Maybe this is a stupid question, but I have no idea how to fix this problem (At home I work on Mac OS 9 and 10.3 so I know nothing about windows and just a bit about Linux):

I had 98SE and Mandrake 9.2 on my work PC until today. (Without Windows I can't use my printer and that is the reason I need it). Today I wanted to try to install XP on the 98SE, and I did so. But I've lost the boot menu and I can not find my Linux partition again.

I am sure that it is on the machine still, but where and how can I go there?

I'd say it is there...what you did, removed the bootloader which handles linux too (lilo or grub?)

what you need to do now, is find a bootdisk (floppy or cd-rom, which enables you to start up your linux...some of today's install-cd's let you mount partitions and install stuff using them...) and get somekind of shell working. when you get it, just re-install grub or lilo and configure it so that it knows all your operating systems and where they reside..

after this, just boot Windows has a nasty habit of removing other bootloaders without asking, if one has installed such a thing into MBR or to a place where Windows usually does too. (the solution would be to create an own partition for bootloader, and when [re-]installing windows, just set the windows partition active, which would prevent the bootloader from being overriden during the install)

do you happen to have a bootdisk or a cd you can use to boot somekind of shell?

I had LILO before (I guess).
And I still have the installation CD's - but I don't know how to use them in this situation?

"And I still have the installation CD's - but I don't know how to use them in this situation?"

OK, this was a fact not a question (w/o the "?")

Hi I believe when you load the first mandrake 9.2 cd .. if you read what it says.. you can press one of the "function" buttons F1,F2..etc and then u can type rescue.. when you do that it will have some options on of then is to resore lilo bootloader.... if your mandrake installation is still there then it will search for it and reinstall lilo

What kind of printer do you have anyway?

Thank you guys!
I can use my machine again.

TheOneKEA: It is an HP Color LaserJet 1500L printer and I couldn't find a solution to use it under Linux.