Booting Problems
 

Hello,

I have two hard drives, a 20 gig one with Windoze on and a 6 gig one I use for Linux.

I started some time ago with SuSE linux 7.0 and it seemed to install with no problem and I could run various programs get email etc. I noted from time to time that it would not boot, I was using a floppy and originally I assumed that it had gone corrupt as there were no problems with other floppy disks. It would start and then say "Loading Linux ................. " and then that was it it would just hang.

I have cleaned the hard drive several times with Fdisk and removed all the various partitions etc and re-formatted. I then started to use Red Hat 7.0 and achieved similar results to SuSe, but that has also started to run into the same problem namely getting as far as "Starting Linux ..............." and then hanging.

Recently after clearing Linux from the small HD, I gave the usual Fdisk /MBR command to clear the boot from the large drive and "Bingo" the whole system crashed and I had eventually to format the large drive and re-install Windoze 98SE etc. I have tried several times to re-install Linux and find that SuSE runs fine after the installation, up until I close down and then. back to the same message on booting.

Have I received an unwanted present perhaps from some twisted person or is there something lurking on the Windoze drive that needs to be removed. Any help would be appreciated.

I cann't recall exactly, but on re-formatting the 6 gig drive and checking it's properties in Windoze it says that there is 4k used and the rest free. Could it be that there is something lurking there that should not be, I am certain that I have seen 7k and 12k on a newly "cleaned" and formatted drive ?



Ta, muchly, Allan.

The very beginning of the drive as you know is the MBR and uses a few 'K' to reside. So you probably don't have a lurking virus or anything. I would assume that if it's happening with two different distros, it is either the way LILO is set up or pretty much a bad drive, or just some bad blocks in the unfortunate places. I would do a full scandisk. I like using the DOS one so I can watch it test each block during the surface scan. Do a full surface scan and if it finds bad blocks, it will mark them. Just boot with a win9x floppy and use that scandisk. Get ready to sit for a while though. :p

Hi,

I think it is trying to suggest I take up knitrting instead!

No doubt due to old age I have posted twice, due to not finding my first message, the next section down, I think it was on networking.

I have done a surface scan and it reports OK. I have defragged both drives after returning the small one to a Dos drive. I have run Kaspersky AVP and it reports no Windoze virus on either drive.

I have re-installed Suse Linux and it works perfectly as before, UNTIL I close down and attempt to restart. Yes you've guessed it, it gets as far as "loading Linux ............." and yet once more it hangs.



:smash: :smash:


I am taking to the demon drink for the rest of the evening and then playing amateur radio.

Allan.

I'm sorry to hear it. I was going to suggest banging on it until you presumably did according to your post! :tisk: LOL
I would suggest booting off the rescue or boot disk to get into your system and see how lilo is set up. You can do a few checks and sorts. I can't exactly remember why this happens, but it's a common one. Go finger? Wish I could tell you exactly. Hopefully someone here may have the fix. I can't think at the moment, my cup o' noodles is getting cold.