A slightly different twist on the Fedora Core 2 dual-boot problem

From: Joe Bachman (joseph_bachman_at_yahoo.com)
Date: 06/23/04 

Date: 23 Jun 2004 13:06:07 -0700

I installed FC2 as a dual boot with Windows XP on a circa 2003 Compaq
Presario desktop. After playing around in Fedora ffor a while, I shut
down, and tend tried to boot back up in Windows XP. What happen was,
instead of Windows hanging, as has been described by others, Windows
attempted (and suceeded) in performing a "system restore." I
hypothesize that this happened becuase Compaq set up boot procedure to
run the system restore if Windows hangs up at boot. The result is
that my computer now boots sucessfully to Windows XP, there is no
trace of GRUB, and except for the partitions, no evidence that my
Linux installation is there.

This meant that it restored Windows to a stage that it was in last
November, which means that all of the programs I've installed, as well
as the "Owner's" user data were wiped. (Well I did have the foresight
to write the user files to a CD before I installed fedora.) The
prgram files are still intact, but the Registry has been altered, and
I can't run them. The most annoying thing is that the Norton
Anti-virus I purchased last January is gone. :-(. Also, Netscape no
longer works, though the program files (and my e-mail records) are
still there. I checked my partitions, and the Linux Parititions re
still there as well.

I've seen the links to the sites that have a fix for this problem that
seems to involve altering the disk geometry using Linux commands. I
expect to be able to access Fedora by use of the "rescue CD" I
downloaded and burned.

I still have a few questions, however:

Does that fact that my Windows was restored make my situation
different from that of people whose Windows hanged?

What WIndows/DOS commands do I use to check on the disk
geometry/partitions? I opened a DOS window in XP, and ran CHKDSK, but
it didn't provide the CHS data that is supposedly crucial. Is there a
FDISK in DOS? Whould I use a boot disk to start the computer in DOS?

Would using Partition Magic provide any useful information or fixes?

Basically, did the System Restore in Windows mess things up so that
either 1) I can't boot back into FC2, even using the rescue CD, or
2)did the system restore change the disk so that the suggested fixes
won't work properly?

Thanks in advance for any help. The little I saw of Linux impressed
me, and I'd like to get my FC2 back up and running. (However, I
really do need to run the dual boot, both in the onterest of family
peace, and because bring work home nad have to use some proprietary
Windows progs.

Joe

Relevant Pages

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