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Dual Booting LILO issues...

Hey guys, quick question here:

I have two harddrives - one with Slackware Linux and the other with Windows 2000 Professional on it.

I installed Windows2k first on one harddrive, and then added another harddrive to the computer, installing linux on it. While I was installing linux, I went ahead and installed LILO to the Master Boot Record.

I editted my /etc/lilo.conf and installed it as to have the option for booting my Windows2k aswell as Linux. Unfortunately whenever I try to bootup my Windows harddrive, I get the blue screen of death telling me "Inaccessible Boot Device."

I know of ways to use the Windows boot loader to load up either Linux or Windows, but I really wouldn't want that. I prefer to keep LILO.

So what I'm asking is: is there a way to keep using LILO and have both options working so that both operating systems load without error?

Thanks in advance.

What are the drives designated as (hda, hdb), and what partitions are each of the OSes on (hda1 should be where Windows is, as Windows won't boot unless it is the in the first primary partition on the first hard drive, but where is Linux)? Is your BIOS perhaps set to boot from the second drive first (which wouldn't make Windows happy, if it's on the first drive)?

Could you post the contents of /etc/lilo.conf?

Code:

root@vulpix:/root# cfdisk /dev/hda



Name    Flags    Part Type          FS Type          Label

----------------------------------------------------------------

 hda1      Boot      Primary              NTFS 

 hda5                Logical              NTFS        [^A]

 hda6                Logical              NTFS

                    Pri/Log          Free Space

And Linux is hdb[1, 5, 6, 7]. And I really doubt the BIOS has anything to do with it. I've never seen an option for booting the second harddrive before anyways.

Another thing: I can boot into Windows normally via LILO if, and only if as of right now, the Windows2k boot/installation CD is in the drive bay. Then it will load up, otherwise it won't. I'm trying to get away from always popping the CD in and out of the drive bay just in order to boot, however.

/etc/lilo.conf is as follows:

Code:

root@vulpix:/etc# cat lilo.conf

# LILO configuration file

# generated by 'liloconfig'

#

# Start LILO global section

boot = /dev/hda

message = /boot/boot_message.txt

prompt

timeout = 1200

# Override dangerous defaults that rewrite the partition table:

change-rules

  reset

# VESA framebuffer console @ 1024x768x256

vga = 773

# Normal VGA console

# vga = normal

# VESA framebuffer console @ 1024x768x64k

# vga=791

# VESA framebuffer console @ 1024x768x32k

# vga=790

# VESA framebuffer console @ 1024x768x256

# vga=773

# VESA framebuffer console @ 800x600x64k

# vga=771

# VESA framebuffer console @ 640x480x64k

# vga=785

# VESA framebuffer console @ 640x480x32k

# vga=784

# VESA framebuffer console @ 640x480x256

# vga=769

# End LILO global section

# Linux bootable partition config begins

image = /boot/vmlinuz

  root = /dev/hdb5

  label = Linux

  read-only

# Linux bootable partition config ends



# Windows bootable partition config begins

  other = /dev/hda1

  label = Windows2k

# Windows bootable partition config ends

You might be missing a bit from your Windows section....Here is what mine looks like

other = /dev/hdc2
label = WindowsXP
table = /dev/hdc

Yep, mine too...

# DOS bootable partition config begins
other = /dev/hda1
label = Win2K
table = /dev/hda

Partition for Win 2000 + Slackware old BIOS

Dear all

I purchased a 120 GB hard drive, but my computer supports only up to an 80 GB drive. A gentlemen at the dell forum reassured me that I could split the hard drive into two partitions, a 75 Gb Windows 2000 and a 45 Gb Slackware 9.1 (it's my moms comp, therefore a large Windows partition).
My intended procedure is the following:

1 Remove the old hard drive, install the new one physically.
2 Fdisk the drive and create the
hda1 75 Gb NTFS partition and a
hda2 1.536 Gb Linux SWAP
hda3 43.464 Gb Linux data and programs

3 Install Win 2000 on the 75 GB NTFS
4 Install Slack 9.1 on 43.464
5 Configure Lilo

Now, my questions are the following.

1 Since my BIOS supports only up until 80 Gb, can it detect three hda partitions?
2 Do I need to create hdb instead, to get the comp to see the partitions? If so, how do I create hdb?
3 Where can I easily install Lilo for this to work? Is MBR an option?
4 Can I boot Linux if it's on the third primary partition?

Any help will be appreciated, as you can see I am unsure how to do a couple of things and want to avoid flashing the BIOS. Thanks.

George

Quote:

Since my BIOS supports only up until 80 Gb, can it detect three hda partitions?

Yes and no. It could-- except that the BIOS won't be able to report the correct size of the drive in order for you to make the partitions in the first place.

You can't divide a foot-long hoagie sandwich into 4 three-inch pieces if the BIOS is convinced that the hoagie is nine inches long.

I never recommend drive overlay programs, but this is what they are for. With your hard drive, you should have gotten a diskette with some programs to help format the drive-- one of these will enable your BIOS to see the full capacity of the drive. However to do this, it does some weird formatting trick that many OSes do not like.

You'd actually be better off getting a controller card to attach the drive to, or a BIOS update, or a new mobo. But if that's not possible or workable, a drive overlay is designed to solve this very problem. If you did not receive a diskette or CD with the drive, go to the manufacturer's website and see if it's available for download. If not, then go to the Maxtor site and download their utility, which works on most drives (but is not warranteed for any other manufacturer's drive, naturally).

Quote:

2 Do I need to create hdb instead, to get the comp to see the partitions? If so, how do I create hdb?

hdb represents another drive (the second drive). Physically, another piece of hardware, so you cannot "create" it via partitioning, but should you attach another drive, that would be hdb (if it was the second drive on the primary IDE channel, anyway). In any case, this would not solve the fact that the BIOS is convinced of something that is not true.

Quote:

3 Where can I easily install Lilo for this to work? Is MBR an option?

MBR is always an option, and in fact, the best option, unless you want to boot from floppy when you want to use Linux. But LiLO is also not going to make the BIOS able to see the additional 40GB of space that it is incapable of recognizing.

Quote:

4 Can I boot Linux if it's on the third primary partition?

Yes. You can boot Linux from any partition, primary or extended (logical). It's much more forgiving than Windows in that way ;) .