Hello All,

I know variants of the issue has been treated, I couldn’t get a way round the various suggestions to get this up and running

I wonder if anyone can help me. I have been fascinated with Linux or a while, and recently installed Red Hat advanced Server 2.1 on my laptop, intending to dual boot with a previously installed Windows XP. The installation was smooth…with no installation issues, however I lost sight of a crucial step….where I am supposed to have installed the MBR in the /boot, but went through the installation and suspect that the MBR of the Windows was overwritten.

Now, My experience after the installation is that I can boot into the Red Hat AS2.1 without an issue, but have not been able to either select Windows XP nor boot into the OS, despite booting with my Windows bootable CD. I get an option to install/repair the installed windows XP. I have modified the /etc/lilo.conf as suggested on many sites, and this hasn’t worked despite rebooting.

I couldn’t attempt the fixboot or fdisk fixmbr, as bootable CD won’t allow to get to the command prompt.

I have tried all I know and have seen on the site. I would appreciate any step-wise assistance from anyone who can locate where I am on the installation radar, either posted here or mailed to me at o.agboola@btinternet.com

Thanks in advance.

O

Wait, so you installed RedHat, and you want to use Lilo? I thought the default was Grub...

But I tihnk you might be able to get to the recovery console and type:

vi /etc/grub.conf or if you do have lilo vi /etc/lilo.conf

Then, once you are in there, add the lines to make Windows work again...


But if you can't get to the command line, boot from your Windows XP CD and go to the DOS prompt. Then type help and look for a command that says something like MBRFIX (I can't remember the command. But its in there.) Then your MBR will be cleared and you just have to reinstall LILO/GRUB.

Thanks Zanett for yur quick respose.

I was able to edit the lilo.comf if you followed my arguement, but the options to select Windoxs XP never came up

I tried to boot into Windows from the CD, but have only options to either repair or re-install Wndows.

Now there are 2 files in the /etc that suggest settings for lilo.conf, lilo.conf and lilo.conf.anaconda...I editted both and hasnt worked.

Rgds

Red Hat usually uses the Grub bootloader. Add these lines to it's /etc/grub.conf:

title windows xp
rootnoverify (hd0,0)
chainloader +1

Thats true (though optional)....but I chose to use lilo instead, as I understand this will be easy for administration and use purposes.

Hi All,

I have uninstalled the lilo with lilo -U /dev/hda(-referring to the hdd, which is on IDE) option....fixed the MBR using a Windows 98 Bootable CD. THis allowed my Windows installation to load with minor pre-installed software problems and nothing major. I went ahead and re-installed the Red Hat Linux AS 2.1, which was equally successful, and this time ahowever I am yet to get the dual booting working very well. Whenever I boot the PC only the Windows XP is loaded, and makes no reference/or acknowledgement of the successfully installed RH Linux. I did not make a boot disk installing the Linux. Is there a way to force the GRUB boot loader to recognise the Windows installation without installing it in the MBR as opposed to /boot installation of the GRUB loader which I now have.

I will still try the boot.lnx settings to see if the windows loader will boot into the RH Linux installation is configured and post an update of mu outcome here. However I will appreciate any shortcuts that may differ to my approach.

Thanks fellas.

Rgds,

Here is a howto on using the Windows bootloader
GRUB will not be able to come before Windows and load it without being on the MBR.

Thanks all.

I will try one of two options that I have in respose.

1. Attempting to boot with Grub which is the first prference and differs from the second- which is using the NTLDR.

2. Obviously defaulting to the Windows NTLDR, if the former fails.

Rgds,