Re: Dual Boot, Grub, FC3-WinXpSP2, 2 drives. No go.

From: Nat Gross (natgross.rentalsystems_at_verizon.net)
Date: 03/02/05

  • Next message: Alexander Dalloz: "Re: fc3 - raid 1 setup problems" 
    Date: Wed, 02 Mar 2005 14:00:28 -0500
To: For users of Fedora Core releases <fedora-list@redhat.com>

    Jonathan Berry wrote:

    >On Tue, 01 Mar 2005 10:54:52 -0500, Nat Gross
    ><natgross.rentalsystems@verizon.net> wrote:
    >
    >
    >>Robert Locke wrote:
    >>
    >>
    >>>On Mon, 2005-02-28 at 17:55 -0500, Nat Gross wrote:
    >>><snip>
    >>>
    >>>
    >>>>I thought so, too. But I just mounted both (vfat and ntfs) partitions
    >>>>under FC3, and there is no boot.ini file. At this point I am certain
    >>>>that for some reason (maybe due to an earlier install of Windows)
    >>>>Windows kept the boot.ini on C, hda, and used that to boot from E.
    >>>>
    >>>>
    >[snip]
    >
    >
    >>>So to speak. GRUB is passing control to the NTLDR and BOOT.INI files.
    >>>Remember that they are hidden/system files usually, so depending on how
    >>>you tried to locate them might be why you did not see them (probably a
    >>>pipe dream)???
    >>>
    >>>
    >>>
    >>I used the 'search for files' applet and turned on the hidden files option.
    >>
    >>
    >[snip]
    >
    >
    >>>--Rob
    >>>
    >>>
    >>Thanks again.
    >>-nat
    >>
    >>
    >
    >Hidden files in Linux are different from in Windows. Windows has a
    >file attribute that makes a file hidden. In Linux, a file with a
    >filename beginning with a dot "." is hidden.
    >
    Thanks for the tip.

    >What you need to do is
    >to just mount your windows partitions and then list the contents of
    >each partition. For instance, if you mount your NTFS parition on
    >/mnt/windows/E (this is not a required place, just an example), then
    >open a terminal and type the command:
    >ls /mnt/windows/E
    >If you see ntldr and boot.ini listed in the output, everything is
    >fine. You don't need to search for them as they are necessarily in
    >the root of the partition (this is, they will not be in a folder).
    >Similarly, do the same with your vfat partition, just in case. If you
    >do not find it in either place, then you do have a problem and you
    >will need to restore these somehow. Probably with the recovery
    >console and FIXBOOT as already suggested.
    >
    >Jonathan
    >
    >
    >
    I have both Windows partitions mounted, and ntldr boot.ini is nowhere to
    be found. Furthermore, my previous search found a lnk(shortcut) file
    that I had named 'bootIniOnCdrive.lnk'! Evidently, after my previous
    Windows crash, I used that shortcut quite a bit! (That was [relative]
    eons ago.)
    Now, in case you are wondering, why I am not *really* paranoid; I have
    my data mounted on fc3 and usable (Java stuff).
    Also, I made the decision to re-align everything and go with Linux
    all-the-way. And for the minor stuff that I would like to boot Windows
    for, *maybe* it can wait for a cd from MS. (I don't trust the ntfs mount
    for writing.)
    And to let the great folks here in on a little secret, my drive C was
    already crashed (this time around too) and was hoping that the fc3
    install/grub will not only give me fc3, but also the Win back. (if grub
    had ntldr-equivalent code....).
    whew! off my soapbox.
    Now, having said this, I am a little afraid to boot the Win CD and run
    FIXBOOT, because a)some win gurus say that since my system has sp2, the
    original cd is useless; and b) I want to be assured that it won't blow
    my fc3/grub away. (too much invested in this, this week.)

    So, if I get your vote(s) and assurance that it won't hurt running
    fixboot, I'll go for it.

    THANK YOU ALL.
    -nat 

    -- 
fedora-list mailing list
fedora-list@redhat.com
To unsubscribe: http://www.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/fedora-list
  • Next message: Alexander Dalloz: "Re: fc3 - raid 1 setup problems"

    Relevant Pages