Although im experienced in the computing world, im a major newbie in the linux environment, i have a dual boot windows XP and linux red-hat 9. My windows boot record has bec\ome corrupt, is there anyway that i can view my ntfs drive through the linux environment so that i can then update a few files in my windows system folder, and if so how?? any help would be greatly appreciated

Many thanks

dave

Short answer, NO.
Especially with RH9, which is probably a 2.4 kernel.

What makes you think you have a windows boot record corruption ???.
Which boot-loader were you using ??? - ntldr or grub ???.

Repairs to XP loader code components are best done from the XP install disk, using recovery console.
Perhaps you should explain the problem symptoms rather than what you think the problem is.

My windows XP install disk for some unknown reason will not boot up on my laptop, although it will boot up on my friends laptop. When attempting to boot up into XP the error i recieve is that i have a corrupt System/Hal.dll file. which i know is a problem with the boot sector of windows. I know the install disk works, it will just not boot up from my particular PC, when attempting to boot from the CD it tells me that the CD is non-emulation booting, i believe that it is a restrction based on my laptop although i am not sure, is there anyway possible to get windows back if so any help would be greatly recieved, many thanks david lane

use a bootable floppy .. with fdisk.exe on it ...best is bootable disk created by win98 SE
and then on commandprompt issue
fdisk /mbr
maybe that helps ..

hal.dll errors (in a Linux) environment are likely to be caused by trying to boot the wrong (Windows) partition. Particularly a vendor "recovery" partition.

If you can boot RH9, post a copy of your XP boot.ini (you should be able to read it o.k., just not update it), grub.conf, and the output of "fdisk -l" (that's ell, as in list) command issued from a terminal session.

if u can boot in linux ..downlaod appropriate rpm from here
http://www.linux-ntfs.org/content/view/137/73/
install it ..
then issue these commands
#modprobe ntfs
#fdisk /dev/hda
press p
see ur partition table and recognize which is ntfs partition .. something like /dev/hdaX
then issue this command ..
# mount -t ntfs -r /dev/hdaX /mnt/winxp

here there shud be a folder named winxp in /mnt
-r parameters specify that its read only ... u cant write to this partition .. n dont even try to .... its not safe

u can make backup .. if u want !!

all the best

Aggghhhh !!!!
Thanks dipenchaudhary - I forgot RH don't ship NTFS support by default ....

D'oh - double d'oh...

i think syg00 he is unable to read winxp partition as its ntfs .. thts wot his doubt is .. i dont know ..
and yehh abt that
fdisk /mbr
it will take grub outta mbr .. so don try untill u see no resort n if data is very important to u on winxp
or maybe make a grub bootable floppy ...
n then try all that ...

hehe we realised at the same time ..