system boots to Windows XP
 

I just installed Fedora core 4. I wanted a dual boot. Now my system just goes straight to XP, i do not get an option to choose which OS to boot.

When I installed FC4 I did not put it onto the part of the MBR that effects NT like systems.

How do i get the system to

1 boot to Fedora
2 give me the option which OS to boot in the future?

Thank you!:)

You chose to install FC with the bootloader installed to the root of the FC partition instead of the MBR. The only way to boot FC now is from the install cd (choose the option that lets you boot from harddisk, if there is one) or create a boot floppy and use that EVERY time you want to boot FC.

If, during installation, you had chosen to install the bootloader to the MBR, FC would have written the grub.conf file to show you options on a boot menu: windows or FC. Now, if you boot into FC from cd, you will have to install grub to the MBR, and manually edit grub.conf to make the correct entries to show you both FC and windows on boot.

Search these boards on 'dual boot' issues. You will find the exact entries to make in grub.conf to make it work after installing grub to the MBR.

Since you are using FC, search also for 'grub install' to find out how to get grub to the MBR, and have both OSs avaialble at boot time.

Thank you for getting back to me so quickly on this.

I put in the installation dvd but could see no boot options, only install options...
There is an option of f5 to go to rescue mode... maybe i should try investigating that?

After you boot with you Fedora cd/dvd, you have to type "linux rescue". After that, you will get a prompt and you have to do what bigrigdriver already told you.
Something like:
should do it, where hda is your hdd.

I've installed Linux on a system that has XP and I don't want (can't) install another boot loader. I don't have a floppy drive. I can boot from the install dvd and go into recscue mode, and I can mount the installation (which is way above the 1024 cylinder limit) and see all the files.

Is there a command from the command line that will then boot the installation?

Grub is not in the rescue directories. I can mount my installation and find it there and run it, or copy it above the mount point to the rescue installation area and unmount my installation if necessary. But I cant figure out the command to bootstrap from this point.

What command should I use from the command prompt in rescue to boot the installation?

Thanks

I'm a newbie though, so I can't tell you if this will work, but I dealed with this a few times. Try to mount your system to a directory (you claimed to do this) and chroot to it. After this, try "grub-install /dev/hda". And of course, you should have the file /boot/grub/grub.conf configured, take a look and see what's there. Good luck!

I don't think you have a command to do this.

Hi

I am a newbie to linux. I installed linux(FC2) first and then winxp :(

now there is no option to load linux/winxp and winxp gets loaded directly :confused:

how do i recover linux

pls help me:cry:


kris

When you installed Linux I suppose you installed GRUB on your MBR, but after you installed Windows it rewrote your MBR and that's why it boots straight to Windows. Now you have to boot with your first bootable cd or with a bootable floppy disk if you have one and reinstall grub. You have to mount your linux partition, chroot to it and install grub to MBR. Do some search option, this quesion has been asked a lot here. I think everyone has been through this... :)

thanks for the prompt reply:D
"You have to mount your linux partition, chroot to it and install grub to MBR":scratch:
me searchin rite now;)

kris

Yipee :p :p :p :p :p :p got my linux back

thanks zahadummy:D

kris