This is odd. When I set up lilo.conf with linux as the default I can boot into Windows just fine.

However, when I set Windows as the default, we get as far as the Windows graphic screen, but nothing else happens. I have to reboot to continue back to LILO.

Current lilo.conf is:

boot=/dev/hda
map=/boot/map
install=/boot/boot.b
default=XYZ (see below)
keytable=/boot/uk.klt
lba32
prompt
timeout=50
message=/boot/message-graphic
menu-scheme=wb:bw:wb:bw
other=/dev/hda1
   label=windows
   table=/dev/hda
image=/boot/vmlinuz
   label=linux
   root=/dev/hda5
   append=" quiet"
   vga=788
   read-only
[other entires which are ignored]

...where XYZ is either "linux" (which works fine); or "windows" which appears to work but hangs. To repeat if the default is "linux" selecting Windows manually works fine. The position of the entries in the list makes no difference

Any ideas?

mmmh...I'm not sure...but ehhmm, did you install lilo in the MBR or in the first part of your hda ?

Actually I did neither. Mandrake instaler did it, and I have no idea where. How would I tell?

there was no option that asked you to chose one of those two?
well....I don't know if it would even matter...I was just wondering how you had it setup.
originally, who did you have as default, linux or windows??
and when you edited the file...did you run lilo? so that changed would take effect?

OK, full story -- system is on a Compaq which has BIOS setup utilitites on a hidden partition, which is a boot option during POST.

Linux identifies this partition as hda3. I want to have setup, windows and Linux as separate lilo options.

Originally the default of bootig to linux worked fine.

I've edited lilo.conf several times to see the effects of setting different boot options as default etc. Everthing works OK EXCEPT setting windows as the default. If linux is the default I can manually swith to windows and have it load perfectly. If it's the default it starts then just hangs.

I had hoped this was nothing to do with the hidden partition, but I've just discovered that's working a bit flakily too. Oh, and yes, I did run lilo after each edit.

well ,i hope u r not making any typo......i mean something like windows & Windows in "label=" & "default="




"When you have eliminated all possiblities ,then whatever remains ,however improbable it sounds, is true"
Sherlock Holmes to Watson

I suggest using GRUB instead of LILO. It's much more user-friendly.

it's not...lilo is way more user friendly...just cus you don't need to re-run grub doesn't mean it's user friendlier.

i hv read somewhere that grub dont need the physical location of ur kernel while lilo does.....what does
this means exactly.....sorry for going offtopic......
Thanks

when you open lilo.conf you'll see where your bootable kernel is localled....it is always in the folder /boot
so, there will be a line that will say something like this /boot/2.4.18
that simple,