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I have a real problem with my machine, I installed Mandrake 10.1 and it worked ok, but I wanted to take this off again and install Windows 2000 just to test my hardware for a bench mark on it's performance etc.

On installing Windows 2k it informed me that it was going to modify the boot partition to allow Win2k to boot which was fine, I then deleted everything on the disk and repartitioned it with Window 2000 setup. So far so good everything normal at this point!

But on reboot it comes up with something like 'Invalid Partition'; on browing the net apparently in most cases this can be fixed with fdisk /mbr from a dos prompt, but this didn't work nor did using 'fixmdr' from the recovery console.....

Bit worried that the HD was knackered at this point I put Mandrake back on which worked fine!

Ironically I was going to stick with Mandrake anyway after sorting a DVD drive as I'm fed up of doing the Amiga stylie disk swaping with my CD version.

But the point is what has it done and how do I fix it? At face value it seems like a really dodgy dangerous piece of code which would be capable of essentially destroy a drive or at least limiting it use to a particular OS, I thought the MDR is supposed to be written to in a standard manor so dual boot OS can be used?

I can't even find the LILO executable to do a lilo /u on.....

Help!!!!!eeeeeekkkkkkkkk Thanks

[danleff]

If you told Mandrake to take over the entire hard drive, then your hard drive is formatted at a Linux partition, that Windows can't identify. It sees no valid disk space to do an installation on.

If this is the case, do you know what hard drive (make) that you have? There are a few solutions for you in this case.

You need to format the hard drive back to fat32 for the Windows installer to be able to see the drive.

Let us know if the whole hard drive was used for linux or not, then we can post a solution.

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Originally posted by danleff:

Quote:

If you told Mandrake to take over the entire hard drive, then your hard drive is formatted at a Linux partition, that Windows can't identify. It sees no valid disk space to do an installation on.

If this is the case, do you know what hard drive (make) that you have? There are a few solutions for you in this case.

You need to format the hard drive back to fat32 for the Windows installer to be able to see the drive.

Let us know if the whole hard drive was used for linux or not, then we can post a solution.

Thanks for the reply

I originally allowed Mandrake to use the whole drive as it's a new machine with no data, but I then wanted to bin the drive contents and start again with a fresh Windows 2000 install. I used the tools within the Windows 2000 setup tool to delete all the partitions and start again with a fresh f32 partition. At this point everything looked normal, files coping, Windoze making all the right noises.

But on reboot, the machine say something like 'invalid partition information' or something along those lines, and won't boot. Aparently this is because Lilo has modded the MDR according to bits and pieces I have picked up from the net. At this point I try and reset the mdr using fdisk/mdr and then after that didn't work 'fixmdr' form the recovery console in Windows 2k. I thought there might be something wrong with the drive so then did another fresh installation of mandrake just to see, deleting the newly created Windows partitions, and hey presto the machine after the installation completes boots back up normally....so I concluded that Lilo has done something strange to the MDR. As I've actually manage to delete everything from it from a DOS level eg partitions and recreate as F32 drive 1 partition, but it fails to boot from it!

Thanks again for your help

[Mel]

Whoa! How many times have I done that ?
Winders usually rewrites the bootloader when installed.
When Mandrake installs its bootloader,Niether MSDOS nor windows
can fix it.Fdisk can't fix it either.
So go to
http://geocities.yahoo.com.br/downloads_pcpc/BOOTDISK/techwhorm.htm
Click "DOWNLOAD" to dl Techw0rm.( that's a zero not the letter "o".)
Make your Techw0rm floppy.
Boot the floppy.
Enter " AEFdisk /MBR ".
That will install a standard DOS bootblock.
Oh yeah, the file is freeware.
You may want to print out the page first.
It tells you what all the files do.
The page is all text.
A great disk utility.
BTW, Mandrakes bootloader editor has an option
to restore the bootloader replaced when you installed
Mandrake.Good thing to do before removing Mandrake.

[danleff]

Try Mel's solution first. If it does not work, you will need to do a low level format of the hard disk. Then, reformat the hard disk.

Do you know what make hard drive that this is?

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Wow!!! Brilliant many many thanks guys, I was totally stumpted!

I think your right, because the harddrive was brand new, so Mandrake had first go at writing the boot block!

Awesome, i'll try it this evening.

Many thanks again, i was really worried to be honest.

How do I gain access to that tool in Madrake for editing the boot loader?

Thanks

[Mel]

To get to bootloader configuration from desktop;
/system/configuration/configure your computer/boot/bootloader

To restore bootblock;
/system/configuration/configure your computer/boot/mounts/partitions
click on"Toggle to expert mode' and "more"

To clean up entire disk with Techw0rm;
"AEFdisk /wipe < HD # >" (ie. " AEFdisk /wipe 1 " to wipe HD #1. )
This clears everything,including the boot block and the HD will
be in the state it was in when you cut the shrinkwrap on the box.
You can then partition and format with fdisk.AEFdisk can do a
lot more than fdisk but as a techie you know that also means
it can destroy more if you make a mistake.
You may want to just enter AEFdisk with no switches or paramenters to get a listing of syntax, switches and paramenters since I'm still using a very old version. (You know, "If it works ,don't fix it.")

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Many thanks again people! What a great bunch you are

Tried that utility and it now seems to be booting properly looking for the Windows partition. It crashes on load now, but I think this is unrelated, if I found out any different I will post on here

Thanks again

Adrian

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Weyhey, finally all sorted (touch wood! lol)

Many thanks once again and that other problem turned out to be Windows 2000 spitting it's dummy out at my new GFX card. Mandrake by contrast was fine with it!

As soon as i've sorted a DVD player i'm going to have another go in light of the great help I have received here

many thanks
Adrian

[danleff]

Ahhh...Windows 2000 came out way before your video card. Bet that you have to install a Win 2000 driver from within Windows 2000 before putting the new card in.

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Originally posted by danleff:

Quote:

Ahhh...Windows 2000 came out way before your video card. Bet that you have to install a Win 2000 driver from within Windows 2000 before putting the new card in.

Yeah your right, I had to install the driver first before sticking in the card. I'm surprised it crashed it though, usually you get a basic 16 colour display with an 'unknown' device in the device manager....