LILO Configuration

Hi all,

I have 2 hard drive. On the second one, I install windows ME and 2K server. After that I install LINUX (RedHat 7.2) on the first one and I want to use LILO to boot my windows on the second.

But when I configure LILO and reboot, it notify that

"NTLDR is missing."

and cannot load my windows on the second drive.

Please tell me how I can do to boot windows on my drive.

Thanks for your reading.

have you set the proper hdb variables so that it can see the windows?

I set like this

other=/dev/hdb1
optional
label=Windows

Maybe remapping the drives will get it working. Try:

other=/dev/hdb1
optional
label=Windows
map-drive=0x80
to=0x81
map-drive=0x81
to=0x80

Then run /sbin/lilo and reboot.

<Edit> If that doesn't work, try changing hdb1 to hdb and run /sbin/lilo again.</Edit>

the problem is linux/win98 has overwritten the win2k MBR and you will need:

1. 2K boot floppies
2. a created backup of the lost Winnt mbr file, on the same floppy disk(s).

The RH Linux/lilo FAQs say that rescue of the WIN2K dual-boot configuration is impossible without these 2 things. Next time spend some time making some boot floppies.

This might help you: http://support.microsoft.com/default...;EN-US;q255220

Thanks all.

I have followed linuxcool's way and it can boot my Windows now.

linuxcool, may you explain your bold sentences?

Or if you don't have time, please tell me where I can find the documents about LILO. I want to read more about it.

If any one have such documents, may you tell me?

Thanks very much.

You're welcome.

About these lines:

map-drive=0x80
to=0x81
map-drive=0x81
to=0x80

When the computer boots up, the bios assigns numbers to the drives ( 0x80, 0x81, 0x82, etc ). Windows likes being the primary master drive. In this case, it's the primary slave drive and it doesn't like being the primary slave drive. So, the lines above remap the primary master and the primary slave drives. Now the primary slave drive thinks it's the primary master drive. Windows is now happy. I hope that helps.

Strange, If I write (uncomment) these line in my Lilo, I get an infinite loop of 81x80x81x80x81x80x81x80x81.... at boot
If I comment just a part of these line, all my HD are duplicated in Windoze (C: is present D: is the same Hd, E: is ok, F: is the same...) so my Windoze Crash (I'm not really surprised)

Lilo is only good for linux at my opinion. So I use LILO for booting Linux ONLY and If I want to boot windoze (I don't use it often except sometimes for games) I tell my BIOS to boot the second HD (so Windoze boot with his own MBR).

It's a bit annoying but it's the safest ways

Half_Elf, what does your /etc/lilo.conf file look like? What drive is your windows drive ( hdb, hdc, hd?) ?

Herrrm actually, I think my win HD is primary slave not sure, may be secondary too, don't remember where my cd-rom is... I remember my burner is secondary master, so I think win is secondary slave...

my lilo.conf "map option" look like your right now and it doesn't works.

If your win drive is primary slave, then the map lines I gave to khanhhoan should have worked for you. If it's secondary slave, you would have to try other numbers to get it to work. Maybe 0x83 instead of 0x81. Even then it might not work. lilo sometimes can't get it to work.

I've never seen the errors you were gettting. I'm curious. Could you post a copy of your /etc/lilo.conf file?

# LILO configuration file
# generated by 'liloconfig'
#
# Start LILO global section
boot = /dev/hda
message = /boot/boot_message.txt
prompt
#compact # faster, but won't work on all systems.
timeout = 50
# 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
# ramdisk = 0 # paranoia setting
# End LILO global section
# Linux bootable partition config begins
image = /vmlinuz
root = /dev/hda1
append="hdc=ide-scsi"
label = Linux
read-only # Non-UMSDOS filesystems should be mounted read-only for checking
# Linux bootable partition config ends
# DOS bootable partition config begins
other = /dev/hdb1
label = Windows
map-drive = 0x80
to = 0x81
map-drive = 0x81
to = 0x80
table = /dev/hdb
# DOS bootable partition config ends

It looks OK. You said that you weren't sure if the win drive was primary slave. According to your lilo.conf file, it is primary slave. But, then you said it was secondary slave. If it's secondary slave, then these two lines should be changed from this:

other=/dev/hdb1
table=/dev/hdb

To this:

other=/dev/hdd1
table=/dev/hdd

It's primary slave, my drive is really hdb, I done some verification...

Lilo is buggy :P
I tried to comment a part of this map option... And then I got a loop

Any suggestion? I think I will try to "reverse" the map option, but I'm very scared about the result.... If Lilo can duplicate my HD, I really dunno what can happen this time

Half_Elf, are your hard drive jumpers set to primary master and primary slave? Or are they set to " cable select "? If they are set to " cable select ", you need to change them to primary master and primary slave.

Don't comment out part of the " map-drive " and " to " lines. All four lines are needed to remap the drives.

You could try commenting out the " table=/dev/hdb " line. Some people have said it caused them problems.