partitions 2

[Yarka]

hi,
i had 2 partitions on a pc: one with linux and another windows. When i booted pc i could choose linux or windows. I don't know that have done on this pc, but now only load windows. When can I know if linux is on this pc or has been erased? and if I have linux, how can I boot it??

thanks.

 

[stevexff]

Sounds like your master boot record got hosed. Have you reinstalled windows or used the /RESTMBR option from the recovery console? Mr. Gates takes a very dim view of this kind of thing, in fact it is only since XP that Windows supports multiple-booting of operating systems. Those operating systems being Windows XP, Windows 2000, Windows ME, Windows... (well, you get the picture).

If you have PartitionMagic (one of the few commercial packages actually worth the license fee), use it. You should be able to see your partitions. You might be able to use BootMagic (ships with PM) as a boot loader. If you don't try one of the stripped down Linux distros that run in RAM straight off the CD. Basically, you need to install a boot manager (Linux distros use GRUB [GRand Unified Bootloader] or LILO [older]).

One possibility: Fedora (yes, sadly I've been Red Hat since last century) allows you to 'upgrade' your system. The 'upgrade' process finds existing installations and should reinstall GRUB for you. Don't know about other distros though.

Steve

[small]"Every program can be reduced by one instruction, and every program has at least one bug. Therefore, any program can be reduced to one instruction which doesn't work." (Object:erlDesignPatterns)[/small]

 

[LawnBoy]

Partition Magic 8 craps out when it sees an ext3 partition.
I used an FC5 rescue disk this weekend to reinstall grub.