Windows/Linux

[Dilbert]

I have no clue where to put this, so I'll put it here:

As some of you know, I've been toying with a dual-boot WinXP/Kubuntu machine on two seperate physical drives (i.e. no partitions, two separate disks). However, after installing XP again about a month and a half ago, I can't access my other hard drive. I can't get GRUB, and all attempts to access the second disk have failed.

At this point, since I had no personal data on Linux to speak of, it would be easier for me to simply format the other disk and reinstall Linux. However, I can't do that. Irritatingly, the other hard drive is listed in "My Computer" as E:, but I can't format it and it says the file system is RAW, since Windows can't read a ext3 or something. So, how can I format this other disk?

[fffreak]

Doesn't RAW mean there are no partitions? I remember, I had a problem pretty similar to this before. If I recall can't you just put in your windows disc and boot to windows installation and format it from there. Or can't you just use the utility disk that came with the harddrive(If you have one)?

[Dilbert]

I have no utility disk for this drive; it was given to me by my grandmother when her old PC died and she got a new one.

Now, this second disk is no mere partition of my hard drive: I have two hard drives, connected by separate plugs on the IDE cable leading to my motherboard. The linux disk is slaved to the Windows disk. In short: If I shut down my computer, and physically removed the hard drive that I have Linux on, it would still boot to Windows XP.

This is of importance, I think, because once I did have them as a partitioned single hard drive, and I was able to format the Linux partition, though that caused trouble. This time, however, I can't.

[panboy]

Dilbert i dont think you need to reinstall linux, all you need to do is fix your boot manager Grub right?

originaly did you install XP frisrt and then linux,

but then when you reinstalled XP you lost Grub? becase XP over wrote it

You may be able to EDit the Boot.ini file to point to the linux disk, or you could get a boot disk that lets you install a boot manager

try
http://www.bootitng.com/

its not free but it has a trail that never runs out
im sure there are disk like this that are free maybe someone will sugest one

[Fed]

I feel another Dilbert format coming along... LOL!

[Rob Pomeroy]

I can't get GRUB

What do you mean, "I can't get GRUB"?

At this point, since I had no personal data on Linux to speak of, it would be easier for me to simply format the other disk and reinstall Linux. However, I can't do that. Irritatingly, the other hard drive is listed in "My Computer" as E:, but I can't format it and it says the file system is RAW, since Windows can't read a ext3 or something. So, how can I format this other disk?

Have you forgotten about FDISK?  

[Dilbert]

I don't have the GRUB screen when booting anymore, it goes to WinXP automatically.

As for FDISK...

'fdisk' is not recognized as an internal or external command, operable program or batch file.

[banjo67xxx]

I've done this a lot recently because I've had to reinstall XP on a few dual boot systems.

What you need to do is:

1) Find a rescue CD or burn a copy of Knoppix

2) Boot from the rescue CD/Knoppix CD

3) Use

Code: [Select]

fdisk -lto identify your linux partition

4) Mount your linux partition on /mnt

Code: [Select]

mount -t reiserfs /dev/hda1 /mnt
5) Reinstall GRUB

Code: [Select]

grub-install --root-directory=/mnt /dev/hda
Make sure you use /dev/hda not /dev/hda1 when running grub-install otherwise you'll have a big headache

Its as simple as that

[GX1_Man]

Dilbert is preparing to reinstall..........

[Fed]

Perhaps we should call it [highlight]'Run the Dilbert'[/highlight].

[street1 (RIP)]

Perhaps we should call it [highlight]'Run the Dilbert'[/highlight].

[highlight]Haven't heard that in a while.LOL[/highlight]


Have you been to Micro-sumo?Where you wrestle with your software.

RESOLUTION
To resolve this problem, turn on the AutoMount feature. To do this, follow these steps: 1. Click Start, and then click Run.
2. In the Open box, type cmd, and then click OK.
3. At the command prompt, type MountVol /E, and then press ENTER.
After you follow these steps, the following registry key is changed from the default setting of 1 to a setting of 0:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\MountMgr\NoAutoMount

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/822653

[Dilbert]

I really need to get past this "Knows enough to destroy things" stage. Luckily, things turned out almost-great.

MountVol didn't manage to mount the drive. So, I set the Registry key myself in regedit. That didn't allow me to access E:. So, I tried this: [highlight]MountVol E:\ /D[/highlight] That removed E: from My Computer. Oookay, not what I wanted. So, I went into Disk Management. I deleted the logical drive there, and I am now formatting it with NTFS. 9% now. Sounds great, but one thing: 243 MB remains "unallocated" as a seperate partition. I can't get them to join up without PartitionMagic or something like that. Oh well, 243 MB off of a 60 GB drive is no skin off my nose.

I don't know what's scarier: The fact that I'm toying with things I understand just barely enough to use, or that I didn't think of this before.