Re: Dual boot laptop problem

• Previous message: Jason Brown: "Re: Dual boot laptop problem"
• Maybe in reply to: Barry Gamblin: "Dual boot laptop problem"
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Date: Thu, 14 Apr 2005 09:42:20 -0600 (MDT)
To: ninjazjb@gmail.com, redhat-list@redhat.com

|>
|> On 4/8/05, Suraj Chandrasekaran <csuraj@gmail.com> wrote:
|> > Hi,
|> >
|> > Actually, the boot.ini file is hidden and is not visible until you
go
|> > to Tools>Folder Options and select Show hidden files and folders
and
|> > also, and uncheck "Hide protected operating system files". Now, you
|> > should see the boot.ini file in the root windows partition, most
|> > probably C: drive.
|> >
|> > Hope this helps. Give me an update if it does or doesnt work.
|> >
|> > -Suraj
|> >
|>

Jason Brown wrote:

|> Once he reinstalled Windows it wrote over the top of the MBR.
|> Shouldnt he be looking there first since grub/lilo was actually
|> taking care of the boot process.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
|> > >
|> > >
|> > > -----Original Message-----
|> > > From: redhat-list-bounces@redhat.com
|> > > [mailto:redhat-list-bounces@redhat.com] On Behalf Of Barry
Gamblin
|> > > Sent: Friday, April 08, 2005 11:33 AM
|> > > To: redhat-list@redhat.com
|> > > Subject: Dual boot laptop problem
|> > >
|> > > I have (or should I say had) a laptop (Thinkpad T23) that
|> > > dual boots Redhat 9 and Windows 2000. I needed to upgrade the
Windows
|> > > side to Windows XP. The upgrade didn't go well so a
|> > > clean install of Windows was needed. I selected the Windows
partition
|> > > during the setup process and told it to format the partition. The
|> > > install evidently wiped out the partition table, and I forgot to
save a
|> > > copy of the boot.ini file, so now I cannot get to my linux
install.
|> > > msconfig does not give me the option to edit the boot.ini file.
In fact
|> > > I cannot even find the real file, just a backup file. I think the
linux
|> > > partition is still there, but I do not know how to get to it.
|> > >
|> > > Is there any way to get the partition table back so I can boot
into the
|> > > linux side?
|> > >
|> > > Thanks, Barry
|> > >

I probably should have followed up on this. I was actually using
the windows boot loader, but I switched over to grub.

Here is what I ended up doing with the help of some linux nerds
here at work:

------
It's pretty easy with grub. Boot the install CD, mount the old root,
cd to the old root, then execute:

sbin/grub

when you get the "grub>" prompt, type

root (hd0,#)

where "#" is the partition number of your /boot partition (or the
root partition if you don't have /boot on a separate partition),
minus one.
Example: if you have /boot or root on hda2, type:

root (hd0,1)

Then type:

setup (hd0)

That's it, you're done. This assumes that your data is still intact,
and that your /boot/grub/grub.conf file is configured correctly for
the system.

------

Here is my partition table:

Device Boot Start End Blocks ID System

/dev/hda1 * 1 1625 12284968+ c Win95 FAT32 (LBA)
/dev/hda2 1626 6036 33347160 f Win95 Ext'd (LBA)
/dev/hda3 6037 6201 1247400 1c Hidden Win95 FAT32
/dev/hda5 1626 4416 21099928+ 83 Linux
/dev/hda6 4417 4559 1081048+ 82 Linux swap
/dev/hda7 4560 6036 11166088+ b Win95 FAT32

So I found the linux install on /dev/hda5 was intact by booting the
redhat 9 install cd. So running grub and putting in

root (hd0,4)
setup (hd0)

and then examining the /etc/grub.conf file to make sure it was correct
I could then boot into both windows and redhat.

I have since upgraded (or actually re-installed) Fedora Core 3 on the
linux side. All is well.

Barry Gamblin

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• Previous message: Jason Brown: "Re: Dual boot laptop problem"
• Maybe in reply to: Barry Gamblin: "Dual boot laptop problem"
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