Ok here's my scenario:

I had WindowsXP installed on a 40GB drive [NTFS partition]. So first time,
i booted with the Mandrake 10 CE and on install it gave me the error "partition table too corrupt for me". The only option i had was to let mandrake delete the 'bad partitions'. The first time i did this, it wiped my WindowsXP completely and installed Mandrake on a brand new 40GB partition. After a few issues, i had to format and re-install WinXP, so now i was back where i started, the installer STILL gave the same error.

So i went further, i went in WinXP, got Partition Magic 8, and resized the NTFS partition into 30GB and 10GB 'empty space' at the end of the NTFS partition. I booted Mandrake install and AGAIN it just whined about corrupt partition table. So now i'm too afraid to let it 'delete bad partitions' because i think it's going to delete ALL my partitions.

So i decided to get Fedora Core 1, i booted up with it, and it had an error when i selected 'automatic paritioning'. I then selected 'manual partitioning' and it gave me my paritition table with my NTFS partition and the empty space. I then made a swap partiion and an ext3 partiion using the empty space and mounted "/". Fedora installed fine , working no problem, great.

So now decide to boot with Mandrake 10 again, hoping it'll now be happy because there is a GRUB bootloader able to boot WinXP and Fedora and all that, but no, AGAIN it gives me the partition table error. There's no 'manual' option nothing and i'm left with the only option to wipe all the 'bad partitions' again.

What do i do? I don't want to loose my WinXP partition. The 10GB partition now have Fedora Core 1 on it, and i want to install Mandrake over that, but can't.

Is there an option to get to a similar window like Fedoras DRUID partition manager?

I read somewhere it might be the 2.6 kernel? Fedora Core 1 still uses the 2.4 kernell, but the first 'clean' Mandrake install ran fine on the 2.6 kernel if i let it wipe my complete HD.

Yes, there should be an option to manually configure your partitions, i forget off the top of my head what the exact wording is, but it is the bottom radio button when you get to the partitioning screen.

Sorry i can't be of more help at the moment, but if you choose the bottom radio button it will let you manually configure like in druid, i think its called "DiskDrake" though. Pretty much the same thing.

-Nathan

The problem is it only goes to DiskDrake if the partition table is not corrupt. I assume it needs to read the partitiontable [MBR] first before it can enter any partitioning tool. The window coming up with the 'partition table too corrupt' comes up right at the beginning and only have the option to delete all paritions or 'try again'. Obviously the second option fails and puts me back at the error.

If i THEN let it delete my partitions [meaning my windows goes bye bye] , then i get the radiobox to diskdrake [and then i can edit partitions, but it's pointless as all my partitions are deleted then] . For some reason Fedora didnt have this error, it immediately opened up DRUID for me.

This maybe won't solve your problem, but you might consider this workaround.

Why not just let Mandrake delete your partitions. Then, go into diskDrake and manually set a 30GB and 10GB partition, install Mandy on the 10GB partition.

Now you have a 30 GB unformatted partition at the start of your disk. Install windows XP on the unformatted partition.

In other words. Maybe you cant install Windows then Mandrake, maybe you have to install Mandrake then Windows.

Hope this helps.

Ok, i found the solution.

It's all about the 2.6 kernel [or the boot-kernel rather]. Using the 2.4MDK boot kernel solved my problem.

I simply had to type 'alt1' as the boot parameter, which forces 2.4 kernel Boot [or so i think].

Dunno where the bug is, but it's not with NTFS [as i tried it with my 30GB being FAT32 too]. I can only assume the 2.6 kernel is incapable of detecting/reading my hardware correctly.

Anyway i got Mandrake now up and running and it's great. (Beats my Fedora Core 1 installation).