Error after installing
 

I downloaded the iso files for mandrake a few days ago, burned them onto some cds and was going to install it on my external HD. Now this didn't seem to be a problem while i was doing it. I selected autoallocate on the partition manger and it setup partitions for my external. right here i ran into a problem. It kept telling me it doesn't know how to format a swap partition as ext2:vfat. Now right here is where i may need help, but i did get it to finally go, and i didn't exactly want a boot loader since i'm only installing one OS on the HD. It's a 40gb so i know it's not too small, but when i booted it sees the external just fine but it only says "L" and never loads. I've tried waiting but it doesn't do anything. I tried hittine some buttons and nothing. I reinstalled a few times, and tried LILO, GRUB, and tried without a boot loader by accident of clicking the right button at the wrong time. Every time i get done with it it just says "L".


computer stats: 2.2ghz amd XP 2800+; 512mb DDR pc 3200; nvidia nforce2 400; 200gb internal hd; 40gb external hd; 128mb radeon 9200 (64bit)

in lilo, "L" is a 2nd stage failure, which (AFAIK) means it's loaded all the boot sector stuff and its trying to find the rest of the info on the drive according to it's configuration. this implies duff disk geometry etc.. not suprising with that partitioning glitch you mentioned. one thing that's confusnig though is that you said you tried grub, and still got "L". I'm pretty sure that "grub" starts with a "G" not an "L" so i'd wonder if you're actually insatlling otehr bootloaders into a different location from this failoed lilo install, which is still taking effect? make sure you go to the MBR, not the start of your root partition or anything. you might want to toally flush lilo out in a way you'll be comfortable with by getting a DOS boto disk and runnign "fdisk /MBR", then that "L" MUST have gone... then reinstall again, and personally i'd recommend grub over lilo a lot, after switching to grub after 2 years of lilo....