Dual boot problem

I was running a single HDD with WinXP on it. I added another HDD to my computer and set the new hard drive as the primary master and the old HDD with WinXP to the primary slave. I then installed Slackware 10 which went fine and it recognized my other HDD with WinXP and added it to LILO. LILO was installed on the MBR of the new HDD. However, now I cannot boot the WinXP drive from LILO, it stops right after LILO displays "Loading Windows." The drive boots fine if I make it the master and remove the new one with Slackware on it. But it won't boot when it's slaved. Any ideas as to why this is occurring? I have never had this problem dual booting before.

Here's my LILO.conf file contents:

# 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=788
# VESA framebuffer console @ 800x600x32k
# vga=787
# VESA framebuffer console @ 800x600x256
# vga=771
# VESA framebuffer console @ 640x480x64k
# vga=785
# VESA framebuffer console @ 640x480x32k
# vga=784
# VESA framebuffer console @ 640x480x256
# vga=769
# End LILO global section
# Windows bootable partition config begins
other = /dev/hdb1
label = Windows
table = /dev/hdb
# Windows bootable partition config ends
# Linux bootable partition config begins
image = /boot/vmlinuz
root = /dev/hda1
label = Linux
read-only
# Linux bootable partition config ends

Yes,

you installed XP on your hd as it was primary master,
now it is primary slave, but you did not tell XP you swapped disks.
XP after the bootstrap tries to mount its rootfilesystem from the primary master, which is the wrong disk.
No operating system likes this (linux / lilo would be just as confused as winXP)

The easiest thing to do will be to swap both harddisks.
Then XP can boot again.
After that you can use a boot cd (knoppix, or linux install cd)
and edit the lilo.conf and fstab files of your linux installation.

If you install lilo into the mbr of the winXP hard disk (shoul be primary master again) you can boot both, linux and windows.

Reply if you need more detailed instructions about editting lilo.conf and fstab while booting from a live cd.

Cool, thank you. I will give it a try and report back.

Ok, I must have done something wrong here.

I booted using my Slackware install cd.
I used the kernel bare.i and pointed it to my linux drive.
I then mounted the linux drive with:
mount /dev/hdb1 /mnt
That worked so I edited lilo.conf change the windows partition to /dev/hda1 and the linux partition to /dev/hdb1
I then ran lilo -C /mnt/etc/lilo.conf
Then I ran lilo -M /dev/hda mbr
It said that it wrote to the mbr, but it obviously didn't because I still booted right up into windows.

I also made the same changes to the /dev locations in fstab.

Maybe those detailed instructions will help me out =)

Score, I got it working. I think my problem may have been in the lilo -M command and adding the mbr option at the end. That was the only thing that I did different. It's working like butter now, thanks for the help pankrat.

Originally posted by Rax Ok, I must have done something wrong here. I booted using my Slackware install cd. I used the kernel bare.i and pointed it to my linux drive. I then mounted the linux drive with: mount /dev/hdb1 /mnt That worked so I edited lilo.conf change the windows partition to /dev/hda1 and the linux partition to /dev/hdb1 I then ran lilo -C /mnt/etc/lilo.conf Then I ran lilo -M /dev/hda mbr It said that it wrote to the mbr, but it obviously didn't because I still booted right up into windows. I also made the same changes to the /dev locations in fstab. Maybe those detailed instructions will help me out =)

Thanks Rax. Your post helped alot & I was able to get my dual disk, dual boot working. I had done like you installed slack onto a seperate drive then wanted to add my windows disk back into the system. Can you boot from the primary disk? To get to lilo, I have to boot my secondary drive first. Not an issue though, I have dual booting capabilities

thanks again