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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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).
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.
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
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"
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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