Trouble getting Mandrake 9.0 to boot

[scottie924]

I have installed Mandrake 9.0 on my second hard dirve with a 17 GB partition. I got through the install right, found out that puting the bootloader on the master boot record, computer won't load anything, just black screen with white "07 07 07 07 07..." forever or a "99 99 99 99 99.." forever. If I put it on the boot partition of the second hard drive, then windows loads, but I don't know how to get into linux. I have winodws XP home ed. and I have no idea what to do. Any ideas, that won't risk ruining everything on my harddrives? I want linux to work, but I can't figure out how to get my computer to give me the option of Mandrake or Windows XP.

[WackyOldWiz]

Did you create a bootfloppy during install?

Does it work?

I'm still working on the rest of a solution.

[scottie924]

I did make boot disks, I just can not get my computer to know that I have linux on my computer. I can only put the bootloader in the partition I installed it on, not the MBR. EVerything else seems to work fine.

[WackyOldWiz]

If your boot floppy don't work you have problems.

You might read the threads started by geof32 or gwgendron. They also deal with Mdk9 installation and could give some ideas on how to progress.

One initial thought, are you installing via a CD set created by burning a downloaded set of .iso files? These files are often corrupt.

[scottie924]

I got everything installed and then I got to where it rebooted and opened my CD tray. It installed LILO but I can't put it in the MBR or else my computer doesn't boot. If I put it in the first sector of the linux partition, it still doesn't work. I have windows XP home ed. Is there anything I need to do in windows to get it to work? and do I need to keep the floppy in the disk drive when I restart the computer?

[zdude255]

Try updating Mandrake from the CDs, at which point make a boot disk.

[bosox79]

Originally posted by scottie924
I have installed Mandrake 9.0 on my second hard dirve with a 17 GB partition. I got through the install right, found out that puting the bootloader on the master boot record, computer won't load anything, just black screen with white "07 07 07 07 07..." forever or a "99 99 99 99 99.." forever. If I put it on the boot partition of the second hard drive, then windows loads, but I don't know how to get into linux. I have winodws XP home ed. and I have no idea what to do. Any ideas, that won't risk ruining everything on my harddrives? I want linux to work, but I can't figure out how to get my computer to give me the option of Mandrake or Windows XP.

did you attempt to boot into rescue mode via the first md 9.0 CD? if you boot from the cd you should be able to boot into a rescue mode that will give you an option to restore your bootloader. if you press F1 during the cd boot process. it will take you to a prompt that will discribe all of your various options if you select rescue it should bring you to another menu that has other options be sure to select the one that says restore linux bootloader.

hope that helps

bosox79

[WackyOldWiz]

Scottie
Which disk are you talking about? CD 1 or the floppy you created at the end of install? If you have correctly installed Linux and your BIOS is set to floppy -> CD -> Hard drive boot sequence, insert the floppy before you switch on or restart to boot Linux. Booting without the floppy should still give you XP.'

Have you found those other threads yet? (correction correct ID is gwgendron)

[legelf]

Sounds like your mbr has a problem if lilo dosen't work there! I've had Drake 9.0 on a second hard disk (8.4Gb slave 40Gb master) in the second partion after a 256Mb windows swap partion. Installed cleanly from the Drake install cd. (98 was on the master go figure?) Try using partion magic to install the boot loader? seems i've seen this feature in the program once before. Partion Magic is a very sound and functional piece of software and the latest greatest has yet to let me down.

[scottie924]

I had my BIOS to boot from CD-ROM > Hard disk > then floppy, I changed it, stuk the floppy in and it worked. now I just have to get the internet connection working and then I'll be set for a while. and to the person about the MBR and partition magic, I reinstalling Windows cause it was corrupt. Partition magic 8 and 7 both freeze when ever I try making any changes to any partitions. I don't know why so I'll just use the Linux Install to do it for now. Thanks for all your guy's help.

[bosox79]

Originally posted by scottie924
I had my BIOS to boot from CD-ROM > Hard disk > then floppy, I changed it, stuk the floppy in and it worked. now I just have to get the internet connection working and then I'll be set for a while. and to the person about the MBR and partition magic, I reinstalling Windows cause it was corrupt. Partition magic 8 and 7 both freeze when ever I try making any changes to any partitions. I don't know why so I'll just use the Linux Install to do it for now. Thanks for all your guy's help.

I am glad to hear that you got things working

& I am always glad to help a fellow newbie

bosox79:D

[WackyOldWiz]

Originally posted by scottie924
about the MBR and partition magic, I reinstalling Windows cause it was corrupt. Partition magic 8 and 7 both freeze when ever I try making any changes to any partitions. I don't know why so I'll just use the Linux Install to do it for now. Thanks for all your guy's help.
Glad to be of service, here's a bit more of my personal experience. PM 7 & 8 both work fine under XP, if you've been using PQ's BootMagic startup menu then ANY attempt to put LilLo or GRUB in the MBR will overwrte BootMagic code,

If thats what you've done, try starting with your BootMagic Rescue floppy inserted. You should get back to where you started.