Partition Ordering Problems
 

Welp, I was an idiot, and using partition magic I created a linux partition that I was going to install mandrake into, and put that partition before windows. Apparently, this screws up windows, so using knoppix I managed to delete the swap and regular partition that I made, but my windows partition cannot be maximized with cfdisk, nor can I find out how to renumber it from /dev/hda3 to hda1. Would renumbering the drive fix the problem (I'm getting the old "xmnt2002 not found, autoconf not found, skipping" etc error message, and then the computer just turns off and back on)?

Generally you want to have Windows as the first primary partition. Especially if that is where it was installed in the first place. No Os Likes to wake up on a partition other than where it was installed.
Can you use Partition Magic to move the Windows partition to the begining of the drive and then delete all partitions after it?

Partition magic can do that. You may need to move it to another machine though (I'm guessing you have one since you posted) in order to do that if this one won't boot properly.

None of the linux programs (like parted) are particularly good at moving partitions around. I used qtparted to resize my ntfs partition and then used partition magic to resize my ext3 partitions and move them.. but you can't move logical partitions in qtparted so.. I had to use the other to do that properly.

Welp, since I cant access windows I cant access PartitionMagic. I decided to fool around a bit and install mandrake into the free space anyways, and it more or less works. I can at least put crap on a cd and transfer it over, since I haven't configured my wireless card yet. Is there a program I can transfer over, a linux partitionmagic equivalent, that could handle this?

Hmm, so I have to hook the old gal up to another computer to get this job done eh? I can't very well rip out the harddrive and hook it up to my desktop, because, if memory serves me, it's on a laptop so that'd be no good anyways, not to mention it'd void the warranty. I'm considering just taking it down to compusa and having them handle it, but I dont even know if they'd have the software to do so. Anyone have an idea whether or not they do, or some other method I could use to be able to use partition magic on this now-defunct laptop? If this question has already been answered, please, point me to the posts. I didn't find any.

you can backup the whole thing using mandrake. It comes with CD burning software and you should have read access to teh windows partition.

Another thing that might work is to use partimage. It also comes packaged with mandrake. It creates an image of a partition. So you could use it to create an image file/files, burn them onto CDs. Reinstall mandrake. Let the installer reformat and repartition your harddrive, make sure you have a big enough partiton for windows (must be at least as big as the current size), have another partition for installing mandrake, install mandrake, and then use partimage to write the windows image onto the first partition. It might work.

Hmm, interesting idea, but risky. Has anyone ever tried doing this before?

As far I can understand you try to install Linux and Windows.
So it looks like a dual boot story.

Why don't you install Linux in the first partition and let Windows where
it is ?

Then use Linux' GRUB as boot manager.

In Grub you can then map your hda3 to hda0 for the boot process.

So add to your /boot/grub/menu.lst

title Windows
map (hd0,0) (hd0,x)
map (hd0,x) (hd0,0)
rootnoverify (hd0,x)
chainloader +1

where x is:
0..3 first to forth primary partition
4..n first to n-th logical partition

I assume in your case that x will be 2.

This mapping will "fake" that Windows is on the first partition,
so Windows will be happy with that when it boots.

It also my be that you messed up something in Windows when
you installed Linux, so you may end-up re-installing Windows.

However try first the mapping stuff, described above.

Nope, no luck vlad; I still get the same error. I suppose I'll try reinstalling windows next...is there a way of doing that into the new partition that windows is in?

Fixmbr didn't do it either, so I would assume it's a problem with windows. Fdisk also nicely got rid of my mandrake partition. Whee. I'm going to try to reinstall windows now from this crappy compaq windows OS cd. If that doesn't work, or wont work without wiping the drive, I'll reinstall drake (which incidentially installs to hda4 5 6 for some reason) and try the partimage idea, unless someone else has another idea.

Welp, the windows cd says that XP cannot recognize the partition I selected, so goof to that. I suppose I could try to install XP onto the 8 gigs of unpartitioned space I was using for drake, which would allow me to access partition magic. If I did that, does anyone know if partition magic would be able to delete the new 8 gig windows partition and move the old partition back to where it was?

Hi,

I *suggest* prior nuking your existing windows installation to take a look at:
http://www.vamos.de/english/bootman2.html

Section: 7.2 Windows 2000, NT 4 and NTFS version 4 and 5

Perhaps this can help you!