Boot Loader Issue

[Professor]

Just attempted an install of Red Hat 9 on my computer again tonight. I have attempted to reinstall the OS since my little brother installed Windows 2003 over the top of my computer. I only need to get linux back on the system and the computer will be back to normal. Windows Server 2003 still seems to be an option even though i've removed it from the boot.ini file on the system. I have tried to get the boot loader to come up so that i can get back into linux using the Grub and the LILO boot loaders with both options of installing to the MBR and to the first sector of the boot drive. I would love to get my linux back because windoze is driving me crazy. Any help would be very much appreciated.

AMD Dual Processor MP 1600+
512 MB ram
ATI Radeon 9000 128Mb
Sound Pro PCI 16
120 Gb WD Caviar
DVD, CD R-W Combo drive
12x, 36x, 12x, 36x

[JusKickNit]

Ok I'm not sure what's going on, but it sounds like you installed windows 2003 and it overwrote your mbr. Did your brother also overwrite your linux partion, and do you have a linux boot disk.

[bosox79]

Originally posted by JusKickNit
Ok I'm not sure what's going on, but it sounds like you installed windows 2003 and it overwrote your mbr. Did your brother also overwrite your linux partion, and do you have a linux boot disk.

like JusKickNit said there is a good chance your linux paoartition has been over written by win2k3? how big was your linux partition? How much free space is left on your HD?

[Professor]

The partitions that i have are:
60Gb Windoze XP
30Gb Wife Supplemental drive - NTFS
30Gb Linux - 102Mb boot, 1024Mb Swap, 28898Mb root

I could allocate as much space recommended to the boot partition and try it again if 102Mb is not enough.

Thanks for your help, i'll try this tomorrow night and see if it gets me up and running.

[kevinalm]

Boot rh install cd #1, type:

linux rescue

at the boot: prompt.

Follow the onscreen instructions until you reach a command line (shell). Then type:

fdisk -l

(That's a small L not a one.)This will list all partitions on all hd's. That will tell you if there might be anything left of the linux install to salvage. Then type:

exit

to shutdown.

[bosox79]

Originally posted by Professor
The partitions that i have are:
60Gb Windoze XP
30Gb Wife Supplemental drive - NTFS
30Gb Linux - 102Mb boot, 1024Mb Swap, 28898Mb root

I could allocate as much space recommended to the boot partition and try it again if 102Mb is not enough.

Thanks for your help, i'll try this tomorrow night and see if it gets me up and running.

thanks for posting the info your boot partition should be ok, go ahead and do what kevinalm suggusted and then post back with your results the rescue mode will attempt to locate linux partitions for you.

[Professor]

Partition Table:
Device: Boot: Start: End: Block: ID: System:
dev/hdc1 * 1 7012 56323858 7 HPFS/NTFS
dev/hdc2 7013 10849 30820702 7 HPFS/NTFS
dev/hdc3 10850 10862 104428 83 Linux
dev/hdc4 10863 14593 29969257 f Win 95 Ext'd
dev/hdc5 10863 14463 28925001 83 Linux
dev/hdc6 14464 14593 1044193 82 Linux Swap

[bosox79]

Originally posted by Professor
Partition Table:
Device: Boot: Start: End: Block: ID: System:
dev/hdc1 * 1 7012 56323858 7 HPFS/NTFS
dev/hdc2 7013 10849 30820702 7 HPFS/NTFS
dev/hdc3 10850 10862 104428 83 Linux
dev/hdc4 10863 14593 29969257 f Win 95 Ext'd
dev/hdc5 10863 14463 28925001 83 Linux
dev/hdc6 14464 14593 1044193 82 Linux Swap

if I read your first post correctly it says you have already tried to reinstall a boot loader, but I would give it a try again with this command this try from the rescue mode /sbin/grub-install /dev/hdc1 this should install grub to the MBR of your windows partition. The good news is it looks likes your Linux partition's are still there

[mdwatts]

Originally posted by bosox79
/sbin/grub-install /dev/hdc1 this should install grub to the MBR of your windows partition.

That would install Grub into the boot sector of the hdc1 partition and not the MBR.

If you have installed the Linux bootloader into /boot (hda3), then ensure the Grub config is setup to boot all of your operating systems (search the JL Installation forum for lots of stuff on that) and then set hda3 as the active partition.

The mbr (hda) will need to have the default boot record that points to the active partition.

[Professor]

Well this post is from Linux.

Thank you all very much for helping me get into my Linux partitions. Now all i need to do is get everything working in Linux and i'm all set. I have the options on boot that i would think that i should, Linux SMP, Linux, and Windoze XP.

[bosox79]

Originally posted by mdwatts
That would install Grub into the boot sector of the hdc1 partition and not the MBR.

If you have installed the Linux bootloader into /boot (hda3), then ensure the Grub config is setup to boot all of your operating systems (search the JL Installation forum for lots of stuff on that) and then set hda3 as the active partition.

The mbr (hda) will need to have the default boot record that points to the active partition.

my bad:o I guess I misread the info in the table

Thanks

bosox

P.S. Professor your very welcome & good luck

[mdwatts]

Originally posted by bosox79
my bad:o I guess I misread the info in the table


No problem.... as we all have to help each other just in case one makes a mistake (of which I've done enough myself). :(

[bosox79]

Originally posted by mdwatts
No problem.... as we all have to help each other just in case one makes a mistake (of which I've done enough myself). :(

mdwatts,
Thanks for bailing me out :D :cool: