Fedora Core 3 install screwed up my Windows XP install
 

Hi

I tried installing Fedora Core 3 but had problems when the anaconda installer started up. The screen turned into a kaleidoscope with multi coloured vertical lines and it froze on me.

I read up on a few other forums and sites and tried a switch at the prompt. I managed to install it fine, but it wouldn't load up at all. Instead of a login screen, it froze again with the multi coloured bars.

I thought I'd try and fix my MBR through the Windows XP CD and then:O
sort out my partitions, but when I put the XP CD in the drive, it gets to "setup is examining your computer" or whatever and the screen goes black and nothing happens. I still have XP and Fedora on here, but I can't use the XP CD anymore so if XP screws up, I can't reinstall..

It was all fine with other distros. I could fix the MBR by using my XP disc, but now it doesn't work at all.

I've just gone back to Fedora 2 and that's working fine. My XP CD is still unusable though

Anyone else had this problem and if so, how did you fix it?

Thanks

Michael

I encountered the first part of your problem when upgrading from FC2 to FC3. I learnt that its a common problem with some display adapters (mine is an 810). I needed to modify /etc/X11/xorg.conf , go down to the 810 section and add option = noaccel at the end of this section. Not sure about the XP problem though

My adapter is an 810 too.

Where do you change /etc/X11/xorg.conf though? If you don't have an installation of FC3 how can it be changed, or how can it be changed when you can't install in the first place?

I did a text-based install. After I modified the xorg file, I did a yum update to get the latest version of xorg(in which this problem has been fixed). Then removed the noaccel option from the xorg file.

I'm having a very simliar issue with my Fedora. The screen goes black when I try to get to the login screen. How do you get to the .conf file without being in fedora? Or is there another way in?

I was able to get to the login prompt, and type "linux text" to do a text-based install. My screen froze and threw me a kaleidoscope only when I attempted a GUI install.

reason being
 

If I were you I would have found spome other monitor, anaconda is finnicky with monitors in Fc2/3. Installed then switched back to the other monitor. OR yer install of XP, run fdisk /mbr in dos. thats the way I know how to rewrite mbrs.
Im guessing you installed Fedora on the same drive as XP, thus rewriting the mbr. Yea i accidentally did that with Slax. Fixed it by booting off a win 98 floppy, getting into DOS and typing fdisk /mbr. It may be fdisk/mbr im not sure, space or no space. The best is to install Win on one physical hdd and Fedora on the second hdd. Reason being is separate mbrs. Also physical geometry.

eg.
/devhda1 is running windows XP
/dev/hdb1 is running Fedora