I am attempting to make a switch to linux from Windows. I have installed Fedora Core 4 to my second hard drive with no problems with the install. When I boot my computer GRUB doesn't come up and it automatically starts Windows. At this time I can not even get to Fedora but, my partition software shows the linux install on my second drive. Any help would be appreciated.

I dont know how to re-get grub working. But I solved that problem that ( complicated ) way:

1 booted knoppix ( www.knopper.net )
2 configured lilo
3 rebooted the Suse ( poor one was broken by evil win2k )

mount your fedora /boot partition /dev/hdbX on /mnt/fedoraboot/ :
>mkdir /mnt/fedoraboot
>mount /dev/hdbX /mnt/fedoraboot

mount your fedora ROOT partition /dev/hdbY on /mnt/fedora/
>mkdir /mnt/fedora
>mount /dev/hdbY /mnt/fedora

if you have no extra /boot partition use "/mnt/fedora/boot" instead of "/mnt/fedoraboot"

edit /etc/lilo.conf ( yes, the knoppix /etc/lilo.conf which is actually in RAM ;o)
replace all "/boot" with "/mnt/fedoraboot/" and enter /dev/hdbY as new root partition

boot=/dev/hda
install=/mnt/fedoraboot/boot-menu.b
map=/mnt/fedoraboot/map
default=linux
image=/mnt/fedoraboot/vmlinuz
label=linux
read-only

_if you need initrd add:
initrd=/mnt/fedoraboot/initrd.img
_else
leave out that line!

_for your windows:
other=/dev/hdaZ
label=WinXP
table=/dev/hda

_delete all other image= entries and the following lines, you cant break anything as you are just editing knoppix configs ---except that your win will not boot either if you enter the false win partition -- who cares, just win )
- no, don't panic !

just run lilo and expect something like this:

>lilo -v
Boot image: /vmlinuz -> /mnt/fedoraboot/vmlinuz-2.6.14
Added linux *

Boot other: /dev/hda3, on /dev/hda, loader CHAIN
>

if lilo complains, save lilo.conf to a disk or usb-stick an write here again ( else mods to /etc/lilo.conf will be lost, and you have to do all again ). Win should still work
if not, you got lilo to work, without having it installed

forgot to write:

look if the fedora kernel is really named '/mnt/fedoraboot/vmlinuz'
>> if the name is for example vmlinuz-2.77 it's
image=/mnt/fedoraboot/vmlinuz-2.77

enter the initrd line iff the file '/mnt/fedoraboot/initrd.img-2.77' exists ( or something similar )
and use that name in the initrd line - good luck

Sounds easier than that. I'm betting that when you installed it (the fedora) when it asked you where you wanted to put the bootloader, you selected the drive with the linux install.

Windows doesn't like linux. When it asks where you want to put the bootloader, it would normally go on the first part of the MBR. In other words, you tell it to overwrite the Windows MBR so that it can see both OS's, and not just linux because right now your system is just seeing the windows bootloader.

So, you could try to boot the system with the install disc, and there might be a route to find a rescue method in "other options", if you can locate that you may be able to install the grub in the appropriate location, or you can always check the install, by going into the BIOS and changing the boot order so that it tries to boot from the second hdd first - you'd probably see the grub then.

That lot might be a load of shite, but with new dual boot systems it's one of the minor problems you can read about on quite a regular basis.

regards

John

p.s. Or if it does turn out to be the bootloader in the wrong location, when you're booted into the fedora, you can probably make a boot floppy/CD and boot from that or you can use the newbie fall back and just re-install over the top, just make sure that the grub goes to the right place.