When I start up my computer I get the error:
"Disk boot error. Please insert system disk and press enter."

I have 2 hard drives on the same cable. I have slackware 9.1 on hda and /home on hdb. I installed lilo on hda mbr, but I also tried putting it on the hdb mbr. When I tried to boot I get the error listed above. If I use a boot disk everything boots fine.

This is an 700mhz computer I got from work. When I first got the computer it had a pci card with two ide connectors. It had one hd and it was connected to the pci card. I didn't really know what the pci card did ( I figured it was an ide raid controller or just some sort of expansion thing. ) I didn't know where to find that hard drive in linux so I just removed the card, added a hd, and plugged them both into the mother board.

I think it might be a bios problem? I only have the option of booting from "C, A, CDROM and i think E and F" in the bios boot order.

Here are some settings if they might help.

Thanks,
JP

root@sarah:~# fdisk -l

Disk /dev/hda: 18.4 GB, 18480365568 bytes
16 heads, 63 sectors/track, 35808 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 1008 * 512 = 516096 bytes

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/hda1 * 1 32941 16602232+ 83 Linux
/dev/hda2 32942 35808 1444968 82 Linux swap

Disk /dev/hdb: 160.0 GB, 160041885696 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 19457 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/hdb1 1 19457 156288321 83 Linux



# LILO configuration file
# generated by 'liloconfig'
#
# Start LILO global section
boot = /dev/hda
#compact # faster, but won't work on all systems.
prompt
timeout = 50
# 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
# ramdisk = 0 # paranoia setting
# End LILO global section
# Linux bootable partition config begins
image = /boot/vmlinuz
root = /dev/hda1
label = Linux
read-only # Non-UMSDOS filesystems should be mounted read-only for checking
# Linux bootable partition config ends

Not sure, but double check the bios to see if you need to manually disable the raid card or something. If in doubt, note down it's settings then reset the bios by removing the battery for 5 mins. Restore the original settings if it doesn't fix the problem.

Some things to check. As I understand it, you currently have two hd's plugged to one IDE connector on the mother board. That will work, if you have the hd's jumpered correctly. On the hd's there will be master and slave jumpers. HDA shuold be master, and HDB slave.

If you can not figure out the jumpering, there are some web sites with pictures. Each hd manufacturer has similar but often different ways of labling the jumpers.

You may see a position labeled CS, (cable select). You need cpecial cables to support that feature. You may or may not have CS cables. You can jumper master and slave and not worry about CS.

If after getting the jumpers right, and if it still won't boot, or at least start, remove hdb, and try again.

The fact that you had another IDE??? card may indicate the ide controller on the mother board may have not worked for someone else, or it was used as a server, with more hd's .

Get the jumpering correct, and then if it still won't boot, it may have something to do with the mbr's.

Reseting the bios seems like a good idea. I didn't notice much of anything special when I was looking around. I don't think I saw anything about the ide controller. There's a reset to factory option though so I'll just give that a shot.

As far as the jumpers. I think that because I can see both HDs when I boot from a floppy that would elminate the jumpers as being the problem (but I'm not sure about that). Also I tried removing hdb and booting but I had the same problem.

So I would probably say that it is the bios or maybe the mbr. Although I don't know what else I can do about the mbr seems to look fine.

If there's any other info I can post that would hlep out let me know. Any ideas are greatly appreciated.

-JP

If you can "see" both hd's when booting from floppy or CD, then leave the bios alone. The problem is either the mbr or boot record for your OS.

I use Mandrake, so I don't know what tools fedora supplies. At this point, I would ask anyone with Fedora experiecnce to give you a hand.

Things to try, boot your system from CD, and see if there are any tools to update Lilo etc.

It is my belief you should have only 1 MBR on the system. You talk about a seconf mbr on hdb. Basically, bios goes and finds the MBR. With lilo or Grub, MBR should go there, and then find the system boot record. Thats the big picture. If you have multiple OS's installed, you update Lilo or Grub to add teh new OS.

So, I guess the things to watch for, do you ever get lilo? If not, the MBR may be messed up. If you see Lilo, there may be a problem lilo config, or the /boot/ directory.

Im sure there are experts on the board that can helo you more. Hope this helps you.

The problem is solved but I didn't exactly solve the problem. First I had to run "auto-detetect ide drives". It kept crashing on the second drive so I just unplugged it and reran it so now the bios has a listing for the first drive, hda. Booted up and got a lilo error (L 99 99 99...).

I couldn't solve that one so I just switched to the newest version of grub. I got another error I couldn't solve so I switched to an earlier version of grub which then worked fine.

I would like to know what caused the L99 lilo error and why my bios kept crashing trying to detect the second drive (I think it might be because its 160GB). But at least now the computer is booting without the boot disk.

Your computer is confused about which mbr it is supposed to boot from. Since you made one on hdb it will have to be modified in /etc/lilo.conf. You probably have it pointing to the wrong drive. Look there first.

Not 100% postive about what you're saying but I posted my lilo.conf file at the top and it points to the right hd.

Try cutting hdb in half..... er.... repartition it so that both partitions are below 120 gigs. or try going even smaller if your mobo is really old.