I would like to know if it is possible to use Norton's GoBack on a dual boot system (XP+Mandriva). I am only interested in knowing if there are any confllcts and the best installation sequence. I know GoBack will not restore Mandriva and don't expect it to. Just want to know if it will cause some conflict with the boot sequence. I am planning in making a new install of Mandriva 10.2 with Grub and then using VCOM's System Commander as the boot manager. Grub instead of Lilo is what VCOM recommends. Before proceding with the installation I would like to get some feedback if GoBAck should be installed after Mandriva and System Commander or before. My inclination is the former. Any replies would be appreciated. Thanks.

found this nfo at USA LUG posted by Rootboy:

If you use Norton, and you have had to use the "Goback" feature, be prepared for a box that will only bootup linux and not Windows.

The reason for this is that Norton changes the partition type for your Windows partition from type 0x07 to 0x44. I couldn't tell you why it does this, but it does. What you end up with is a PC that will boot into linux but not Windows.

To fix it, boot up linux, run fdisk /dev/hda from a su'ed shell, and change the partition type back to 7. Don't change anything else.

Write the partition table and you should be good to go.


.... this sums up the incompatibilty issue with GoBack and Linux dual-boot scenarios.

Grub and Lilo are simple boot loaders that have been designed to multi-boot from day one. Mixing them with proprietary boot loader systems can have undesirable results.

If Grub can boot all the systems "easily" in a PC, either manually with a floppy/cd/pendrive or in the MBR of the hard disk why would anyone want something more complicated?

If you install any "bootable" system in a PC, be it a DOS, Win3x, Win9x, Win2k/XP, *BSD, Solaris and any Linux, and boot the PC into a Grub prompt these 3 lines of commands can pull any of them out

root (hdi,j)
chainloader +1
boot

Where i=disk no. and j=partition no. Grub counts from 0.

In Linux the multiboot is automated by a script file. For Grub it is /boot/grub/menu.lst and for Lilo it is /etc/lilo.conf. The script file id editable by any editor. The Grub in my MBR boots 45+ systems.

I haven't looked back to the proprietary boot loaders after I wander into Linux.

Grub manual (Google search) has a full documentation for making a bootable Grub floppy with which I haven't found a system in a PC that fails to answer its call. The floppy can be made by many Linux live CD and it is possible to burn it into a CD too. Such bootable Grub floppy is "unattached" to any operating system.

Linux is bootable in a logical partition. That means there can be plenty of them to be booted by its boot loaders. Proprietary boot loaders written for MS systems do not expect systems bootable outside a primary partition and there are a maximum of only 4 primary partitions in a hard disk.

Still want to send a boy to do a man's job?