linux kills my windows and I cant reinstall : help

adamsmill · 08-15-2002, 02:11 PM

Installed redhat 7.2 on slave hard drive using pqmagic to make linux partition. Linux went in OK, and I made a boot disk for dual boot. However, I found the master hard drive was wiped clean. I don't know what I did wrong. Tried to reinstall windows using windows boot disk and win 95 cd, but c: drive was inaccessable. Switched master and slave drives. Could access new c: drive OK. Attempted to install win again on new master drive. Get message: 'win found compressed volume or disk cache utility', which must be removed. Have no idea how to do this. Tried fdisk /mbr as book recommended to no effect. Tried installing win 95 anyway, but on booting to complete install, get: error while initializing device IOS, win protection error. I am essentially shut out of my computer. What do I do? Is this a masterbootrecord error? None of the six thick books on dos and windows in my collection mention this term. And, finally, linux no longer works: kernel error. Help anyone.

Aaron_Adams · 08-15-2002, 11:12 PM

It's usually less of a hassle to install windows first, as it is often anal about other Operation Systems being installed on a hard drive. My thoughts would be to format all the partitions and install windows first. If you can't use the fdisk utilitie from a Win bootdisk, you could always use a bootable Linux cd. As far as I know it is possible to get into a console to access fdisk from the RedHat cds, but I can't remember how offhand. Someone on here should know though, or you could try and look on google. (You can boot into a console on the slackware cd, which is what I use... not sure which other distros have it off hand)

Welcome to GLO!

LiNuts · 08-31-2002, 02:44 PM

My thought is that you probably removed the system files from the original Master h/dd, thats why your boot disk couldn't find the C drive. Instead of switching the drives i would have booted from the bootdisk, and at the A: prompt typed in "sys C:" this would have transfered the system files from the boot disk to the C drive.

Then you would only have had to do the "fdisk /mbr " command. As i havent used pqmagick to partition a disk, i cannot comment on what you actually did. but my guess is windows is still installed on the original C drive. and once the mbr has been re-initialised it should boot.

But Aaron_Adams is correct in stating that if you do decide to repartition and format then install windows first. ( and on the primary master drive - that way you should have no trouble with the mbr)

Cheers
LiNuts

**babbing** · 09-01-2002, 07:08 PM

linux killing winblows, i wish it did that for me! :P

cindir · 09-23-2002, 03:14 PM

linux kills my windows and I cant reinstall

So what seems to be the prolbem then?
;D

Spot · 09-24-2002, 12:25 AM

Originally Posted by cindir

linux kills my windows and I cant reinstall

So what seems to be the prolbem then?
;D

was thinking along those lines myself :P

JimH · 09-26-2002, 11:48 AM

Hmm, sounds like some one selected the partitioning option that warns "This is ERASE ALL DATA ON ALL DRIVES. Are you sure you want to continue?"

Jim H

farfrompuken · 04-23-2003, 01:21 AM

Okay, I'm about to install Red Hat on a brand new laptop.

I would eventually like to ditch windows.

How do I do that?

Newbie extremeoid.................

**trommaster** · 04-23-2003, 03:33 AM

this would probally be better as a new thread.
there have been a few questions about this on the board, too.
it might pay to have a browse/search before, too