS partition to the DOS partition and removed the NTFS partition. Then I stuck in the Linux disk and lo-and-behold we are healed! Mandrake looked at it and said, "Hey! There's free space over there! Let's use that." It took up all the nice clean empty space, made a wonderful new install with everything working (haven't tested sound yet, tho), *and* as if just being up and running again wasn't beautiful enough - I just finished reading everything from the DOS partition onto disk. One problem solved!

Problem #2: (Why do I keep having these major problems? lol)

Does anyone know *anythng* about how these "restore disks" that are coming with systems work? Not how to use them. But what they do? I don't have XP operating system disks. Just a restore disk. In the process of muckity-mucking about and trying to get this stupid thing to work, I actually *did* try to give up and reinstall XP. (Not give up on linux - but on the data. Figured I reinstall XP scratch the disk and try to reinstall linux again.) However, I got an error when using the restore disk. It told me to call Compaq. I'm concerned that all the problems I had with the partition may have killed something on the harddrive that the restore disk needs in order to install XP? If anyone knows how these disks work, and can answer that question for me, I'd appreciate it.

For my next step, I was going to wipe the whole system, put XP back on, then reinstall Mandrake letting it sort out the partitions for itself. But now, after seeing that error, I'm afraid to. I'm afraid I'll try to restore, it won't work, and it'll eat the whole darn harddrive again, causing me to have to jump through hoops just to get lovely old linux back on here.

Thanks much for all the help, folks. I couldn't have done it without you guys. Remember, if you ever run into a problem reading an NTFS drive, just ask me. I kn ow where to get the NTFS readers for DOS and Win98, so you can recover! (If I rememberd the website offhand, I'll post it here. But I posted it earlier, anyways.)

Sadie
(happier now, but still hopelessly running against the wind)

Hi Sadie

What an adventures, you could write a book . . . . .
Remember this one: "you're not out of the woods yet" from your other thread "Hello and XP" ?
I'm sorry don't know anything about system-retore disks, I built my own boxes, hate to be chained to HP, PB or compaq. My guess is as good as yours, but your idea: "For my next step, I was going to wipe the whole system, put XP back on, then reinstall Mandrake letting it sort out the partitions for itself." looks like the only way to go, because I know for sure that you will not go to the shop and buy "normal" XP CD's.
The problem with those Compaq disks is that it is full of bloat-ware, slowing down XP, crowding your HD and tying you with both hands to Compaq.
Looks like a catch 22. Anyway if they present you with a choice do a minimal install.

Make yourself some strong coffee. . . . .

Bruno

good luck

I am. I finally got some sleep. But I'll be up all night again now, lol. I intend to see this through and finish it one way or the other. I'm just giving myself half-an-hour to enjoy my happy-little-linux and a few games before I wade back into the fray!

Sadie
(graciously fighting the evil of gods of computer doom - with a lot of help from her friends!)

Okay, I'm going through some general HOWTO documentation (just so I know what's happening behind Mandrake's GUI) and then I'm taking the system down. My plan is to wipe the entire harddrive and fdisk it into 3 partitions + swap space for Linux. Then I'll install Windows XP from the restore disk (or try), and if that works, Mandrake will go back up.

If I can't get XP to load because of a problem with the image or what-not, then I'll put Mandrake back up temporarily until I can get in touch with Compaq tech support about restoring the image.

Cross your fingers, here goes nothing!

Crossing my fingers !

Bruno