Ok, I have my computer set up with a RAID01 array using hde, hdf, hdg, hdh on a HPT372 controller. I have Windows 2000 installed on that and the BIOS boots from the RAID array. I have Fedora Core 1 installed on hda with GRUB on /boot at hda1. I am trying to add Fedora Core to my windows boot.ini file. I have gotten a copy of linux.bin onto my Windows drive at h:\linux.bin (H being the Windows boot drive letter). I have edited the boot.ini file, adding the line: h:\linux.bin="Fedora Linux". When I boot the computer and select Fedora Linux from the Windows 2000 Boot Menu, I get the following error:

"Windows could not start because of a computer disk hardware configuration problem.

Could not read from the selected boot disk. Check boot path and disk hardware.

Please check the Windows documentation about hardware disk configuration and your hardware reference manuals for additional information."

Any idea what's going on here? Hardware wise, all 5 of the drives are identical Hitachi 7K250 80GB drives. Thanks for any suggestions or if this has already been covered somewhere - I'd appreciate a link.

I do not believe you can do what you want THAT way.

I believe M$WinDo$2k will NOT let you boot linux.

I believe if you boot from hda1 /boot and select the operating system you want HERE that you CAN do what you want.

Linux WILL let you boot M$WinDo$2k,

M$WinDo$2k WILL NOT let you boot Linux.

Just use Linux's boot manager instead of M$WinDo$2k's.

O.K. ?

Well, W2K is supposed to work fine that way (from what I've read), but let's say that it won't for the time being. I edited the device.map file and added hd1 as /dev/hde (first of the 4 drives in my RAID 1 array that W2K is on). Then I added Windows 2000 to the Grub.conf (menu.lst) like this:

title Windows 2000
root (hd1,0)
makeactive
chainloader +1

When I did this and selected Windows 2000 from the GRUB boot menu, I got the following:

Booting 'Windows 2000'

root (hd1,0)
Filesystem type unknown, partition type 0x42\
makeactive
chainloader +1

Do I need to install some sort of RAID driver or something so that GRUB can read my RAID01 array to run Windows 2000?

Hmmmmm... moot point thou I've read linux willnot... seems like it had to do with the "NTFS" (NT file system)

O.K. you are showing it is a NTFS (type 42) partition.

Several things:

1) hd1 (Depends whether we are talking hd0, hd1, hd2, hd3, hd4, hd5, hd6, hd7 OR hd1-hd8!

(ide0-ide7 OR ide1-ide8))

2) just curious, what kind of motherboard we talking here? I have an Abit w/RAID and I'm able to access the drives without any "RAID" software enabled. Linux cannot use that software anyway. (Not yet that I'm aware of.)

3) I found a program the other day that erases some stuff M$ writes to a hard drive that we don't want there. (NTFS stuff!) zapart.exe 41052 bytes.

I used it the otther day and it solved the problem for me. If you would like I can email as attachment if you'll give me an address. USE AT YOUR OWN RISK of course.

4) Why do you WANT to boot from a RAID drive? M$ insists on being on the 1st drice or "C" drive, or so I've read. Your System Bios MAY allow you to boot from "ANY" drive but that does NOT insure the OS will let you! Linux don't care as long as the "boot" partition is completely within the first 1024 cylinders of the drive.

I missed it first time around... 8>(

"makeactive"

GRUB "SHOULD" 'make active', try:

from the commandline: fdisk /dev/hd?

then enter: (m for menu) "a" without the quotes 'toggles the bootable flag.'

Incidentally when available use "cfdisk" as it's supposed to be better than "fdisk."

Ok, thanks for all the help - I got it working. What I had to do is add these two lines:

map (hd0) (hd1)
map (hd1) (hd0)

It is definitely hd1

Actually, this is a KX7-333R motherboard with a built-in Highpoint 372 RAID controller.
Thanks but since I got it working I'll pass. Though I appreciate your willingness to help me out. If I have any more problems I may take you up on it.

Well, I'm booting Windows 2000 from my RAID01 array because it is the OS I do most of my development work in and I can't afford to lose my data (plus, I need a fast hard drive).

O.K.

Just help someone else one of these days!

Hollar if you hurt!!!

8>)

By far the only thing that can be more annoying than Microsoft.

>By far the only thing that can be more annoying than Microsoft

I don't understand. What is implied?

Jdh77... hi there.

Hey, can you send me this program: zapart.exe?? I'm thinking I need something like that.

Anyone want ot share it?