filesystem problem

Nonc · 04-01-2006, 09:50 AM

hi guys, im looking for some help with the problem i have

I have two hard drives. one with windows on (ntfs) and one with FC5 installed the default way on. i have recently tried FC5 so there is nothing saved on it and can reinstall if need be. the problem is that i want it to duel boot. I have all my files saved on the windows installation and really dont want to lose them.

i found out that you can duel boot if you have windows on there first. so i put in the windows disk to reinstall windows on the second hard drive over FC5 with fat file system. but it cant read the file system thats now on there so it cant reformat it,so that i can then go and install FC5 on there and have it duel boot.

is there anyway i can have it duel boot on the second hard drive without loosing all my files. instructions or a link to a howto or other posts with a similar problem, much appreciated.

cheers
Caspar

mikieboy · 04-01-2006, 02:38 PM

Here are a couple of links:

http://www.redhat.com/docs/manuals/l...-dualboot.html

http://www.geocities.com/epark/linux...w2k-HOWTO.html

You really need to decide on a strategy i.e. whether you are going to have one OS per hard drive or share a drive between two or more OS's. You seem to be a little confused or undecided.

Nonc · 04-02-2006, 01:59 AM

i dont mind if its one os per hard drive, but i want to be able to access my files from the linux os. as i understand i cant do this if windows is using ntfs.

i think i have two options.
1, install windows on second hard drive, as fat,
copy my files from the first windows,
install FC5 next to it and have it duel boot.
or
2, keep the windows (ntfs) that i have and have it duel boot up to that,
but the problem with that is will FC5 be able to use the files? if no, then its not an option.

so in a way i am undecided, because i dont know which is best/easiest/possible.

(let me know if i still sound confused)

bulliver · 04-02-2006, 03:14 AM

You can read from ntfs, but write is still experimental, is that alright?

Nonc · 04-02-2006, 12:07 PM

yeah, i think that is ok, will i be able to get it back when in ntfs from linux?

pixellany · 04-02-2006, 01:31 PM

Better method:

Put both OSes on the first drive.
On the second drive, create a FAT32 data partition. this is easily linked to both Windows and Linux.
Use an external USB HD for backup---or just backup to CD or DVD regularly---or both.

If you already have Windows with a bunch of data, then setup the 2nd (data) drive first, copy the files, and then---if necessary---reduce the size of the windows partition.

How big are your drives?

Nonc · 04-02-2006, 04:00 PM

they are ~120GB each

is that second suggestion of yours to have one drive, the second one, as the data drive and one the first holding the OS's? if it is, that works for me and all i need to do is format it to fat copy files over and reinstall both OS's on first drive. Thats a good idea, i like that.

however i then have the problem of then reformatting it to fat. how do i do that? considering that its running the linux filesystem, and i am not experienced enough to use the linux boot thing to format it, (i could use the windows disc but it wouldnt work as explained in the first post) i dont know how to do it.

so as i see that leaves one question. how to format to fat?

Nonc · 04-04-2006, 04:35 PM

ok its been fixed now

i went on another forum, and, for anyone else who wants to know how i did it, this is how i did it

went to Bootdisk.com and got the boot disk for windows 98. downlaoded and installed that.

then went to http://support.microsoft.com/kb/q255867/ for instructions on how to unpartition it and format it.

problem solved, thanks 4 ur help,

Caspar