BOOT help needed! Should I install OS on new partition?

[MitchellCowen]

Arrggggggghhhhh!

Thanks to everyone for their suggestions of help.

I had erased my Linux Partition to make space for Windows files,
forgetting that the Linux controlled the LiLo boot and so now I can't
get into Windows.

I have tried to reset the Administrator password in order to get my
Windows machine into Recovery mode. This is still not working! Maybe
I am changing the wrong password?

There are 4 or so partitions on this hard drive. I think I know which
one used to be the Linux partition.

Is there a lightweight (eg. I don't have a CD-burner, just a floppy
drive) way to install a new OS on the old Linux partition? Would this
help me to recover my old files? All I really want is to set up LiLo
on the machine again and get back into Windows.

I have spent all day trying to crack this.

Thanks for all your help.

mitch

 

[DandyDon]

Linux uses a bootloader program called Grub. Google for it. Maybe you can
just reinstall it and get into Windows. Also try Linux.org message boards
for help.

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

Arrggggggghhhhh!

Thanks to everyone for their suggestions of help.

I had erased my Linux Partition to make space for Windows files,
forgetting that the Linux controlled the LiLo boot and so now I can't
get into Windows.

I have tried to reset the Administrator password in order to get my
Windows machine into Recovery mode. This is still not working! Maybe
I am changing the wrong password?

There are 4 or so partitions on this hard drive. I think I know which
one used to be the Linux partition.

Is there a lightweight (eg. I don't have a CD-burner, just a floppy
drive) way to install a new OS on the old Linux partition? Would this
help me to recover my old files? All I really want is to set up LiLo
on the machine again and get back into Windows.

I have spent all day trying to crack this.

Thanks for all your help.

mitch

- Which partition is Windows installed on?
- Is it a primary partition?
- Is it marked active?
- Did you restore the Windows Master Boot Record?

 

[Aragorn]

Arrggggggghhhhh!

Thanks to everyone for their suggestions of help.

I had erased my Linux Partition to make space for Windows files,
forgetting that the Linux controlled the LiLo boot and so now I can't
get into Windows.

I'm afraid this is nonsensical. LILO is normally installed in the master
boot record of your hard disk - the one set in the BIOS as the bootable
device. There are other scenarios for installing a GNU/Linux bootloader,
but I don't see any possibility of the removal of GNU/Linux disabling
Windows from booting up.

Windows - I presume you are talking of an NT-derived version such as Windows
XP - uses a bootloader that lives in the active primary partition on the
bootable hard disk. Even if you were to remove your GNU/Linux partitions,
LILO would still be in the master boot record and its Windows entry would
still be pointing to the Windows bootloader.

My guess is that you've been playing around with something like Partition
Magic and that you've screwed up your partition table, leaving your Windows
boot partition unbootable.

I have tried to reset the Administrator password in order to get my
Windows machine into Recovery mode.

I don't do Windows, but from what I've read about it, resetting the
Administrator password would require you to boot into Windows first. You
claim that this is not possible, so how could you ever get there and what
do you hope to accomplish by resetting a password?

This is still not working! Maybe I am changing the wrong password?

If there is one Administrator account on your system, it will have one
password only.

There are 4 or so partitions on this hard drive. I think I know which
one used to be the Linux partition.

You /think/ you know? As a system administrator - and especially to your
own machine - it is your business to know. ;-)

Is there a lightweight (eg. I don't have a CD-burner, just a floppy
drive) way to install a new OS on the old Linux partition?

Maybe you can get your hands on an old copy of OS/2, although for good
measure I have to add that this may not be legal. I don't do proprietary
software, but it may be so that a purchased license may not be transfered
to another person.

Note that you can also install another copy of Windows on an empty
partition, as long as there is an active primary partition to write the
Windows bootloader to. If there is already a Windows bootloader installed,
the new install will add its entries to the original bootloader.

Would this help me to recover my old files?

What old files are you talking about? Your GNU/Linux files? If you've
erased those partitions or if you've deleted those files, then you'd have
to get into some serious hard disk forensics to retrieve them, I'm afraid.
And then it all also depends on which filesystem you were using.

All I really want is to set up LiLo on the machine again and get back into
Windows.

Use your official Windows XP CD/DVD to boot from and use the repair console
or whatever it is called. There should be two utilities on that CD
called /FIXMBR.EXE/ and /FIXBOOT.EXE./ The first one will erase LILO from
the MBR by overwriting it with an MBR that's compatible with MS-DOS, OS/2
and Windows. The second will - most likely; like I said, I don't do
Windows - set your Windows partition as active/bootable again.

I have spent all day trying to crack this.

Thanks for all your help.

For the future, please try to be as concise as possible. Quality help
requires the poster to give quality information. No guesses, no
interpretations.

Tell us the exact error messages or the exact things that you see on the
screen. Makes it easier for anyone wanting to help to succeed at that. ;-)

 

[Aragorn]

Linux uses a bootloader program called Grub.

Not necessarily. There are two main bootloaders used by GNU/Linux
distributions, i.e. LILO and GRUB.

LILO (LInux LOader) is the oldest one of the two, while GRUB (GRand Unified
Bootloader) is newer. Unlike LILO, GRUB is a miniature OS with a shell,
capable of reading filesystems directly - LILO uses binary C/H/S or LBA
addresses.

Google for it. Maybe you can just reinstall it and get into Windows.

Setting up LILO or GRUB in the OP's circumstances would require the OP to
use the commandline from a bootable install or rescue CD. Considering the
OP's level of knowledge of both Windows and GNU/Linux, this is a virtually
impossible task for him.

An automated repair of the bootloader would be impossible since he's already
erased his GNU/Linux set-up, and so the installer/rescue disk won't be able
to retrieve anything anymore to base the correct repair procedure on.

Either way, the OP does not need to install LILO or GRUB. All he needs to
do is to make sure that the MBR of his hard disk is overwritten again with
a Windows-specific one - which would _get_ _rid_ of LILO/GRUB - and that
his Windows boot partition is bootable/active again.

Also try Linux.org message boards for help.

With all due respect, I find it very ironic and striking that you -
obviously a Windows user and most likely a resident
of /microsoft.public.windowsxp.general/ - should be giving *that* advice
when the OP's problem is clearly one of not being able to boot Windows,
presumable because he used some brute force tool to remove GNU/Linux from
his hard disk, and all this while a Windows install CD has the necessary
tools to allow him to repair his Windows-specific bootloader!

It is this lack of understanding of how a computer works and even how
Windows works that gives GNU/Linux an unwarranted bad reputation. The OP
had both Windows and GNU/Linux on his hard disk and he chose to remove
GNU/Linux from within Windows. Now that GNU/Linux is gone, the method the
OP used for getting rid of GNU/Linux also made Windows unbootable.

This has nothing to do with GNU/Linux, and GNU/Linux is not even installed
on his system anymore, so it couldn't even do any damage if it wanted to -
and it doesn't want to; it plays perfectly well with any other operating
system.

But then to the GNU/Linux-unsavvy - let's call it that - GNU/Linux is the
cause of the OP's problems and he should turn to GNU/Linux to undo his
damage. Pure FUD!

 

[Walter Mautner]

I'm afraid this is nonsensical. LILO is normally installed in the master
boot record of your hard disk - the one set in the BIOS as the bootable
device. There are other scenarios for installing a GNU/Linux bootloader,
but I don't see any possibility of the removal of GNU/Linux disabling
Windows from booting up.

Windows - I presume you are talking of an NT-derived version such as
Windows XP - uses a bootloader that lives in the active primary partition
on the
bootable hard disk. Even if you were to remove your GNU/Linux partitions,
LILO would still be in the master boot record and its Windows entry would
still be pointing to the Windows bootloader.

My guess is that you've been playing around with something like Partition
Magic and that you've screwed up your partition table, leaving your
Windows boot partition unbootable.


I don't do Windows, but from what I've read about it, resetting the
Administrator password would require you to boot into Windows first. You
claim that this is not possible, so how could you ever get there and what
do you hope to accomplish by resetting a password?

I guess he wanted to use the recovery console from a windows cd, in an
attempt to do the fixboot, but it didn't let him in with the wrong
password.
Then he used one of the utilities to "reset password" but for whatever
reason it didn't work out and probably messed up the registry instead.

 

[NoStop]

Not necessarily. There are two main bootloaders used by GNU/Linux
distributions, i.e. LILO and GRUB.

LILO (LInux LOader) is the oldest one of the two, while GRUB (GRand
Unified
Bootloader) is newer. Unlike LILO, GRUB is a miniature OS with a shell,
capable of reading filesystems directly - LILO uses binary C/H/S or LBA
addresses.


Setting up LILO or GRUB in the OP's circumstances would require the OP to
use the commandline from a bootable install or rescue CD. Considering the
OP's level of knowledge of both Windows and GNU/Linux, this is a virtually
impossible task for him.

An automated repair of the bootloader would be impossible since he's
already erased his GNU/Linux set-up, and so the installer/rescue disk
won't be able to retrieve anything anymore to base the correct repair
procedure on.

Either way, the OP does not need to install LILO or GRUB. All he needs to
do is to make sure that the MBR of his hard disk is overwritten again with
a Windows-specific one - which would _get_ _rid_ of LILO/GRUB - and that
his Windows boot partition is bootable/active again.


With all due respect, I find it very ironic and striking that you -
obviously a Windows user and most likely a resident
of /microsoft.public.windowsxp.general/ - should be giving *that* advice
when the OP's problem is clearly one of not being able to boot Windows,
presumable because he used some brute force tool to remove GNU/Linux from
his hard disk, and all this while a Windows install CD has the necessary
tools to allow him to repair his Windows-specific bootloader!

It is this lack of understanding of how a computer works and even how
Windows works that gives GNU/Linux an unwarranted bad reputation. The OP
had both Windows and GNU/Linux on his hard disk and he chose to remove
GNU/Linux from within Windows. Now that GNU/Linux is gone, the method the
OP used for getting rid of GNU/Linux also made Windows unbootable.

This has nothing to do with GNU/Linux, and GNU/Linux is not even installed
on his system anymore, so it couldn't even do any damage if it wanted to -
and it doesn't want to; it plays perfectly well with any other operating
system.

But then to the GNU/Linux-unsavvy - let's call it that - GNU/Linux is the
cause of the OP's problems and he should turn to GNU/Linux to undo his
damage. Pure FUD!

Aragorn,

These Windows users never fail to amaze me with how much lack of
understanding they have of computers. I guess that comes with the sheltered
lifestyles they "enjoy" when running MS-Windows, where little real
knowledge is required as MS has already determined how they clickety-click
their way around that toy operating system. It's only when they start
screwing around with things they don't know, like the OP has done, that it
becomes all too obvious. I agree totally that when confronted with the
need to understand how their computers actually work, they tend to lash out
at GNU/Linux blaming it for their problems. If the OP really wanted to get
that computer to boot and to really use a powerful and secure operating
system, he'd wipe the whole damn thing clean and just install GNU/Linux.

Cheers.




--
Linux is ready for the desktop! More ready than Windoze XP.
http://tinyurl.com/ldm9d

"Computer users around the globe recognize that the most serious threats to
security exist because of inherent weaknesses in the Microsoft operating
system." McAfee