I cannot access SuSe 9.3 on second HD

mgb@tw181bz · 07-18-2005, 05:59 PM

Hello folks,

I am a Linux newbie and an unfortunate habitual Windows user. I loaded SuSe 9.3 straight from the DVD, which overwrote my existing XP on hd1 and installed itself on hd2. Up to this point I had not RTFM (not required reading for Windows installation). I re-installed XP and found I cannot now access Linux, which I deduce is on hd2 only because there is a undetectable (under Windows Explorer) 76GB partition on a 120GB disk.

Having perused various posts on the LQ and done 1 or 2 searches on LQ and Novell's FAQ pages, I cannot find the help I need, so I turn to the experts.

Can anyone offer any advise?? If so, as someone in Scotland pointed, please remember you are talking to an almost complete Unix novice.

Many thanks in advance.

John_Emad · 07-18-2005, 07:13 PM

I cant understand so well your problem

What do you mean that it overritten XP on hda1 and hda2

You made a partition for home and a parition for root ??

anyways, to get your lost 76 GB, you may use partition magic 8.0 from your XP and you will find your partition, you can format it or delete it so it will be added to the 1st partition then re-create a partition for Linux and a partition for the SWAP

then make a fresh installation and make sure you choose the partition you created for Linux

I hope I helped you this way

mgb@tw181bz · 07-18-2005, 09:28 PM

Thanks for your interest.

I didn't mean to imply that XP was installed on both hda1 & hda2 - not so as I use hda2 as a back-up for hda1 in addition to my DVD copy of back-up.

What I meant was that when I powered-up my PC I was not offered a choice of OS. I was presented with Linux only. When I re-booted XP, I was presented with XP and Linux was invisible.

I don't recall making any choices other than the defaults presented by the installation screens and, even after finally RTFM, I am confused!

However, I will re-install Linux as you suggest. Incidently, do I need to partition the disk before installing Linux? After RTFM I am under the impression that SuSe should give me the oppurtunity to partition and set-up root and user accounts - neither of which I recall when I installed SuSe.

Again, thanks for your response!