Can I install MEPIS-Linux without disturbing WIN98?

[cgkeller]

Can I install MEPIS-Linux without disturbing my Windows98?
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I would like to install MEPIS-Linux on my Desktop computer which has Windows 98 installed for a number of years.

Can I install MEPIS-Linux on this machine without disturbing the MBR of my Windows 98, because I cannot afford to lose my Windows 98 with its thousand of data files on it

Can I install MPIS on my separate hard disk, 40 GB ?
Where will the /root of MEPIS go? on the C: or D: drive?
Where will GRUB go ?

I tried the Live-CD of MEPIS-Linux, it works fine; I can save data files into any hard drives or A: drive with no problem at all.

However, I have problems installing a printer (HP Deskjet 890), it installs alright with the help of KDE Printer Installation program, I am even able to print a test page,
which runs fine but I am not able to print a data file on the printer.

Would this trouble disappear if I were to make a full install instead of running a Live-CD with Ram-disk.

Your valuable help will be very much appreciated.

Charles.

Desktop Computer AMD
with Athlon 64, 1.93 GHz Processor
Hard disk C: 70 GB
Hard Disk:: E 70 GB (C & E together: Samsung 160 GB)
C: physical drive, E: logical drive
Separate Hard disk D: for Linux) 40 GB
RAM 512 MB
Monitor LG-Flatron, 1280x1024

 

[TrojanWarBlade]

First things first.
Backup.
If you think you have too much data to backup, then imagine that you've lost everything. Now consider what will cause you the most problems and try to backup just that part.
Next, use a separate drive as you suggested but BEFORE you try to install, disconnect the Win98 drive completely. Do not install with this connected, just in case.
BTW: Did you do a backup? I hope so.
Did you disconnect the Win98 drive?
Now install and allow linux to create a boot sector. This makes life so much easier.
Now re-boot and test.
If you can, make a boot floppy or CD.
If you are happy, you should be able to reconnect your windoze drive and reboot windoze.
If all is well there, then you can reboot linux either by using your boot floppy/CD or by disabling the Win98 drive in the BIOS.

Hopefully that will keep you safe.

Good luck.


Trojan.

 

[TrojanWarBlade]

BTW: You might like to read my thread discussing a painful data loss to ensure you don't make that mistake.

thread528-1079211


Trojan.

 

[langleymass]

If you are going to install Mepis on a separate drive, take out the Windows 98 drive temporarily. While the drive is out, Mepis will not be able to touch it.

You SHOULD be able to install a Linux distribution just fine. As a general rule, it's better to install Windows then Linux. Linux knows that Windows exists, but Microsoft tries to pretend that Linux does not exist.

Back in late 1998, I did manage to mess up a working Windows 95 machine after an install of Linux. I ended up paying Ontrack $750 to get my Windows system back.

Grub had not yet been created. Fortunately, the boot loaders and other things in Linux have gotten better.

If you do get to a point where you have mangled your Windows system, turn off the computer immediately and call the data-recovery experts. You may be able to save yourself with Norton utilities.

Back in 1998, I had an excuse. CD burners were well over $200 and quite unreliable. You could still only get about a 4GB hard drive for about $150. Now even DVD burners are affordable, and hard drives are more than you will ever need. Today, data backup is simply too cheap not to do.

 

[flugh]

I'll toss in my $.02 "Me-Too" here. I've used Linux for years and still made a head-slapping-oh-no-i-didnt mistake a month or so ago resulting in reinstalling WinXP on my home box. The installation process has matured, but you can't rule out human error either ;-)

If you aren't willing to take a hammer to the data on your Windows harddrive, then installing Linux with the drive still connected would be foolhardy in my opinion. I still weep for the mp3 collection I formatted back around 2000 or so...

Honestly, not sure if a harddrive install will fix your problem (unless you are seeing a lot of 'out of memory' type errors). Try downloading another LiveCD distro (perhaps Ubuntu Linux?) and see if the same problem occurs.

----
JBR

 

[cgkeller]

Many thanks to all my Tek-Tips Friends (TrojanWarBlade, Langleymass and Flugh) for their valuable suggestions.
Before installing a linux distro, I will certainly follow your advice and disconnected my Windows 98 hard drive.
And I also might try Ubuntu, to see how it fares compared to the other distros.
Later on, I will post my experiences to let you know how it went.

Charles.