How can I recover LiLo?
 

I have Mandrake 10 installed on a partition in the second drive of my computer. On the first one I have Win XP. Through LiLo (which resides on MBR) I choose what operating system to load. So, if I have to restore Windows from a Ghost Image, I will loose LiLo and then I wont be able to choose an operating system at system boot-up and so I wont be able to access my Linux operating system.

After this -I hope- clear enough introduction, the question is:

How can I boot up Mandrake again without lilo and without reinstalling the OS?

Any explanation will be very very welcome.

Thank you very much.

the most straightforward way might be to make a bootdiskette which you could use to boot your mandrake after lilo has been smashed, and when you get back to mandrake, re-install lilo and smile :)

or, the other chance would be to move lilo from MBR to a new, small partition which you would then make active. when you get problems, just make that one deactive and activate your windows-partition, recover it, and then re-activate your lilo-partition (and deactivate win-partition if needed). this way your lilo won't get overrun and you don't need to reinstall it...

I'd say the boot diskette would be the best thing to do. Besides removing Windoze, of course ;) heheh

Boot diskette
 

Thanks for your help bOuncer!

Regarding to the boot diskette, How can I make it in Mandrake? A step by step help is what I need.

When booting up with it, where will I get? Will it start Mandrake X?

Well, if you or someone else could help me again I will really appreciate it.

Take care!

LQ Member (jailbait) has this in his Signature

might be what you need/could use sometime.