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1 total messages Started by A. Padgett Peterson Thu, 07 Jan 1993 20:56
Re: Clash between FDISK/MBR and scanners (PC)
#4814
Author: A. Padgett Peterson
Date: Thu, 07 Jan 1993 20:56
31 lines
2060 bytes
>From:    tck@bend.ucsd.edu (Kevin Marcus)

>I recently installed Linux, a version of unix for the PC, in addition
>to my regular dos partition.  This comes with a small program called
>"wini" which is a program, which occupies the MBR to allow me to
>choose which OS I would like to boot into.  It's my understanding
>OS/half does somethign like this, also, or can do something like this.
>If FDISK/MBR REWRITES the MBR with the basic, boring code that
>normally is there with DOS, then if I use this method, I will destroy
>the wini program, and restrict myself from booting into my Linux
>partition.  This is another drawback to fdisk/mbr.

COHERANT is another OS that uses this method. Actually there are any
number of other a-v solutions that will do as well (such as my own
FixMBR which can produce a small executable file that will restore the
original MBR) but FDISK /MBR has three great advantages:
a) It is a no-brainer.
b) Everyone who has DOS 5.0 has it.
c) It will *not* lose/change the partition table.

Given that you know FDSIK /MBR uses "basic, boring code" you probably also
know how to use DEBUG to repair most anything that FDISK /MBR can, but for
those who need to ask - K.I.S.S.
					Warmly,
						Padgett

ps It is my understanding (David ?) that OS/2 uses selection through a 
   replacement of the DBR (OBR ?) *not* the MBR and requires a more complex
   approach e.g. You boot. If the wrong OS comes up, you instruct a program
   to replace the DBR with the correct one then you boot again. Hopefully
   this time the correct OS comes up. Only IBM...
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