oops!!!!

help_me · 07-08-2001, 03:12 PM

I did a stupid thing being a newbie and all... I installed linux and it crashed halfway through the install. I am now stuck with some GRUB command line when I start up. I want to go back to windows but I cannot get it going after installing it at least ten times over. please please help... I tried to install a free linux mandrake from the pc plus mag. reply quick please.

mcleodnine · 07-08-2001, 03:17 PM

Which Windows? 98? ME? 2K?

jharris · 07-08-2001, 03:20 PM

If you're on Win9x/ME then boot from a boot disk and run

Code:

fdisk /mbr

and that should overwrite grub by rewriting the master boot record.

cheers

Jamie...

trickykid · 07-09-2001, 04:06 PM

what do you know, another crash install from some free disk with linux on it out of a magazine. they should ban those, as they seem to always cause problems.

jharris · 07-09-2001, 05:48 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by trickykid
what do you know, another crash install from some free disk with linux on it out of a magazine. they should ban those, as they seem to always cause problems.

Dya know what - I've never managed to get a 'cover disk linux' to install!! And I wouldn't exactly say it was a new process for me... I agree about the ban!

Jamie...

AzrielMacKay · 07-09-2001, 06:23 PM

Yea, if i were u i would either buy a set of cd's (if you have a slow connection) or download a set from mandrake or somebody. (Mandrake's pretty easy to install)

DoubleLetter · 07-11-2001, 08:22 AM

if we type in fdisk /mbr we can overwrite the grub, ok. But how do we ENSURE a perfect dual boot of windows[any version] and RH 7.1 linux ??

trickykid · 07-11-2001, 08:33 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by DoubleLetter
if we type in fdisk /mbr we can overwrite the grub, ok. But how do we ENSURE a perfect dual boot of windows[any version] and RH 7.1 linux ??

i get that perfect dual boot by installing windows first, then installing redhat using lilo installed on the mbr. it has never failed me as of yet.
redhat has never given me any problems with 95/98 but 2000 takes a little more configruation. never installed ME, and i don't think i am going to ever.

DoubleLetter · 07-11-2001, 11:17 PM

trickykid,

for all of us newbies who've overwritten their windows; but a re willing to restart/reinstall all over again. what steps should we take.

Would appreciate the help.

mcleodnine · 07-12-2001, 01:07 AM

It's pretty hard to 'overwrite' Windows unless you explicitly tell your install to do so. The most common ocurrance is overwriting the MBR which looks bad but is easily recoverable.

DoubleLetter · 07-12-2001, 01:15 AM

Ok,
If I go to fdisk and /mbr it, I'll see my windows2000 again, and my data. But once that's done, how will I boot linux ?

trickykid · 07-12-2001, 08:37 AM

you can boot with a floppy or you can reconfigure either with using the windows boot loader or using lilo again.
best resource to start with is the lilo howto's at www.linuxdoc.org

DoubleLetter · 07-12-2001, 10:49 AM

Thank You