Hallo, all.

I recently installed the latest SuSE distro, but it seems to have completely mucked up my computer. Linux boots fine, but Windows refuses to boot because ntldr is missing, apparently. I can't access my Windows partition from Linux and therefore have lost all my files and passwords. Also, for some reason, I can't play CDs - KsCD recognises that there's a CD in the drive, how many tracks it has, etcetera, but there's no audio when I try to play.

Any help would be gratefully recieved.

Both problems are known. You might want to have a look in the SuSE support database:

Windows doesn't boot:
http://portal.suse.com/sdb/en/2004/0...booting91.html

No sound:
http://portal.suse.com/sdb/en/2001/0...lay_kabel.html
http://portal.suse.com/sdb/en/2004/0...ndsilence.html

You may use XMMS or xine/kaffeine to play CD's instead.

Thanks, I'll check them out now

Hmm, obviously the sound's not what I'm concerned with at the moment, it's the partition thingy, so I'll try the sound thing out later.

For the not booting problem, I follow everything up until this point:
When I select the HD I want fixed, I am told
I click yes, nothing happens, I'm taken back to the chose-your-HD option, with it still showing up as "broken".

Any suggestions?

Don't know about this problem. Did you try the BIOS option (LBA mode)?

I had a poke around BIOS but I haven't got a clue what I should do, really.

Since I don't know your BIOS, I can't help. Some BIOS's simply do not offer this option.

And it wasn't repaired when you restarted as suggested? Sorry, I can't help you anymore

Maybe you should try it again, with another medium (floppy<->CD), perhaps.

Heh, I'm afraid my computer doesn't even have a floppy drive. Time to email SuSE, I think...

I googled the error message 'NTLDR missing' and found some more suggestions how to proceed:

In linux, login as root and type cfdisk on command line. The windows partition should be marked active. If not, make it the active partition.
Another option is to use the recovery console of XP (boot from XP installation CD) to re-write the MBR. http://www.bestpricecomputers.ltd.uk...dr_missing.htm

This will delete grub, but you can install it later again.

dude

If you ever get your partition stuff sorted and are looking to get sound, I had the same problem, turns out it was simply a case of making sure my CD drive was connected to either my sound card or motherboard (it's a thin wire with connectors on each end usually black and red wires) once I'd done that, sound worked fine!

It's down to whether you have a separate sound card or not, but either your M/Board manual or sound card literature should tell you how to set this up (usually referred to as connecting your CD for direct Audio)

Hope this Helps

MTB (someone who until very recently was enjoying Suse 9.1, but for some reason, my new HP Pavilion does not want to install it!!!!)

Metalbarthug:

Sorry if I am getting OT: did you check at http://tuxmobil.org/ or http://www.linux-laptop.net/ for reports on your particular Notebook?

For the links, but it's not a Notebook, it's a:

HP Photosmart t760.uk model, that includes

ATI Radeon XS300SE
HP brand Dvd/CD rewriter
separate DVD ROM drive
160GB SATA HDD
wireless standard HP keyboard and mouse
built in RealTek audio device

The problem seems to be that the Suse install just freezes, now, I can get the Live CD of 9.1 to run fine, but, I need internet (using the Speedtouchconf project script) and sound (which I can easily do by installing an old SB/Ensoniq PCI sound card)

I have used F2 to change the screen resolution (as it's a 17" TFT monitor) but then can;t use F2 to monitor the install, so when it freezes, I've no idea why. Although I did notice the little blue light on th einfra-red dongle (that controls the keyboard and mouse) does go out and doesn't respond, but on the Live CD install, everything's fine.

I did have suse 8.0 running sweetly on an older, no-brand PC. But it's been decommissioned in favour of the HP, and I don't have the room to run both towers. I guess I need to wait for Suse to catch up with the technology I'm using now, of if anyone knows of any peculiar boot habits the HP Photosmart series have... I;d be glad to hear them!

I don't give up that easily.

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If you boot linux and identify which partition windows or your files are on, you can mount it.

ex.
mkdir /mnt/windows (be root when you do that)
mount -t vfat /dev/hda1 /mnt/windows (if you want to see the first partition on the first drive and it is fat32)
else:
mount -t ntfs /dev/hda1 /mnt/windows (if it is ntfs)

if it worked....cd /mnt/windows
or use konqueror to browse to it and burn important stuff to cd w/cdroast or something if you are worried.

maybe it is already mounted and you didn't know it... type 'mount' with no arguments(or the quotes) and see what is mounted, how, and where.

since linux is easier to log in to after disasters....and if you feel brave...boot with a 98 boot disk and do fdisk /mbr then windows should boot...but you won't see grub

Then boot linux from the install disk, choose "boot installed system" and open Yast-->system--->boot loader

In there you can choose reset---->propose new config. Accept. Then exit and reboot.

You cant lose your files unles you remove partitions(you actually can still get them) or if your disk dies.

Everything else can be fixed.

Good luck and, as I have recently been told...."may the source be with you."
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-source of that quote unknown-