Very Computer

I've installed Linux on a second partition on the hard drive. Not on this computer but on a laptop that I also use. Unfortunately I was so STUPID to put the Lilo boot record in the MBR (Master Boot Record) of Windows. So now I can't boot Windows anymore. Linux still recognize the Windows FAT32 partition:

Device      Boot     Id    System
/dev/hda1   *       1b    Hidden Win95 FAT32
/dev/hda2            83    Linux
/dev/hda3            12    Compaq diagnostics
/dev/hda4            82    Linux Swap

I should mention here that I used (Windows) fdisk to make the Windows partition "Active" after I made that STUPID mistake to make Linux the bootable partition.

When I use the Windows Startup disk, and use the FDISK utility, it tells me the following:

Oh... first when I boot from the Startup disk it tells me that Windows98 has detected that drive C does not contain a valid FAT or FAT32 partition. There are several possible causes.

1. The drive may need to be partitioned
2. You may be using a third-party disk-partitioning software.
3. Some viruses also causes your drive C to not register.

When I start fdisk and "display partition information" it tells me this:

Partition    Status   Type   Volume label
   1                     non-dos
   2            A       non-dos
   3                     non-dos
   4                     non-dos

I've tried to use the "fdisk /mbr" command but that didn't help either. However it got me a little further. First when I rebooted from the hard drive I got the "LIL-" error; a Linux error message. This has been solved and Linux is starting correctly. I only have to use the boot disk now. Now I get:
"Starting Windows 98....
 Enter the name of the MD-DOS prompt (e.g.. c:\windows\command.com)"

After entering "c:\windows\command.com" I get the same question over and over again...

Why isn't the "Startup diskette" recognizing the FAT32 partition...?!?? Even Linux recognize it...:-( Anybody here knows how I can get the Windows partition back and how to launch Windows without reinstalling everything?

I have been searching the MS Knowledge Base for a solution, but the only thing it can come up with is just the opposite: when Windows overwrites the Linux boot record...:-(

--
Jurren Bouman

(BTW, far from being STUPID, some folks would consider overlaying a
Windows mbr with Linux to be a stroke of genius :)
--

Check http://www.waysoft.com/ - Waysoft's Handheld Computing Zone

boot=/dev/hda5

to something like this:

boot=/dev/hda

Then rerun lilo

lilo -v

If you are going to do a DOS fdisk/mbr, make a Linux bootdisk if you haven't
already

Under redhat: mkbootdisk `uname -r`
or: dd if=/boot/vmlinuz of=/dev/fd0

Replace /boot/vmlinuz with the name of your kernel.

Dave Cook

Quote:> > IIRC, boot the floppy you made when you installed Win9x.
> > At the command prompt, say: "fdisk /mbr".
> > This will install the Win9x master boot record.
> > YMMV.
> As I understand it, "fdisk /mbr" will just clear out the mbr.  You
need
> to boot from a Windows diskette and do a "sys c:" (or whatever), to
get
> the Windows loader back into the mbr.

other=/dev/hda1
   label=lose
   loader=/boot/chain.b
   table=/dev/hda

LILO will then be the bootloader for absolutely everything.  Just type
"lose" when you turn the computer on, and you'll get Win9x.  Good luck.

--
--MG (http://www.veryComputer.com/~mhgraham)
"Campus Crusade for Cthulhu!  If your God's dead, blame Ours!"
Hail Eris, fsck the *

Sent via Deja.com http://www.veryComputer.com/
Before you buy.

<!-- Begin posting Jerry Williams Jr. -->

I notice that your windows partition has an ID of `1b',  which is
displayed as an `hidden win95 FAT32' partition.  It should be an ID of
`b' (Win95 FAT32).

Can you do me a favor and boot into Linux as root and type these
commands:

mkdir /mnt/c
mount -t vfat /dev/hda1 /mnt/c
ls -l /mnt/c

You should now have a directory listing of your Windows root directory
(hopefully it is all there).  If your Windows partition is still there,
you will have to use `cfdisk' to change the partition type to `b' (Win95
FAT32).  Just type `cfdisk' at the command prompt (as root) and highlite
the hidden windows partition and use your right and left arrow keys to
navigate to the `type' menu option, and give it a type of 'b',  write
the partition to the hardrive and try to boot into Windows.  

For the heck of it I used cfdisk to change my Windows partition to type
of `1b' and got the same error message you got.  Then I rebooted into
Linux and changed it back to type `B' and Windows booted just fine.  So
it should not harm you data.

I hope this helps you.

Jerry Williams Jr.

--
Jurren Bouman

Quote:> I should mention here that I used (Windows) fdisk to make the Windows partition "Active" after I made that STUPID mistake to make Linux the bootable partition.

Dept. of Mathematics, Northwestern Univ., Evanston, IL 60208

a:\> fdisk /mbr

then you will clear the master boot record of
your FLOPPY and not of your harddrive !!

Change to drive C. Then execute fdisk (fdisk on floppy?):

a:\> c:
c:\> a:\fdisk /mbr

Ekkard

    >> > Good Morning and a Happy Y2K to all. Not so nice to start the
    >> new year with a problem but here it goes...  > > I've installed
    >> Linux on a second partition on the hard drive. Not on this
    >> computer but on a laptop that I also use. Unfortunately I was
    >> so STUPID to put the Lilo boot record in the MBR (Master Boot
    >> Record) of Windows. So now I can't boot Windows anymore. Linux
    >> still recognize the Windows FAT32 partition:

    >> IIRC, boot the floppy you made when you installed Win9x.  At
    >> the command prompt, say: "fdisk /mbr".  This will install the
    >> Win9x master boot record.  YMMV.

    Jeff> As I understand it, "fdisk /mbr" will just clear out the
    Jeff> mbr.  You need to boot from a Windows diskette and do a "sys
    Jeff> c:" (or whatever), to get the Windows loader back into the
    Jeff> mbr.

FYI.

mp

   FDISK /MBR Rewrites the Master Boot Record

  The information in this article applies to:

       Microsoft MS-DOS operating system versions 5.x, 6.0, 6.2, 6.21, 6.22
       Microsoft Windows 95
       Microsoft Windows 98

  SUMMARY

  The MS-DOS Fdisk utility usually updates the master boot record only
  if no master boot record exists. Repartitioning with Fdisk does not
  rewrite this information.

  Fdisk has an undocumented parameter called /MBR that causes it to
  write the master boot record to the hard disk without altering the
  partition table information.

  WARNING: Writing the master boot record to the hard disk in this
  manner can make certain hard disks partitioned with SpeedStor
  unusable. It can also cause problems for some dual-boot programs and
  disks with more than four partitions.

  MORE INFORMATION

  What is the MBR?

  At the end of the ROM BIOS bootstrap routine, the BIOS reads and
  executes the first physical sector of the first floppy or hard disk
  drive on the system. This first sector of the hard disk is called
  the master boot record (or sometimes the partition table or master
  boot block). At the beginning of this sector of the hard disk is a
  small program. At the end of this sector is where the partition
  information, or partition table, is stored. This program uses the
  partition information to determine which partition is bootable
  (usually the first primary DOS partition) and attempts to boot from
  it.

  This program is what is written to the disk by FDISK /MBR and is
  usually called the master boot record. During normal operation,
  Fdisk writes this program to the disk only if there is no master
  boot record.

  Why is the MBR Changed During Setup?

  During installation of Microsoft MS-DOS Upgrade, Setup replaces the
  master boot record on the hard disk with code to display a message
  similar to the following:

     The MS-DOS 5.0 Setup was not completed.  Insert the UNINSTALL #1
     diskette in drive A.  Press the ENTER key to continue.

  This message should be erased and the master boot code rewritten
  before Setup is completed.  If a problem occurs during Setup and you
  return to the previous version of MS-DOS, UNINSTAL should also
  remove this message. However, if Setup or UNINSTAL fails to remove
  this message, or if the master boot record becomes corrupted, a new
  master boot record can be written to the disk using the following
  command:

     C:\>FDISK /MBR

  WARNINGS

  This option should NOT be used if any of the following conditions
  exist:

       The disk was partitioned using the Storage Dimensions SpeedStor
       utility with its /Bootall option.

       More than four partitions exist.

       Certain dual-boot programs are in use.

  The Storage Dimensions SpeedStor utility with the /BOOTALL option
  redefines the drive's physical parameters (cylinder, head, and
  sector). /BOOTALL stores information on how the drive has been
  changed in an area of the master boot record that MS-DOS does not
  use. The FDISK /MBR command erases that information, making the disk
  unusable.

  Some older original equipment manufacturer (OEM) versions of MS-DOS
  and some third-party partitioning utilities can create more than
  four partitions. Additional partition information is commonly stored
  information on partitions in an area that FDISK /MBR overwrites.

  Some dual-boot programs have a special MBR that asks you at startup
  which operating system you want to use. FDISK /MBR erases this
  program. Dual-boot systems that boot whichever partition is marked
  Active are not affected by FDISK /MBR.

  For more information on partitioning, query on the following word in
  the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

     partitioning

  SpeedStor is manufactured by Storage Dimensions, a vendor
  independent of Microsoft; we make no warranty, implied or otherwise,
  regarding this product's performance or reliability.

  REFERENCES

  More information on partitioning, disk organization, and the boot
  sequence can also be found in Chapters 3 and 8 of the "DOS
  Programmer's Reference" by Terry Dettmann, published by the QUE
  Corporation; Chapters 2 and 10 of "Advanced MS-DOS Programming" by
  Ray Duncan, and article 3 of "The MS-DOS Encyclopedia," both
  published by Microsoft Press.

  Additional query words: 6.22 5.00 5.00a 3rdparty third-party third
  party 6.00 6.20 coherent \* yeswin4

  Keywords          : kbtool msdos win95 win98
  Version           :
  Platform          :
  Issue type        : kbinfo
                                                                                Article ID: Q69013

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What you really need is a proper /etc/lilo.conf file before you run lilo
to install the new boot record. For example:

rat[johna][5]% cat /etc/lilo.conf
boot=/dev/hda
map=/boot/map
install=/boot/boot.b
prompt
timeout=50
other=/dev/hda1
        label=win
        table=/dev/hda
image=/boot/vmlinuz-2.2.5-15
        label=lin
        root=/dev/hdb1
        initrd=/boot/initrd-2.2.5-15.img
        read-only
rat[johna][6]%

This is used to boot Win95 off of the first physical hard drive and
Linux off of the second physical hard drive. The default boot OS is
Win95, which will be automatically selected after a 5 second delay. If I
want to boot to Linux, I only have to type in "lin" at the LILO boot
prompt. Note that this file is still the original lilo.conf file as
created by Redhat 6.0 when it was installed.

Copy the file above, edit as per your circumstances, and then run
/sbin/lilo as root.

If you want to boot different kernel versions, you need to create more
image blocks in the file that point to the various kernels.

John