HD install help, cant access both windows XP and Knoppix

**d-ToX** · 08-20-2005, 07:49 PM

Hi, im having serious problems installing knoppix...
Im running Windows XP Home Ed. Sp2, on a 60GB Hd with 2 partitions(C and D)
What i did was run PQ Partition Magic 8.0, created and 8 GB Linux Partition(Ext2) and a 500 MB Swap Partition...all these between C and D... and yes i did defrag both Partitions(C, D) before this...
So after this i booted with the knoppix 3.9 live cd, and after figuring out with help of google how to install the damn thing on the HD i runned the
Knx2hd command on the root shell, i chose debian install and the Ext3 journal something support and to install GRUB on the root partition, wich i tought was the best thing to do after reading some forums and since i have a Win XP install that i didnt want to mess with
SO after the install wich was very strange because it took more than 5-6 hours and watching the root shell showing all the files being installed with a I/O error... i did eventually think that nothing was being installed because of this!
So after the reboot it didnt show the grub loader or any option to load linux or win, so again after some google i downloaded bootpart, wich is a program that adds another OS to the boot.ini or ntldr... and when i clicked the linux option i got the message that this partition(the one with the linux) didnt have any OS... so i went back to windows and checked if the linux partition had something on it and it id(2 gb of used space),
Now what i did was set this linux partition active and rebooted, voila, it loaded the grub and after that knoppix, i rebooted again and loaded win from GRUB to check if everything was ok... and it wasnt, im getting a blue screen after the windows loading screen!
So i booted with a windows cd , typed r and typed fixmbr...and now nothing works, i still get the blue screen and i dont even get to the GRUB Bootloader...
Im beggining to regret installing this linux thing, i have all my life in the windows partition.. i want my windows back or have both OS work...what should i do? Please HElp
PLease help...

**d-ToX** · 08-20-2005, 08:54 PM

Uuffff....
I can access windows now... used qtparted to set the windows partition active/unhide with the Knoppix Live CD
Ñow i need help to properly dual boot my system...
suggestions anyone?

**tdjokic** · 08-20-2005, 09:25 PM

Install Knoppix. Put boot loader in MBR. Than reboot. You will see only Knoppix. Than go to K menu -> System -> (More App.) -> File manager Super user mode -> /boot/grub/menu.lst, click on it and edit after that. It is possible Knoppix will recognize Windows and put this in your menu.lst (without #):

# title Windows 95/98/NT/2000
# root (hd0,0)
# makeactive
# chainloader +1

If # signs are still there, remove it, save, and Windows will be option in your Grub menu on start. If you install Linux boot loader in partition, it is useless until you have something in MBR that recognize this "partition" loader and can activate it. It is NOT impossible to make Windows boot loader to do that (?- not sure), but it is much easyer to make Linux loader to boot Windows.

**d-ToX** · 08-20-2005, 09:59 PM

"if you install Linux boot loader in partition, it is useless until you have something in MBR that recognize this "partition" loader and can activate it"
Thats why i was using bootpart, it is recommended in HOWTO in a debian webpage
but still i get a message telling me to insert a system disk if i choose linux in windows bootloader

Hmmm, reisntalling knoppix, and loading the GRUB into the MBR not to the Root/partition you say? is It safe? from what ive read it will mess with windows...hmm are you sure?

**tdjokic** · 08-20-2005, 10:33 PM

Go to Google and try "dual boot".

from what ive read it will mess with windows

Normaly - it doesn't, but usually it do, because you will make some mistake. It is very bad thing to experiment on working PC such delicate thing.

I think you can see menu.lst in Live CD too. Maybe examples are in /usr/share/doc/grub. It is your risk and your decsion.

**ruymbeke** · 08-22-2005, 07:45 AM

Originally Posted by tdjokic

... It is your risk and your decsion...

To be safe, keep XP as is: mbr, partition boot, active partition, ...
But start grub form XP using grldr and adding a line in the XP boot.ini.
This clean, safe, easy/fast to try and it just works !
Look in here on how to do it: http://www.knoppix.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=11796
You can keep your menu.lst to boot linux or what ever you like from where ever you like once you have grub running.
You just need to copy grldr in c:\ and modify your boot.ini to add this line at the end of it: c:\grldr="Start Grub"
Let me know how this works for you.
Good luck,
Gilles

**d-ToX** · 08-22-2005, 10:02 PM

Hmmm isnt the same as what bootpart was trying to do?
ill try this and let you know... i was about to try and retrieve a bootsect.lnx from the linux partition
and put it on a folder in windows and add it to the boot.ini file
but my laptop doenst have floppy, and the cd drive would be busy with knoppix cd so i dont know how!
but ill try your method ruymbeke and let you know soon...

**ruymbeke** · 08-22-2005, 10:37 PM

Originally Posted by d-ToX

Hmmm isnt the same as what bootpart was trying to do?

Well, the main difference is that you do not change at all the way XP is used to boot.
XP ntfs partition stays active, the disk MBR still contains the XP boot sectors, and the XP partition boot sectors are still starting the nt boot loader ntldr. So nothing can go wrong with XP. But you can still load other OS once grub (grldr) is started from the boot.ini. As far as I know, Bootpart will replace the MBR and will make active the partition you want to boot. Personnaly I much prefer to not write to the mbr, just in case slomething may go wrong during that write...
Let me know. Cheers, Gilles

**d-ToX** · 08-23-2005, 07:19 PM

I did managed to get GRUB running but it wont load knoppix
It actually manages to recon all partitions( 2 fat32, 1 ext3 and 1 swap) but i get this error
"Error 17 File not found" when i load the linux partitions...
Is this got anything to do with the fact that the linux partitions are Logical and not Primary?

I quit installing this man...ill try the topologinux or whatever the name is...
Im research more info on the linux distr. and decide, im trying to find out if it only works on a ntfs or i can still use the ext3 partitions i created early
damn...4 days to install a OS hehehe, i just need it to play with C/C++, schoolwork...

**d-ToX** · 08-23-2005, 07:25 PM

anyway whats the best linux distr. you recommend? fedora? knoppix? Topologilinux's(i think this one only works with ntfs or FAT from what i understand, am i wrong?)
I just need a linux basic software packages and C/C++, Java, etc... dev tools