Help! I've lost my OS!

Thread View: comp.os.linux.help

3 messages

[T] Back to Threads [V] Tree View [G] Group Articles

3 total messages Started by HOMZ Sat, 02 Dec 2000 00:00

#240

Author: HOMZ
Date: Sat, 02 Dec 2000 00:00

38 lines
3434 bytes

Any help would be greatly appreciated.  I recently purchased the Corel/LINUX
os, hoping to learn a bit more about it, now I've lost it!  I'm in windows,
my system boots to windows, and windows sees the ext2 partition as blank
space.
I would like to know how to get back into my LINUX os from this point, but I
would also like to know how to create an efficient boot file that would
allow me to choose my OS at every start-up.

Well, if you think you can help, here are the specifics of what I have done
to get me to this point:

First I wiped out my HD and set partitions for DOS and Windows.
Second, I installed LINUX on an unpartioned space.  That went well.
Third, I installed DOS on C: and WinNT on D:, that went well also.

At this point, my PC would boot to LINUX, even though C had been set as the
active partition.  LINUX would give me a choice between LINUX or Windows, if
I clicked on Windows, it would send me over to the windows boot file which
would then give me a choice between DOS and WinNT.

(note:  I am using NT here because I am a networking Major and need it at
this time.  However, I wish to use win9x most frequently on this PC)

Finally, I installed WinMe on the D: drive, beside the NT.  This works fine,
I am using it at this moment.  The problem is, I can not figure out how to
access LINUX at all!  The boot process has totally changed, now, when I boot
up, all I get is the option to start Me or NT and Windows and DOS do not see
the EXT2 partition at all.

I have considered reinstalling LINUX, but there is where I ran into trouble
in the first place.  When I first tried to install LINUX into an empty dos
partition, (E), even though I did not tell it to take over the entire HD, it
did wipe out Windows and leave most of my files unsalvagable.  This is the
reason I installed LINUX first and Windows last.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.  Thank you so much.

Kim

Re: Help! I've lost my OS!

#241

Author: jonathan
Date: Sun, 03 Dec 2000 00:00

7 lines
1891 bytes

If the tips of Frodo don't help you, you can try the following:
run fdisk, then set the active partition or boot-partition to your 
linux-partition (it's named non-dos or something like that) This should 
start Linux again. If you're in, you just have to run lilo to get your 
bootscreen back when you boot.

Jonathan Brugge

Re: Help! I've lost my OS!

#242

Author: Nikolai Hristov
Date: Sun, 03 Dec 2000 00:00

41 lines
3010 bytes

To help you, I will first explain the process of booting OS-es:

After the computer has done POST, it checks to see if there is a MBR 
(master boot record) on ide0, hard drive 0 - this is your master hard drive 
on your first ide.
It loads the MBR and the MBR (usually) loads the boot record of the 
partition which is set active. The boot sector then boots the operating 
system.

Linux uses LILO (linux loader) to boot itself up. Lilo is the first thing 
your computer will load, because LILO (usually) will load from the MBR (you 
can make it load from your installed partition, but I do not recommend it). 
The OS Loader that comes with NT based OSes sits in the boot record of the 
installed partition. It ALWAYS loads after the MBR.
Windows NT installs usually do not mess around with the MBR, this is why 
you could load Linux after the installation of NT (NT installation didn't 
remove LILO from MBR).

However, 95/98/Me installs DO mess with the MBR, they clean up the MBR and 
set it to load the boot record from the partition where you installed 
95/98/Me.  -  You practically lost your LILO, but your Linux is still 
there, intact!

To solve the problem, you need to get into your Linux somehow, and from 
there to run:
#lilo
This will reinstall LILO on your MBR. 

There are different ways of getting into Linux. With RH you have a handly 
little tool called loadlin located in the dosutils directory of the CD. 
Reply (if you still have the problem, and tell me your distro, whether you 
have loadlin, etc.)

Nick

-- 
---------------------
Nikolai Hristov
Slayter Box 1194
Denison University
Granville OH 43023

Thread Navigation

This is a paginated view of messages in the thread with full content displayed inline.

Messages are displayed in chronological order, with the original post highlighted in green.

Use pagination controls to navigate through all messages in large threads.

Back to All Threads