linux dont start and cant boot from Win98 or XP CD?
 

hello there,
i am having a prob. i have win XP professional installed on my laptop and i recently installed Mandrake Linux 10 on it and wanted to make it as a DUAL BOOT SYSTEM . but unfortunately after the successfull completing of Mandrake Linux 10 Installation , now it dont even boot from Linux nor WinXP . it shows a 'L' on the screen and get stucks . when i try to boot from win98 or win Xp CD its dont allow me to boot from them , i think that is coz of the MBR as linux has made some changes to MBR.
can anybody tell me how can i boot from Win98 or WIn XP CD in order to recover my MBR by using the command fixmbr or fdisk /mbr .
i even tried to reinstall the bootloader from the Mandrake Installation/Upgrade menu but cant find the boot loader option. it automatically tried to reinstall the boot loader but still cant boot to Linux nor XP.

how can i have a DUAL boot system with WinXp and Mandrake Linux 10???(without having any problems).

waiting for some prompt replies..

Regards,

Zeeshan Javed

hi
u need to ake sure that ur first boot device is ur cdrom

boot from a win98 cd
at the command prompt
#fdisk /mbr
will remve grub and rewrite the windows MBR to it


or boot from a winxp/200 cd in to recovery console
and use "fixmbr"


also if u want to reinstall the bootloader

boot into the rescue mode it comes by presing F1 while using mandrake 1 cd(not confirmed though)

he when u are dropped at the rescue console

the mount ur root partiton by


"mount /dev/hda4 /mnt/tmp"


here hda4 is my root partion and there should be a tmp directory in /mnt.u can mount it anywhere else also
the run

"chroot /mnt/tmp"

run
"lilo"

regards
gaurav

hello
 

i tried but its not allowing me to boot from win98 or Win Xp bootable CD. i double check the bootup sequence and its set to CD rom. infact it tries to boot from win98 or XP cd but then it stucks and i get a blank screen.
on the other hand i am able to boot from Mandrake Linux 10 CD or RedHat Cd. why its not letting me to boot from win Xp or Win98 bootable CD???

what else i can do in order to recover my MBR for Windows OS?

regards,

Zeeshan Javed

hi there

what about the rescue method i told u

and about the windows CD i cannot tell if there is something wrong with the CD

regards

hello
 

hello there,
thanks a lot for your help. i highly aperitiate it.

well the win98 and win Xp bootable CDs work just fine on other PCs , infact i have installed WinXp from the same CD on my laptop earlier. anyways i have managed to recover the MBR from rescue option u told me .

now i am able to boot to my Win Xp installation but the linux is still not accessable. although its completly installed. i think the Linux bootloader is not working properly. during the installation or linux repair/upgrade it didn't ask me which bootloader to install i.e. GRUB or LILO? it installed automatically ? i even re-installed the bootloader from the rescue but it still didn't show me any boot loader and the laptop haults during bootup and 'L' is diaplayed on the laptop screen.

what should i do in order to make it a DUAL boot system.

waiting for your reply

Regards,

Zeeshan Javed

hi there

when iin rescue mode

after 'chroot /mnt/sysimage'
did u run
'lilo'

and what did u get after u ran 'lilo'

regards


regards

hello
 

how to manually install the boot loader ??? i re-installed the boot loader from linux rescue but it didn't ask me which boot loader i want to install i.e GRUB or LILO? i think it automatically installed LILO but lilo isin't working and when it boot it haults the system and on Display i see a 'L' . i dont know why its not working and allowing linux to load.

hi

to re-install lilo
u need to run

lilo

after u r in the rescue mode at the prompt(after the "chroot /mnt/sysimsge" step)

post what u get after "lilo"

regards

hi
 

hello ,
well i checked the command u told me to run in the rescue mode i.e 'chroot /mnt/sysimage' but there was no directory by the name of sysimage in mnt. there is a directory in /boot/grub and there are three files in it menu.lst , stage1 , stage 2 .

what should i do now ??? why the Mandrake Installation didn't ask me for the bootloader option. it automatically installed one .... i was expecting to get an option of GRUB or LILO as the bootloader. :(

what else can i do ???

h

boot into the rescue mode

then when u are dropped at the rescue console


se ur root partiton by

fdisk -l /dev/hda

-----------------------
like my O/P of th above command is
root@gaurav root]# fdisk -l /dev/hda

Disk /dev/hda: 40.0 GB, 40020664320 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 4865 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/hda1 * 1 446 3582463+ b W95 FAT32
/dev/hda2 447 3845 27302467+ f W95 Ext'd (LBA)
/dev/hda3 3846 4546 5630782+ 83 Linux
/dev/hda5 447 892 3582463+ b W95 FAT32
/dev/hda6 893 1402 4096543+ b W95 FAT32
/dev/hda7 1403 2868 11775613+ c W95 FAT32 (LBA)
/dev/hda8 2869 3544 5429938+ b W95 FAT32
/dev/hda9 3545 3845 2417751 b W95 FAT32
[root@gaurav root]#


here my hda3 is root partiton
-------------------

the mount ur root partiton by
mkdir /mnt/temp

"mount /dev/hda3 /mnt/tmp"


here hda3 is my root partion and there should be a tmp directory in /mnt.u can mount it anywhere else also
the run

"chroot /mnt/tmp"

run
"lilo"

and post the O/P there

regards

how can i install GRUB boot loader? i like GRUB ... :)

in the mean time i am trying what u have written in your last post.

and will this method all the windows Installation to the LILO automatically or do i have to add it manually? please tell me the procedure to add Windows to Lilo ?

hi there

to add windows partition

ad the following entry
-----------

other=/dev/hda1
optional
label=windows

------------------

where by windows bootable partition is /hda1

is ur lilo runing???

regards