Do I need Linux for lilo to boot windows?
 

I have a dual-boot setup with slackware and windows. The other day I deleted all my linux partitions. (expecting a second hard drive and want to install linux there) I loaded up the windows recovery console, and typed fixmbr. A warning told me that I could make my partitions unreadable. Not wanting that to happen I canceled it. Now windows in the only OS on the disk. Lilo is installed to the MBR, with windows as the default option at no delay.

So I reboot and and after post, I get a black screen with a bunch of hexidecimal numbers on it. So I quickly reinstalled a gui-less version of linux which I could use to reinstall lilo.

What's going on? I was under the impression that lilo was on the mbr and did not need to have a flavor of linux installed to work. Windows boots up fine, but if I axe the linux partition will I be in the same boat as before? Or did booting into the windows recovery console somehow mess something up?

if you didn't run " fixmbr " there was nothing changed in the mbr.
lilo needs startup data from your linux partition to run.

but you can use " fixmbr " anyway.
don't mind the warning.
if you're afraid of losing the partition table, then make a copy of the mbr before using M$-repair.

dd if=/dev/hda of=mbr-copy bs=512 count=1

...will make a file "mbr-copy"

then use "fixmbr"

egag

"What's going on? I was under the impression that lilo was on the mbr and did not need to have a flavor of linux installed to work."

When you have lilo installed the first phase of lilo is installed on the MBR. When you boot the MBR reads in a file called /boot/map which is the rest of lilo along with the information needed to boot the various operating systems. When you deleted /boot/map then lilo became inoperative.

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Steve Stites

fixmbr with no fear, will only clean the mbr with the m$ parameter, its not like you are going to delet your mbr and put nothing on it, you´re just going to make it works to boot windows and nothing more... the warning is telling that if you do that some other os (like linux) will not be operative, since m$ dont give you the option for multi-boot (only ms systems)

Well thanks guys (girls?) You have been quite reassuring and I'll do that when I get home later tonight. I feel kind of silly not realizing that /boot/map was necessary. Especially when you consider the bootsplash I liked was in that folder too. /boot gone = no boot. I can't wait to get that new HD and get back to slacking.

You were correct maginotjr, I ran fixmbr and then fixboot with no ill effects. I'm all set, thanks.