WinXP/Redhat9 Dual Boot Problems
 

Hello everyone. My system is a P4 2Ghz, 512 MB RDRAM Dell Dimension 8200 with one 80 GB hard drive. I run WinXP Pro with SP1.

I recently installed Redhat 9 on my system. As advised, I used Partition Magic 8 to partition the harddrive. I setup a 6.9 GB partiiton for RedHat and a 1 GB linux swap partition. I believe I also created a boot partition, though I'm not sure of the size.

The partitioning went well, and I installed RedHat on the correct drive. However, I did not install GRUB or LILO because I was planning on using Boot Magic 8 to dual boot my system. As you know, Boot Magic must be installed from Windows (it is a windows app). After installing RedHat, however, I cannot boot back into windows. Using a call to /sbin/fdisk -l returns this:

Disk /dev/hda: 80.0 GB, 80054059008 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 9732 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/hda1 65 68 32098+ de Dell Utility
/dev/hda2 69 8852 70557480 17 Hidden HPFS/NTFS
/dev/hda3 * 1 13 104391 83 Linux
/dev/hda4 8853 9732 7068600 f Win95 Ext'd (LBA)
/dev/hda5 8853 9602 6024343+ 83 Linux
/dev/hda6 9603 9732 1044193+ 82 Linux swap

Partition table entries are not in disk order

Why does this show 6 partitions? What is Win95 Ext'd? What is Dell Utility? Should it be the first partition? Why is my NTFS WinXP partition hidden?

I've been told that the entries not being in order is not a big deal. I have tried using /sbin/grub-install /dev/hda. When I restart, I get a text prompt saying grub>. There is no GUI letting me choose my OS. I have tried using this grub.conf file in my /boot/grub directory:

default 0
timeout 10
fallback 1

splashimage = (hd0,0)/grub/splash.xpm.gz

title Windows
root (hd0,2)
makeactive
chainloader +1
boot

title Redhat Linux 9
root (hd0,0)
kernel /vmlinuz-2.4.20-8 ro root=/dev/hda3
initrd /initrd-2.4.20-8.img

When I restart after this, I see a graphical Dell screen - it proceeds to show me my service tag and information (as it did when I first bought the comp). It then restarts and does the same thing. Luckily, I have a RedHat boot disk.

Please advise. I am willing to forgo the dual boot and boot into WinXP by default and only get into RedHat through my boot disk. I just need to get into WinXP. The partition is not corrupted as I can successfully mount it in RedHat. Thanks.

Hi,
my advice is simple. reinstall Linux. This time do not repartition as your
partitions are already correct. install lilo or grub this time. use it go into
WinXP. if you still want to use Boot Magic u can.

as far as the Dell Utility partition goes, several comp. manufactures make there own partitions. Compaq does the same thing.

if you need more help, feel free to ask.

good luck
michael

Solution
 

Thanks for your help! For those that have the same problem, here is a solution:

Re-install Linux, but this time install GRUB. Make sure to add Windows to the list of installations in the GRUB setup menu!! After this, you cannot yet access Windows. You must unhide the windows partition every time you reboot, so add this to the windows section of your grub.conf file:

unhide (hdx,y)... x and y being the appropriate harddrive and partition of windows.

After re-installing Linux and unhiding the windows partition, all was well.