dual boot problem

fakie_flip · 01-11-2008, 08:08 PM

Here's what I have, and what I'd like to do.

Code:

$ fdisk -l

Disk /dev/sda: 320.0 GB, 320072933376 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 38913 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x00000001

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sda1   *           1       23498   188747653+   7  HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda2           23499       23511      104422+  fd  Linux raid autodetect
/dev/sda3           23512       36565   104856255   fd  Linux raid autodetect
/dev/sda4           36566       38913    18860310    5  Extended
/dev/sda5           36566       36630      522081   82  Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sda6           36631       38913    18338166   fd  Linux raid autodetect

Disk /dev/sdb: 320.0 GB, 320072933376 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 38913 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0xe3b6e3b6

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sdb1   *           1       23498   188747653+   7  HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sdb2           23499       23511      104422+  fd  Linux raid autodetect
/dev/sdb3           23512       36565   104856255   fd  Linux raid autodetect
/dev/sdb4           36566       38913    18860310    5  Extended
/dev/sdb5           36566       36630      522081   82  Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sdb6           36631       38913    18338166   fd  Linux raid autodetect

Disk /dev/md2: 37.5 GB, 37556322304 bytes
2 heads, 4 sectors/track, 9169024 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 8 * 512 = 4096 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x00000000

Disk /dev/md2 doesn't contain a valid partition table

Disk /dev/md1: 107.3 GB, 107372675072 bytes
2 heads, 4 sectors/track, 26214032 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 8 * 512 = 4096 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x00000000

Disk /dev/md1 doesn't contain a valid partition table

Disk /dev/md0: 106 MB, 106823680 bytes
2 heads, 4 sectors/track, 26080 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 8 * 512 = 4096 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x00000000

Disk /dev/md0 doesn't contain a valid partition table
$

Windows xp 64 bit continuously crashes. I've tried people's suggestions and did chkdsk /r and defrag. That didn't help at all. I even disabled something about restart on error. I'd rather not have Windows, but I need it for many games because I have an 8800 gts. Last time I began to install xp after I had Linux, I got to the part of the installation for partitioning. Windows didn't show any of my ext3 partitions. I then rebooted without doing anything, and my ext3 partitions were gone. I then booted from a live cd and used testdisk to recover them. I hear of many people installing xp after Linux. They just had to reinstall Grub. How can I do it?

aus9 · 01-11-2008, 09:24 PM

in the long run you are better off using a live cd to partition your drives....format the MS partitions....then do a clean install of MS...MS installs its bootloader in MBR ....heh heh....then install Linux in the spare partitions.

I see you use raid.

start of rant...if you mirror...MS does not mirror the mbr of drive 1 to 2.....if your stripe and one drive fails both are useless...end of rant

if you like my suggestion...you won't need my grub howto in signature but have a peek cos if you have a live linux cd...it could be useful when you image your drives

good luck

Larry Webb · 01-11-2008, 09:25 PM

This probably explains grub as good as any, you may want to check out all his articles.

http://www.justlinux.com/forum/showt...hreadid=147959

In this article he puts grub in its own partition and then you boot the partitions. That way when you upgrade a distro you are not interupting the boot of another distro.

fakie_flip · 01-11-2008, 11:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aus9

in the long run you are better off using a live cd to partition your drives....format the MS partitions....then do a clean install of MS...MS installs its bootloader in MBR ....heh heh....then install Linux in the spare partitions.

I see you use raid.

start of rant...if you mirror...MS does not mirror the mbr of drive 1 to 2.....if your stripe and one drive fails both are useless...end of rant

if you like my suggestion...you won't need my grub howto in signature but have a peek cos if you have a live linux cd...it could be useful when you image your drives

good luck

No, sorry, but your rants and suggestions are useless. I'm asking how to install windows without it removing Linux, not how to start from scratch.

Larry Webb · 01-12-2008, 08:04 AM

If all you have is a recovery disk I don't know of a way to reinstall without loosing all the partitions. Can you not do a repair on windows then reinstall grub?

In the last case you may want to consider wmware player.

fakie_flip · 01-12-2008, 05:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Larry Webb

If all you have is a recovery disk I don't know of a way to reinstall without loosing all the partitions. Can you not do a repair on windows then reinstall grub?

In the last case you may want to consider wmware player.

Why would grub do me any good? I have VMware Server, but how would it be useful? To repair Windows, I've tried the chkdsk /r at the recovery console and doing a full defrag twice. I get no error or debugging information, so I am not sure how to troubleshoot the problem. I guess the only way to fix windows is to reinstall it over and over again.

MyHeartPumpsFreon · 01-12-2008, 06:46 PM

Windows will not show any of your ext3 partitions because it has no support for them.

Simply reinstall Windows with the same layout, bootup with your Linux CD/DVD into rescue mode and type in 'grub-install /dev/sda'

Regards,

Brandon