windows_*nix HD delimma

khaleel5000 · 03-02-2006, 09:00 AM

Hello
I have a 40 gb harddisk of segate .
I am a beginner in linux world . that harddisk has about 24 gb of space in fat partitions the rest of six i use for linux (swap + boot partition) no other OS is installed (i use windows on another HD
the problem is that linux shows that the haddisk has bad partition table (or sorta ) windows says its fine

how do i fix it ??.... linux now doesnot get installed on this system

me seriously worried help me please (i cant delete the data on my 40 gb harddisk or transfer it)

j-ray · 03-02-2006, 09:31 AM

how did you format the partitons for linux? Do it again. Use ext2 or reiserfs as format for the root partition.
cheers, j

khaleel5000 · 03-02-2006, 02:59 PM

No the linux distros (suse , arch ,) show errors and dont give this option they DONT EVEN FORMAT IT.

jomen · 03-02-2006, 03:20 PM

So that disk has partitions - but nothing you want to keep on it?
And you want to repartition and reformat it for the use with linux?
And this does not work?
cfdisk and fdisk both are complaining about bad partition tables and do nothing?
Is this correct?

khaleel5000 · 03-03-2006, 02:59 AM

THE DISK HAS PARTITIONS AND I WANNA KEEP THINGS BUT REINSTALL LINUX ,
AND FDISK DOESNOT COMPLATIN YEAH THEY COMPLAIN ABT BAD PARTITION TABLE (arch'S DEFAULT PARTITION PROGRAMME SHOWS (BAD PARTITION OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT ALONG WITH A LINE SAYING "PRIMARY PARTITION STARTS AT THE END OF PARTITION TABLE"
SUSE BUILTIN SEZ IT HAS SOME PROBLEM AND WONT B MOUNTED IN RW MODE ...
- - WINDOWS FINDS IT OK ! ....

jomen · 03-03-2006, 03:40 AM

Quote:

- - WINDOWS FINDS IT OK ! ....

Since you want to install linux on it, that will not be enough.
How did you create those partitions? (two different tools for example)
If I were you and had enough space I'd backup my data and then repartition the drive.
There are other hints I found - this would be a really long url - I rather give you for how I got there:
search Google Groups for: linux fdisk bad partition table
the first hit contained good hints and the others might too