Help! Partition Magic 8 cannot write to MBR
 

My set up

Laptop running Windows 2000 Professional ( NTFS )

Tried to set up a partition with Partition Magic 8.0 "PM 8"

All seems well until I reboot, then the partition magic says it cannot write to the MBR because the virus Protection stopped it. I tried using all the options to turn off Norton Works, but the problem still happens.
Where am I going wrong?


I will set up Mandrake 8.2 and hopefully upgrade it once i figure this out.

Jimmi3577@yahoo.com


Thank You for your help in advance


Jim

BACK UP YOUR DATA!!
 

I am not responsible for any mistakes you make as a result of taking this advice.

Make sure you have the full version CD of windows 2000 Pro. Before you do anything BACK UP YOUR DATA!!!!.
The boot settings are in your CMOS/BIOS.
Get into your BIOS by pressing a Function key, It should state what to press during boot, (lets say during the ram or disk check).
If the laptop boots up and only shows a blank screen or a picture check the manuals for how to get into the BIOS.
Check the web page for your laptop, call tech support or
reboot the computer many times and just as you release the ON button Hold down A SINGLE function key, ESC, Delete, any of the non alpha numeric and symbol keys !@#$/*-+.
When in the BIOS make sure you find the option to reset the default settings just in case something becomes unstable down the road.
Memorize the menu system and be careful! optimize your settings if you want to BUT KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING FIRST!
You should look for a virus scan program next to a possible year 2000 bug fix.
Some new BIOS implications have built in virus protection to prevent the install of viruses during boot such as partition magic.
(get the feel of your bios)

Now that you have your entire disk used for windows 2000 back up your data !!!
Partition the drive as 45% Windows, 50% Linux, 5% required Swap for linux.
If you intend to upgrade your RAM to the max amount, take that number and use it as swap. and adjust the partition accordingly.
install linux on second partition of first drive, then use swap for that last partition.
if you have a 30GB drive you might be cutting it close with 15GB for linux useful bloatware.
If you have a 60GB drive you will be fine.

If you did not have partition magic you would format your entire drive in two parts, install Windows then update, install linux on second partition of same drive with room for swap. and then you would use Lilo or Grub.

Kudos on the dual boot. I have duel booted and tried quad booting, and all I have to say is
remember keep the OS boot simple and less problems will fallow.

Re: Help! Partition Magic 8 cannot write to MBR
 

Firstly, you should get yourself something considerably more up to date - Mandrake 8.2 was what I first used over 3 years ago.

It's now known as Mandriva (since the buy out of connectiva), and the version known as 2005LE (yes they've changed the naming conventions as well) is what would have been 10.2 if they hadn't changed.

I can't say for certain, but you're likely to have considerably fewer problems is you get the latest (actually 2006 is in beta now, but 2005LE should do the job).

How much space do you have on your hard drive??? Because I always used to use PM8 to do my partitioning, but I've heard it can be problematic when making linux partitions (even though I never had any problems myself - though mine is a desktop system).

With the latest, you should be able to just boot the install disc and it should offer you the option of re-sizing your windows partition (it doesn't touch the windows unless you tell it too) - I'd say that you might want to have 5 to 10 gigs if possible. I use a lot more, but I don't have windows installed now and I used a 120 gig hdd.

Because it's a laptop, you might want to do some research first - though it's possible that you might be lucky and it would install without a hitch. Though I understand that this site has some laptop related wisdom.

The usual difficulties are graphics (there are generic drivers, but you'll often get much better performance with the drivers from the chip makers site(s) - nvidia have better support than ATi), sound and modems/net connections (though if you use an external ethernet device it's usually pretty straight forward).


I can't really think of much else too suggest, though may have some ideas when you have got as far as attempting an install. You may also find some ideas at the laptop/mobile forum here at LQ or even at the mandrivausers forum

regards

John

p.s. Oh and if you are lucky enough to get it installed without any difficulties, you need to put the bootloader on the first section of /dev/hda - this WILL overwrite you windows bootloader, but offer you the option to boot either windows or linux. If you put it anywhere else you usually need an alternative method of booting the linux install i.e. boot floppy or boot cd or some such.

If you make partitions with PM 8.0, use the floppy version. You can make a set of rescue disks. These have a program called PQMAGIC on the second disk. Just boot from any dos boot disk, put the second PM rescue disk in, and type:

PQMAGIC

You will need to make the necessary adjustment in your bios, as stated before me. The antivirus which stops PM 8.0 from writing to the MBR is bios AV.

Let the linux distro do all the formatting for the linux partitions. Don't format them with PM 8.0, just make them and leave them unformatted.

You can apply all your changes while booted into the dos PQMAGIC, and be ready to install linux with the next boot. I hope everything works out. I do recommend making a backup of all critical files, and, as mentioned above, get a current distro.

You can download:

ftp://mirrors.kernel.org/suse/i386/9.3/boot/boot.iso

Burn it to a cd.

Do a network install using the same server. Leave out the /boot/boot.iso part. Then you'll have a nice new SuSE 9.3 install. This is the full SuSE 9.3 Pro, and it's free. Just read the screen, and be cautious. I have faith you can do it.