Installation problem on Compaq Proliant server
 

Hi all,
Look at the following issue .

1.Yesterday I tried to install the SUSE 7 Linux on an ML530 Compaq Proliant server in my lab.
The configuration before that was...

1) 1st SCSI 8.4GB disk (Linux reference is /dev/sda)
---Contained..
1) Microsoft Windows 2000 server
2) Windows NT server version 4.0
3) Windows NT server version 4.0 (VGA mode)

2) 2nd SCSI 8.4GB disk (/dev/sdb)
-Contained..
1)RedHat 8.0 only..

2. I overwrote RH8.0 on /dev/sdb with SUSE 7. At that time, I opted to install LILO of SUSE on the boot sector of sdb i.e., not on MBR of /dev/sda nor on a floppy.

3. When SUSE wanted reboot, I did and the previous LILO of RH8.0 came up. May be because it was on MBR of /dev/sda. I tried to boot Windows 2000 server from there.
But it said that file <windows root 0>\system32\ntoskrnl.exe was missing or currupt and needs replacement, and stopped there.

4. I did not check whether the Win NT server 4.0 was booting or not.

5. I again tried installation of SUSE on /sdb. Now I opted to write the LILO of SUSE to install on MBR of /dev/sda. When rebooted, rightly SUSE's LILO came up.Again I tried to boot Win 2000 server but the same warning came and stopped. Again, I did not try booting Win NT server 4.0. But I tried booting SUSE, it booted successfully. But there was a problem starting X server on that.

6. So, I again wanted to install RH8.0 overwrting SUSE. I did that and from the LILO of the latest RH8.0, I tried booting the Win 2000 Server . Again the same problem appeared. But this time I tried to boot Win NT server 4.0 and I was successful.

Question:-
Now, can I recover Win 2000 server from the 1st SCSI disk , using Win 2000 server installation CD? Or by any other means? Because the 1st SCSI disk is untouched till now. Just the boot loader did erase one of the files needed for booting.

Thanks ,
Harsha.

Harsha,

You should be able to repair your windows 2k installation using the windows setup disk. This will render your Linux unbootable, but that is no problem.

After you have restored your windows bootsector, you can boot using either the Redhat or Suse CD. If you use the Suse disk, make sure you choose the rescue option, don't reinstall, it is not necesary. I am not familiar with redhat, but there should be some option like rescue from the boot menu. With Suse it could also be on the 2nd disk.

After you have booted the rescue system you get a prompt. From this prompt you can "load" your installed linux version. Somewhere in the /mnt dir you mount the root of your linux installation and do the following:
(if necessary) mount <bootdevice> /mnt/<mountpoint for root>/boot
mount none /mnt/<mountpoint for root>/proc -t proc

Next you type:
chroot /mnt/<mountpoint for root> /bin/bash

You are now "in" your installed Linux system. Fix /etc/lilo.conf, type lilo <enter>, sync <enter> and if all goes well you should be able to boot both.

I hope this will help, if something is not clear let me know,
Marcel

Hi Marcel,
Thanks for that. I havn'e checked this so far. I 'll try that and report you.

Bye.