Suse Lionux overwrites XP boot sector

  • Thread starter Thread starter Dirk Bruere
  • Start date Start date
D

Dirk Bruere

Two HDDs, one with XP and other with Linux.
I appear to have overwritten the boot stuff on the XP with Linux code.
How can I recover?

Dirk
 
Dirk said:
Two HDDs, one with XP and other with Linux.
I appear to have overwritten the boot stuff on the XP with Linux code.
How can I recover?

Dirk
Click to expand...

Can you not use the Linux bootloader? If you remove it you won't be able
to boot Linux.

Steve
 
If I remember correct if you make a boot disk for it. You don't have to use
the bootloader on the MBR for it. The bootdisk ie "floppy" will be the MBR
for that.

Then you can use the XP bootloader on the MBR but you just have to insert
the floppy anytime you want to use SuSE.

John
 
John said:
If I remember correct if you make a boot disk for it. You don't have to use
the bootloader on the MBR for it. The bootdisk ie "floppy" will be the MBR
for that.

Then you can use the XP bootloader on the MBR but you just have to insert
the floppy anytime you want to use SuSE.

John
Click to expand...

That is true _if_ you made the bootdisk at installation of Linux. There
are other ways, too, but the OP has XP and Suse presumably dual booting
from the Linux bootloader, why change it? If they re-write an MS MBR on
the drive Suse will not boot from the drive.

Steve
 
Steve said:
That is true _if_ you made the bootdisk at installation of Linux. There
are other ways, too, but the OP has XP and Suse presumably dual booting
from the Linux bootloader, why change it? If they re-write an MS MBR on
the drive Suse will not boot from the drive.
Click to expand...

XP and Linux are on separate disk drives.
I have no problem booting Linux from the installation disk even if I
screw up its boot loader. The problem is I've screwed up the boot secor
on the XP drive.

Dirk
 
Dirk said:
XP and Linux are on separate disk drives.
Click to expand...

Disk0 and disk1 respectively, I presume.
I have no problem booting Linux from the installation disk even if I
screw up its boot loader. The problem is I've screwed up the boot secor
on the XP drive.

Dirk
Click to expand...

You can try re-writing the MBR on disk0 in a couple different ways.

Boot a Win98 floppy and run fdisk /mbr
Boot a WinXP CD, enter Recovery Console and run fixmbr

Steve
 
Steve said:
Disk0 and disk1 respectively, I presume.
Click to expand...

Other way around due to cabling problems in the PC

You can try re-writing the MBR on disk0 in a couple different ways.

Boot a Win98 floppy and run fdisk /mbr
Click to expand...

I don't have a FDD or a Win98 floppy
Boot a WinXP CD, enter Recovery Console and run fixmbr
Click to expand...

Can't do it because it demands an admin password that I don't know.

Dirk
 
Dirk Bruere wrote:

I don't have a FDD or a Win98 floppy


Can't do it because it demands an admin password that I don't know.
Click to expand...

Unless you set it differently, the default password for Recovery Console
is a blank. Other things you can try:

1. Have a knowledgeable friend or professional fix the issue for you.
2. Borrow a usb floppy drive and get a Win98 boot drive from
bootdisk.com.
3. Try leaving the password blank for Recovery Console and do fixmbr.

After you fix your XP boot files, if you want to use Grub then boot with
the SuSE CD/DVD and repair Grub. If you aren't resourceful about this,
you're going to have a really hard time using Linux.

Malke
 
Dirk said:
Other way around due to cabling problems in the PC
Click to expand...

It doesn't matter, the 1st physical HDD holds the MBR the system uses,
no matter what OS. But obviously you're dealing with other problems,
what are the cabling problems?
I don't have a FDD or a Win98 floppy
Click to expand...

Get a floppy drive for $10 or less. Get a Win98se boot disk from
www.bootdisk.com.
Can't do it because it demands an admin password that I don't know.

Dirk
Click to expand...

Who's computer is this? Yours? You don't know what the Administrator
password is? There are ways to reset it:

http://home.eunet.no/~pnordahl/ntpasswd/

Steve
 
Dirk Bruere said:
Two HDDs, one with XP and other with Linux.
I appear to have overwritten the boot stuff on the XP with Linux code.
How can I recover?

Dirk
Click to expand...

In SUSE from a root terminal:
#install-grub --recheck /dev/fd0 (this will place the boot loader on a
floppy)

Using an XP install CDROM boot to recovery console.
administrator password
fixmbr
fixboot
 
Malke said:
Dirk Bruere wrote:





Unless you set it differently, the default password for Recovery Console
is a blank. Other things you can try:
Click to expand...

Now it works
1. Have a knowledgeable friend or professional fix the issue for you.
2. Borrow a usb floppy drive and get a Win98 boot drive from
bootdisk.com.
3. Try leaving the password blank for Recovery Console and do fixmbr.

After you fix your XP boot files, if you want to use Grub then boot with
the SuSE CD/DVD and repair Grub. If you aren't resourceful about this,
you're going to have a really hard time using Linux.
Click to expand...

I get c:/windows come up
Used fixmbr which it said it had done.
However, it seems to have wiped the Linux bootup this time? Xp still not
available
XP is on HDD1, and Linux on HDD0. Does that make a difference?

Dirk
 
Dirk said:
Now it works


I get c:/windows come up
Used fixmbr which it said it had done.
However, it seems to have wiped the Linux bootup this time? Xp still
not available
XP is on HDD1, and Linux on HDD0. Does that make a difference?

Dirk
Click to expand...

What part of "boot with SuSE and repair Grub" didn't you get? XP's boot
files are on Drive 0 (we don't use "HDD" terminology in Linux; if you
have two hard drives you have hda and hdb and partitions in each). If
you installed Grub into the mbr, it is also on Drive 0. After you
repair Grub, you should be able to boot into either operating system
from the Grub menu.

Malke
 
Malke said:
Dirk Bruere wrote:




What part of "boot with SuSE and repair Grub" didn't you get? XP's boot
files are on Drive 0 (we don't use "HDD" terminology in Linux; if you
have two hard drives you have hda and hdb and partitions in each). If
you installed Grub into the mbr, it is also on Drive 0. After you
repair Grub, you should be able to boot into either operating system
from the Grub menu.
Click to expand...

You mean that I'll get a screen which offers me options:

Windows
Suse Linux
Suse Linux Safe

However, if I choose Windows I get this:

root (hd1,0)
Filesystem type unknown, partition type 0x7
chainloader +1
makeactive

followed by a black screen and zilch.

Dirk
 
Dirk said:
You mean that I'll get a screen which offers me options:

Windows
Suse Linux
Suse Linux Safe

However, if I choose Windows I get this:

root (hd1,0)
Filesystem type unknown, partition type 0x7
chainloader +1
makeactive

followed by a black screen and zilch.

Dirk
Click to expand...

Is this what you get after repairing the boot sector with Grub? Or are
you just speculating? Have you repaired XP's boot files and have you
then repaired Grub? And what did you do to your original XP
installation to mess it up anyway? Sounds like the XP partition has
been damaged and not just the boot files.

Malke
 
Malke said:
Dirk Bruere wrote:




Is this what you get after repairing the boot sector with Grub? Or are
Click to expand...

That's what I get after playing around with YsST, system, boot loader
configuration
you just speculating? Have you repaired XP's boot files and have you
Click to expand...

I've no idea. How can I tell, since it won't boot?
then repaired Grub? And what did you do to your original XP
installation to mess it up anyway? Sounds like the XP partition has
Click to expand...

No idea
been damaged and not just the boot files.
Click to expand...

Maybe, but I can still read all the XP files from Linux
Bear in mind I know *nothing* about Linux. This is the first time I have
ever looked at a Linux screen. That's why I'm here asking questions.

Dirk
 
Dirk Bruere said:
Two HDDs, one with XP and other with Linux.
I appear to have overwritten the boot stuff on the XP with Linux code.
How can I recover?

Dirk
Click to expand...

You may get more help in a Linux newsgroup. It should be up to Linux users
to clear up Linux messes.

H
 
John said:
Check out this link it may help you a little.
http://enterprise.linux.com/enterprise/05/02/16/1919205.shtml?tid=129&tid=49

Basically you have to edit the boot.ini through msconfig in windows but 1st
you have to get the bootsex.lnx file to point the NT Loader to the disk with
the linux partition on it.
Click to expand...

I think I'll have to physically swap the disks over so that XP is again on 0
At least that might cut down the number of variables.

Dirk
 
Want my honest opinion on this. If its possible reinstall windows on the 1st
drive just as your normally would. Then when you are finished with that
install. Install SuSe on the hdb drive when installing SuSe. It will ask
what boot loader you want to use and where you want to put it. Use the Grub
bootloader (I find it easier to use). Then make sure you have it so that it
can boot to windows. Have the boot loader installed on the HDA HDA HDA drive
or this won't work at all. Once that is installed it should give you the
GRUB bootloader menu when your computer boots up. And give choices of
Windows or Linux.
At least thats what mine has always done and I've used about 20 different
distributions doing it and never had a problem.

The key is to install Windows 1st and Linux 2nd.

John
 
Hermit said:
You may get more help in a Linux newsgroup. It should be up to Linux users
to clear up Linux messes.

H
Click to expand...

Some of us here are Linux users and since it involves restoring an XP
MBR this is an appropiate newsgroup to ask in.

Steve
 
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