/dev/hda5 / ext3 rw 0 0
none /proc proc rw 0 0
none /proc/bus/usb usbdevfs rw 0 0
none /dev devfs rw 0 0
none /dev/pts devpts rw,mode=0620 0 0
/dev/hda9 /home ext3 rw 0 0
none /mnt/cdrom supermount ro,dev=/dev/scd0,fs=auto,--,iocharset=iso8859-1,codepage=850,umask=0 0 0
none /mnt/cdrom2 supermount ro,dev=/dev/hdd,fs=auto,--,iocharset=iso8859-1,codepage=850,umask=0 0 0
none /mnt/floppy supermount rw,sync,dev=/dev/fd0,fs=auto,--,iocharset=iso8859-1,codepage=850,umask=0 0 0

Trying to mount gives me the message, "mount: wrong fs type, bad option, bad superblock on /dev/hda1,
or too many mounted file systems"

I'm not sure about hda6 through 8, but I think it may have to do with a failed installation (computer froze).

Your Windows partition isnt currently mounted. - I'm wondering where it is.............

Post your partition table.

su to root user

fdisk -l /dev/hda

(-l= small L)

(incidentally you dont appear to have a swap file either)

and also your
/etc/fstab

Disk /dev/hda: 13.7 GB, 13701316608 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 1665 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/hda1 * 1 382 3068383+ 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/hda2 383 1665 10305697+ 5 Extended
/dev/hda5 383 1098 5751238+ 83 Linux
/dev/hda6 1608 1654 377496 83 Linux
/dev/hda7 1655 1665 88326 82 Linux swap
/dev/hda8 1099 1161 506016 82 Linux swap
/dev/hda9 1162 1607 3582463+ 83 Linux

/dev/hda5 / ext3 defaults 1 1
none /dev/pts devpts mode=0620 0 0
/dev/hda9 /home ext3 defaults 1 2
none /mnt/cdrom supermount dev=/dev/scd0,fs=auto,ro,--,iocharset=iso8859-1,codepage=850,umask=0 0 0
none /mnt/cdrom2 supermount dev=/dev/hdd,fs=auto,ro,--,iocharset=iso8859-1,codepage=850,umask=0 0 0
none /mnt/floppy supermount dev=/dev/fd0,fs=auto,--,iocharset=iso8859-1,sync,codepage=850,umask=0 0 0
/dev/hda1 /mnt/windows ntfs iocharset=iso8859-1,ro,umask=0 0 0
none /proc proc defaults 0 0
/dev/hda7 swap swap defaults 0 0
/dev/hda8 swap swap defaults 0 0

Change this line above in /etc/fstab to

/dev/hda1 /mnt/windows ntfs auto,ro,umask=0222 0 0


to do that - su to root user

kedit /etc/fstab

once youve made the changes save the file and reboot your computer then check inside the /mnt/windows directory

Still didn't work. I also saw a message saying something about not being about to find /proc in mtab and fstab when it was booting up.

This is a strange one................. I suppose you could always try a different mount point besides the default one Mandrake sets up ie

su to root user

mkdir /mnt/xp

then

kedit /etc/fstab

then change this:

/dev/hda1 /mnt/windows ntfs auto,ro,umask=0222 0 0

to

/dev/hda1 /mnt/xp ntfs umask=0222,auto,ro 0 0


(if all else fails you could always put your old line back later to get rid of the proc mention)

xp shows up, but is still empty

Anything else I should try? Would Wine help any?

I have used Mandrake since 8.0 and I have never seen
it not mount the windows partition.
Linux can read NTFS so I don't see the problem. Something fishy occured during installation.
It is easy to reinstall and save all the hastles.
Just use the normal install and not expert.
If you aren't yet familiar with the linux console now is not the
time for this.
Get it working first and keep the fustration lever down to
a glow.

Garion
I didn't lose my hair from hieredity, I pulled it out the hard way.
One strand at a time

Is there any way for me to delete my existing Linux partitions before reinstalling so that it doesn't get really messy on my hard drive? And would reinstalling Mandrake like you say possibly help me access my Windows files, or are those pretty much a lost cause at this point?

the mandrake installer will allow you to wipe the existing linux partitions and let you choose the size etc. of the new partitions (you might have to do it in expert mode - i never understood why they call it expert mode - i used it the first time I ever installed linux and nothing struck me as expertish) just make sure you don't wipe the windows partition.

the windows partition is still there so the stuff should be retrevable somehow.

Mandrake 8 did this to me, it seems to somehow stupidly point to another copy of Lilo instead of the windows boot loader. Never did figure it out, what I did {after considering purchasing a rifle and sitting outside mandrake headquarters} was boot to the XP install CD rom and go to the recovery console. There is a command you can enter from here something along the lines of MBRFIX which will rewrite the MBR to load windows XP automatically. I hope this helps you, in my case apparently mandrakes partition manager overwrote part of my NTFS partition and it was corrupted. Thankfully I don't ever keep data on my computer that isn't duplicated elsewhere so I just reinstalled XP. Not the first time I've had a linux install FUBAR my windows. So I kind of was expecting it.

If the MBRFIX util works, just go into windows patrtition manager, axe the linux partition into nothing, DO NOT allocate it as a drive in XP, just clear it out.

Then, reinstall linux. What I have found that works REALLY WELL was this. I have an 80GB drive so I allocated 30GB to XP {when i had to reinstall} and then another 10GB to a FAT32 partition. This was done so that XP and linux had both read and write access to the same area of my HD. Then let linux use the rest of the freespace. The advantage of this is, if linux fuxors up the partitioning, it kills the FAT32 partition which you just remake. And yes, Linux did screw this parition up on me, but going back into windows XP and reallocating it has seemingly set everything straight.