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Old 10-24-2004, 10:27 PM   #1
wl2
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Registered: Oct 2004
Posts: 3

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Windows partition disappeared after Linux install


I am using windows xp and I had another partition that I used for file storage. It contained nothing that other programs required to run, just files and documents. After installing Mandrake Linux on a second hard drive (which is devoted completely to linux), I cannot access my windows partition. XP and Linux both boot fine with Linux controlling the boot, but when I boot to windows I cannot see partition containing my files and documents.

I ran disk manager in windows and I can see that the partition has not been changed, but I still do not know how to make it show up again in XP. I'm pretty sure it did not overwrite this partition because I made sure hdb was always selected instead of hda when I was installing (hda is windows xp and the files). I'm assuming Linux took control of it or something like that... ??

Is there a way to fix this problem? I'd really like to have those files in windows again and I know very little about Linux. I'm trying to learn.

Any help would be most appreciated,
wl02
 
Old 10-24-2004, 11:05 PM   #2
zakaluka
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Registered: Oct 2003
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If you made sure that you always specified hdb during linux install and use, there is no way it could have taken it over. Check /etc/fstab to make sure nothing is referencing partitions on hda. Also, see if you can mount that files partition through linux (as read-only if it is an NTFS partition).

You would mount it through linux as:

(1) mount -t ntfs -o ro /dev/hda2 /mnt (change partition number to match whatever it is that you have) -- if you have a fat partition, change 'ntfs' to 'fat'
(2) ls /mnt

See what happens, and post your results back here.

Regards,

zakaluka.
 
Old 10-25-2004, 01:27 AM   #3
bigrigdriver
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Registered: Jul 2002
Location: East Centra Illinois, USA
Distribution: Debian stable
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And, while you're at it, post the contents of /etc/fstab (relative to the xp partition) and the contents of /boot/grub/menu.lst or /boot/grub/grub.conf or lilo.conf (whichever you're using), also relative to the xp partition That information would be a great in helping us help you.
 
Old 10-25-2004, 11:42 AM   #4
wl2
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Registered: Oct 2004
Posts: 3

Original Poster
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Thanks for the response, guys.

I was just assuming that Linux must have recorded something to that second partition since it is now controlling the boot sequence. It lists the OS's and I can choose... Anyway, I didnt know if there was a quick way to fix this.

I will find this fstab, which I am guessing is some sort of program and post what I find there.

I do not really know how to find the other information you requested, bigrig, but I will try to figure it out.

Ill post as soon as I get off work tonight.

Thanks a million guys.
wl
 
Old 10-25-2004, 11:00 PM   #5
wl2
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Registered: Oct 2004
Posts: 3

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Good news!!

Since I am a Linux newbie, I have no idea how to fix the problem in Linux, so I fixed it in windows.

I used the Recovery or Repair Console in Windows XP setup and did fixmbr to get Linux off the hda. Then, I used Partition Magic to "unhide" my partition. Looks like Linux didn't like that partition being active on the hda.

So, I think I'll just disconnect my hda completely and install Linux to it's on space so it cant write to another hard drive. Then I'll use the nt loader to boot to linux if I can figure that out.
This sound like a good idea??

I want to thank you guys for what you do here. These message boards are vital for newbs like myself.

wl
 
Old 11-13-2004, 07:54 PM   #6
bkallich
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Registered: Nov 2004
Location: Colorado, USA
Posts: 3

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Hi,

I have the similar problem. I have 13 GB hard disk with 3 partitions and a 120 GB hard disk with one partition as below.
hda1 5 GB Windows OS C drive
hda5 5 GB NTFS personal files
hda6 3 GB empty

hdb1 120 GB NTFS windows files

I installed Suse Linux on hda6. Now when I reboot, I don't get an option to choose between two operating systems.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
x1-6-00-90-27-94-ff-18:~ # df -k
Filesystem 1K-blocks Used Available Use% Mounted on
/dev/hda7 2546184 1776484 769700 70% /
/dev/hdb1 117218240 14134720 103083520 13% /windows/C
shmfs 127972 0 127972 0% /dev/shm
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

hda1 and hda5 do not show up by default, but I am able to mount hda1 and hda5 in read only mode and data seems to be intact.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
x1-6-00-90-27-94-ff-18:~ # cat /boot/grub/menu.lst

# Modified by YaST2. Last modification on Sat Nov 13 16:40:21 2004


color white/blue black/light-gray
default 0
gfxmenu (hd0,6)/boot/message
timeout 8

title linux
kernel (hd0,6)/boot/vmlinuz root=/dev/hda7 vga=0x317 hdc=ide-scsi hdclun=0 hdd=ide-scsi hddlun=0 splash=silent showopts
initrd (hd0,6)/boot/initrd

title floppy
root (fd0)
chainloader +1

title failsafe
kernel (hd0,6)/boot/vmlinuz.shipped root=/dev/hda7 showopts ide=nodma apm=off acpi=off vga=normal nosmp noapic maxcpus=0 3
initrd (hd0,6)/boot/initrd.shipped
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

x1-6-00-90-27-94-ff-18:~ # fdisk -l

Disk /dev/hda: 13.6 GB, 13613064192 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 1655 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/hda1 1 637 5116671 42 SFS
/dev/hda2 * 638 1655 8177085 f Win95 Ext'd (LBA)
/dev/hda5 638 1274 5116671 42 SFS
/dev/hda6 1275 1338 514048+ 82 Linux swap
/dev/hda7 1339 1655 2546271 83 Linux

Disk /dev/hdb: 120.0 GB, 120034123776 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 14593 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/hdb1 1 14593 117218241 7 HPFS/NTFS
x1-6-00-90-27-94-ff-18:~ #

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Looks like "newbee" fixed the problem using Partition Magic, which I do not have. Can you please suggest some way to use both operating systems?

Thanks,
Bopanna
 
Old 11-14-2004, 04:21 AM   #7
bigjohn
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Registered: Jun 2002
Location: UK .
Distribution: *buntu (usually Kubuntu)
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yeah, search around to find out about where you should have put your bootloader (either grub or lilo), because it sounds like you put it in the wrong place - that's probably why you cant boot the windows partition.

The actual install of linux shouldn't have touched the windows partition, but it would normally have overwritten the bootloader, and if you put it in the wrong place it doesn't offer you the option normally.

Either that, or which ever bootloader you used, go to the site for it, and read up on how to add the bits you need to boot the OS - if you can read the windows partition from the linux install already, then you shouldn't have to do any mods to the /etc/fstab and the like, just change the lilo.conf or grub.conf so they have the windows entry(s) for booting the partitions.

regards

John

p.s. As you can see from my grup.conf the windows entry isn't too difficult to work out (well mines for a single
windows partition system, but I suspect that you'd only need one for the windows partition that the user accounts are in - with XP, it may be slightly different if you use W98, millenium, 2k, NT or whatever).
Code:
 
default 1 
timeout 30 
splashimage=(hd0,1)/grub/splash.xpm.gz  
title=Gentoo Linux 2.6.7-r11 kernel /boot/kernel-2.6.7-gentoo-r11 root=/dev/ram0 real_root=/dev/da5 init=/l$
initrd /boot/initrd-2.6.7-gentoo-r11  

title=Windows XP 
root (hd0,0) makeactive 
chainloader +1

Last edited by bigjohn; 11-14-2004 at 04:23 AM.
 
Old 11-14-2004, 06:30 PM   #8
bkallich
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Registered: Nov 2004
Location: Colorado, USA
Posts: 3

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failed first attempt ...

I followed bigjohn's suggestion and added following lines in grub.conf
title=Windows 2000
root (hd0,0) makeactive
chainloader +1

When I rebooted, menu had Windows 2000 option, and I chose that. It came up with a "STOP" error. Rebooting again did not help. Then I searched LinuxQuestions.org some more related topics. One suggested doing unhide. I did unhide on all partitions rather than just the necessary one. I rebooted again, chose windows 2000 option and it came up with the "STOP" error. Rebooted again, this time to get go back to Linux and make more adjustments. This time it came up with the Grub menu. Rebooted again with Linux CD and it could see just two partitions in the first disk ! It had merged 5, 6, 7 into just one 5. By this time I was very tensed and booted the machine with Windows CD. It could see just two partitions. I went ahead and installed Windows and restored the personal data from a Windows Backup File. I will take a break of few days and attempt to put Linux again. Now the problem is my whole disk has just one partition. Now sure if I can carve out a partition from unused space. Anyway that is the story. Anyway, thanks to bigjohn and many other postings. Wish me luck next time.
 
Old 11-15-2004, 08:04 AM   #9
bigjohn
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Location: UK .
Distribution: *buntu (usually Kubuntu)
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Just so you can see how differently things can be done.

Yesterday evening, I managed to screw up my gentoo install - Bigtime!

I couldn't get the bugger to boot, then when I finally made the bugger boot, it wouldn't start a GUI. bad words! BAD WORDS! BAD WORDS!

I'm sure you get the picture .

So, all I actually did in the end, was to write off the time I've spent trying to get a nice, comfortable gentoo installation up and running smoothly, and I put my Knoppix CD in and booted that, and then just did
Code:
# sudo knoppix-installer
and followed the instructions.

You could download knoppix and burn a disc fine under windows (that's how I've usually ended up doing mine). Then it boots/runs entirely from the cd, unless you do that installer command I said about above, and then it installs to your hard drive.

But, without any intervention, apart from telling the installer which partition I wanted it on, and to put the bootloader in the first section of the MBR it's installed like I told it to
Code:
#/etc/fstab: filesystem table.
#
# filesystem  mountpoint  type  options  dump  pass
/dev/hda5  /  ext3  defaults,errors=remount-ro  0  1

proc  /proc  proc  defaults  0  0
/dev/fd0  /floppy  vfat  defaults,user,noauto,showexec,umask=022  0  0
usbdevfs  /proc/bus/usb  usbdevfs  defaults  0  0
sysfs  /sys  sysfs  defaults  0  0
/dev/cdrom /cdrom  iso9660  defaults,ro,user,noexec,noauto  0  0
/dev/cdrom1 /cdrom1  iso9660  defaults,ro,user,noexec,noauto  0  0
/dev/dvd /dvd  iso9660  defaults,ro,user,noexec,noauto  0  0
/dev/cdaudio /cdaudio  iso9660  defaults,ro,user,noexec,noauto  0  0
/dev/cdrom1 /mnt/auto/cdrom1  auto   users,noauto,exec,ro 0 0
# Added by KNOPPIX
/dev/hda1 /mnt/hda1 ntfs noauto,users,exec,ro,umask=000 0 0
# Added by KNOPPIX
/dev/hda2 /mnt/hda2 ext3 noauto,users,exec 0 0
# Added by KNOPPIX
/dev/hda3 none swap defaults 0 0
# Added by KNOPPIX
/dev/hda6 /mnt/hda6 reiserfs noauto,users,exec 0 0
As you can see it's given me the various partitions. Yes I've still got stuff to do, like for instance, at the moment, I'm booting into a /home directory in the /root partition, so when I've made the mount points and changed the name of the /dev/hda6 back to /home, I'll be able to boot into my /home partition and not touch the /root partition (which is the object of the exercise).

Also, just for good measure, the knoppix 3.7 that I installed has given me 4 entries in my bootloader (Lilo), theres one called linux, then the second is called linux 2.4 (which boots a 2.4.27 kernel - don't worry too much about kernel versions yet), the third is callec linux 2.6 (yes you've guessed it, a 2.6.7 kernel) and finally theres WinXP/NT which gives me my windows partition. All I've done so far is to edit the Lilo.conf file so it's got windows as the default (to prevent "er indoors" moaning - she won't learn linux) and so it's only got the 2.6 kernel version to boot (the other stuffs still there, I just can't boot it from the boot loader).


Worst case scenario is that you have to run knoppix from the CD while you trying to sort the other problems. I think that the only problem you may encounter would be getting your net connection - and that depends on how you connect in the first place. i.e. As I use a broadband modem/rou ter, I just click the knoppix icon at the bottom and the click configure>network card. You'd have to lookhere for anything else, or in LQ or course.

maybe that'll help some when you "make the next attempt"

regards

John
 
Old 11-15-2004, 03:52 PM   #10
bkallich
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Registered: Nov 2004
Location: Colorado, USA
Posts: 3

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Sorry about your mishap. Thank you for informing me about Knoppix. I access the internet via broadband (Cable Modem). I have a CD burner too. So, I should be able to follow your footsteps. I am studying part time, and will try this after the fall semester. (December 16th). Thanks for replying. Will let you know whatever happens.
 
  


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