dual boot xp and mandrake 9.1
 

i had xp pro and mandrake 9.1 installed as a dual boot on the same hard drive. i then tried to install mandrake 9.2 as an upgrade which did work. i then lost the ability to boot into xp and eventually mandrake would not boot.
I had to completly reformat my hard drive, i loaded win xp back on then attempted to partition my hard drive using partition magic by using the add another operating system function. it reboots goes through the motions but comes up with the error that the file sysytem does not match the fat allocation.
can anyone help, i need to have xp on the machine as well because my son uses it. i tried loading mandrake on and using the share with windows option but it wanted to take up all of the remaining hard drive space.

when formatting for the winxp install why not just format enough space for that install, then during the mandrake install use the unpartitioned space. here is a link for some useful mandrake info.

http://www.mandrake.tips.4.free.fr/install100.html

good luck.

maybe I can help
 

Re-install Windows XP.
Use Partition Magic to resize the Windows XP partition ( smaller of course )
Create Linux "Swap" file with Partition Magic
Create Linux "Ext2" partition with Partition Magic
Install Mandrake 9.2.
Boot manager for Mandrake will find Windows.

re install of xp
 

i have tried to use partition magic to make the windows partition smaller but it wont let me do it. it just comes up with the message file size does not match the fat allocation.
I dont realy want to reformat then reinstall xp again. is there another option around this

some more help (maybe)
 

I use Partitiion Magic V7.01 which is quite old I believe.
I do all of my resize, create, delete options under the "operations" section of the title bar. I even us my mouse to resize a partition.
Do you have PM installed under Windows XP on the hard drive?
I do not know anything about the Partition Magic options you talk about.
You may want to try (after PM is installed on your hard drive) to make the Windows XP partition take up the entire drive to start with and than do the resizing down of the Windows XP partition, etc. I talk about.
My PM creates a fixed size for the "Swap" file and that is why I had you create it before the "Ext2" partition.
Have to go now.
GOOD LUCK

right i have finally managed to partition my c drive to also allow me to load mandrake 9.1, the only problem is when i try to go into xp pro it goes through the motions but then comes up with the message "xmnt 2002 mount not found" then it goes into the blue screen of death. mandrake is loading fine with no problems any suggestions how i can resolve this one.
they are both on the same hard drive

let us try some more info
 

I would start from the beginning and re-format the hard drive and re-install Windows XP.
Why are you re-installing Mandrake 9.1? Unless you only have a update release of Mandrake 9.2 just install Mandrake 9.2.
You will have to re-register Windows XP.
I hope you realize because you re-formatted the drive in the beginning you have lost any changes or data you had on that hard drive.
GOOD LUCK one more time.

problems with xp
 

thanks for all your help i have now managed to sort it out using the rescue discs from partition magic. ran both discs and the problem was that the partition windows was on had been hidden by partition magic