dual operating system problems
 

i recently got rehat linux 9.0 and installed it, i needed windows as well though so i used the partitioning tool in the linux installer. i made a 20GB one for linux and a 8GB one for windows. now i installed windows afterwards onto the patition i made for it, but when i did so, i lost the bootloader for linux. now i can only run windows. i tried updateing the bootloader, and making a new one, but it comes up with an error at the end that it did not make the new bootloader, no explination. i can not find any other way to get the bootloader onto my harddrive. i also have no floppy drive. i do not know what i can do in order to restore the GRUB bootloader to how it was running before, is there anyone who knows a way to do this?

Hello:
Normally when you want to dual boot, you should load Windows first, because when you install Windows it overwrites the boot sector.

Don't worry though, you can use the windows boot loader.

since you mentioned that you tried to update boot loader and such, I assume you have a linux boot disk. If not, I'm pretty sure you'll have to reinstall Linux. (you should always make a boot disk)

Pretty detailed instructions are here:
http://support.pa.msu.edu/help/faqs/...LoadLinux.html

If that doesn't work, come back and we'll try again.

first thing is about partition management.

linux needs one ext2 or ext3 partition, and one swap partition.

linux can read windows but windows can't read linux. so you may want to make windows partition larger to store your files.

windows partition (fat or fat32), use cluster. the thing about this is that the bigger the partition, the less file can be stored. because big partition uses big cluster meaning that a 4 kilobyte file takes a space of 16 kilobyte. so split windows partition into several.

to just fix yours maybe you can skip repartitioning your hardrive and install linux but this time

choose 'upgrade'.
in grub setting choose 'advanced'.
'install grub on' 'partition boot record' (NOT MBR or Master Boot Record).
add your windows system partition in boot list. (there might be one already there as 'DOS').

First thing you need to do is boot with a boot floppy.

You don't have a boot floppy? You'll have to buy one commercially, they cost about $200.

Then, just boot from the floppy drive.

You don't have a floppy drive? Then what the heck did you spend $200 on a disk for?

In that case, just boot from the floppy. If you don't have a floppy, then boot from the floppy disk drive, with a bootable floppy inside.

You don't have a floppy boot disk to put in your nonexistent floppy boot drive? No problem, just run 600 feet of cat5 cable over to your neighbor's house. The one down the street and around the corner, and boot from a secret linux partition you'll have to make while he's out of the room. Copy the secret boot files from the secret patition to your floppy drive.

Remember to fdisk his hard drive to cover your tracks.

You don't have a floppy drive? Then how are you going to boot with a floppy disk?

Then, simply boot from your floppy.

I don't know why people think Linux is so hard. : )