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To Demonbane :
the fdisk -l command gives me a return Cannot open /dev/ide/host0/bus0/target0/lun0/disc To motub : Thanks for the advice. I'll try to use your way, if somehow my windows has been so messed up and any other way wouldn't work(since so many ppl suggested it, although when I tried the fixmbr command, after reboot it gives me an error saying 'error loading operating systems') |
You need to do it as root, "su" then type in your root password. The reason why I want to see "fdisk -l" is so that I can tell you what to modify on the bootdisk I gave you earlier in order to at least get you inside winxp.
It gave you that error message because LILO was in the mbr and its the only boot loader you have. Boot with the Mandrake DVD into rescue mode, it'll give you an option to restore it. |
Hi, this is what it has returned me
Disk /dev/ide/host0/bus0/target0/lun0/disc : 185.2 GB, 18528362490 bytes 255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 22526 cylinders Units = cylinders of 16055 * 512 = 8225280 bytes Device Boot Start End Blocks ID System /dev/ide/host0/bus0/target0/lun0/part1 * 1 764 6126798+ 83 Linux /dev/ide/host0/bus0/target0/lun0/part2 765 22526 174803265 f Win95 Ext`d (LBA) /dev/ide/host0/bus0/target0/lun0/part5 765 827 506016 82 Linux swap /dev/ide/host0/bus0/target0/lun0/part6 3825 7011 25599546 b Win95 FAT32 /dev/ide/host0/bus0/target0/lun0/part7 7012 11473 35840983+ 7 HPFS/NTFS /dev/ide/host0/bus0/target0/lun0/part8 11474 16708 42050106 7 HPFS/NTFS /dev/ide/host0/bus0/target0/lun0/part9 16709 22526 46733053+ b Win95/FAT32 /dev/ide/host0/bus0/target0/lun0/part10 828 3824 24073371 83 Linux Partition table entries are not in disk order By the way, why does my mouse all of a sudden doesnt work? I restarted my computer and it give me a screen saying something like, mouse has been disconnected, do you want to run configuration, and so i did, pick wheel mouse. and then after KDE loads, the mouse won't move anymore. :( |
Mount the bootdisk I gave you earlier, edit boot.ini and change partition(2) to partition(5) and boot it
if that doesnt work try 4,6, and 7 as well. As for the mouse maybe you chose the wrong one, if you have an USB mouse make sure the mouse protocol is set to IMPS/2 in your /etc/X11/XF86Config-4 file Pressing ctrl + alt + F1-6 will take you to one of the virtual consoles, there you can login and fix it up. |
Demonbane :
Thanks for the help with the mouse. However, as it turns out, as I tried your bootdisk (changing the partition number from 2 to 4, then to 5, then to 6, then to 7) all of them still gives me the error message saying PHP Code:
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Ok lets not waste any more time on this, mount your windows partitions and backup whatever needs to be backed up, boot with the windows XP CD and do a repair installation, if that doesnt help format it and reinstall.
After its done use the rescue mode to restore LILO, and then add an entry in /etc/lilo.conf which should look something like Code:
other = /dev/hda7 |
Demonbane : Um, I actually tried to change the boot.ini to load the partition for my windows with the number 3, because when I tried to install a fresh windows, I saw that it read partition 3 as a windows partition. As I changed it to 3, it works! Although, even after that, it just stops at the pre-welcome screen, and won't go any further...tried rebooting several times, but no progress at all. Looks like I'll have to reinstall everything after all.
or is there still someway to get me into windows properly? (after that bootdisk works partially?) Thanks for all the help and advice though. |
I'd say you're better off doing a reinstall, chances are Windows don't like changes in partition types, especially when it's on the system partition (one with nt os loader). There may be ways to fix it but at the end of the day, a reisntall probably takes less time and effort.
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Um, since I wanted to be really safe. And I don't have anything particular in my Linux partition, I decided to reinstall everything, (that is, windows and linux). First, I reformat the partitiion where Linux used to be in, then I installed Windows on that. (which means Windows will reside at the very first partition, i.e. drive C and the bootloader will safely be put at the drive C as well, right?) Then, I reinstall Linux, on the partition where Windows used to be in (i.e. drive D). Now, after I do all that, I need to find a way to get into my Windows back. I know there's probably tons of stuff out there which relates back to this. But, since I am afraid of making mistakes. What should I do to fix my windows back?
Do I use the windows cd and do a repair installation? And then.. do a /fixmbr, then, using the Linux repair mode, login as root and do a change to the sbin/lilo.conf (what should I change by the way?). Or have I got all these steps totally wrong? Thank you. |
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Once you reformat a partition (which will occur when you (re-)install either OS), the data previously on it is lost. So there will be no "getting (into) your Windows back" --unless you mean a backup kept on a completely different partition, unrelated to the Windows or Linux system roots-- once you install Linux over the former Windows installation. Most certainly after doing so you would lose your Registry, which is perhaps the most crucial difference between doing a repair installation and a full reinstall. A repair would save/use your current Registry, so you wouldn't have to reinstall most of your programs, whereas with a full reinstall you have to reinstall all of them-- even if they are installed to a separate partition and you're just reinstalling them over themselves-- in order to rebuild the Registry. When you reinstall Linux, since you will already have Windows installed, the installer will pick up the Windows installation and add it to lilo.conf, enabling you to start Windows from the menu at bootup if you so choose. But it will be a new Windows install, so you will have to reinstall all updates and programs. If you really were referring to a backup, if that backup is on a separate partition, then your data will be right where you left it, and if it's on a Windows file-format partition (FAT32 or NTFS), Windows will see it fine when you log in. However, depending on what is backed up, the fact that the data is available may or may not be that useful-- for instance, a backed-up Registry is mostly useless if the drive letters are all different, and any programs that use the MMC (PaintShop Pro, DiskKeeper, and others) have to be reinstalled in any case, as they simply will not work until you do so. Hope this helps. |
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Otherwise its a simple matter of adding Code:
other = /dev/hda1 |
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