[ltp] The Linux / Win... Dual Boot Problem !!!

[Ruben Jenster]

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Hi,

I've played a whole weekend with the dual boot problem.
This is known to be a kernel 2.6 problem.=20

2.6.x kernel does not report the correct disk geometry. Fdisk and all other=
=20
tools use the kernel disk geometry and if you modify your patition table wi=
th=20
those tools the wrong CHS values are written into the MBR.=20
This will cause Win.. not to start anymore, because it somehow depends on t=
his=20
values.

But you can discover the right CHS values and force cfdisk to use the prope=
r=20
CHS values:

Run the Recovery Programm - when it tells you to remove the CD and press en=
ter=20
to restart put in a LiveCD and boot from it.

Run 'fdisk -l /dev/hda' and write down the Cylinder Heads and Sectors.

Start cfdisk with the CHS values fdisk to overwrite the kernel partition ta=
ble=20
=2D> 'cfdisk -c 7220 -h 240 -s 63 '(for a 60Gig T41p)=20

Then you could edit the partition table and the right CHS values are writte=
n=20
to the MBR. -> You can delete the Windows Partition and create it at a=20
smaller size (I choose 10G). You does not have to defrage the disk since th=
e=20
IBM Rescue Tool does not write the data fragmented to disk.=20
This means you do not need a commercial partition tool either. -> I do not=
=20
trust them especially PQMagic. Better use Acronis Partition Expert.

You might backup your MBR before: dd if=3D/dev/hda of=3Dhda.mbr bs=3D512 co=
unt=3D1


Regards=20

Ruben


=46or further Information look at:

[1] http://lwn.net/Articles/86835/
[2] http://www.redhat.com/archives/fedora-test-list/2004-May/msg02114.html
[3] http://portal.suse.com/sdb/en/2004/05/fhassel_windows_not_booting91.html
[4]http://groups-beta.google.com/group/linux.kernel/msg/404d8683ce302cf2?hl=
=3Den&lr=3D&ie=3DUTF-8&rnum=3D4
[5] https://bugzilla.redhat.com/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=3D113201#c13


Am Tuesday, 11. January 2005 19:55 schrieb Florence Berbain:
> ogjunk-linuxtp@yahoo.com wrote:
> >I've set up 2 TPs with dual-boot (T40 with XP/RH9. and T42 with
> >XP/FC3).  Both time the pre-loaded area was on the disk.  With TP40 it
> >was at the beginning of the disk, and with the T42 it was at the end.
> >
> >Both times I used Partition Magic to resize partitions and create
> >patitions with ext3.  I let Partition Magic do all the partitioning
> >work, and so far things worked well.
>
> Were you still able to boot from the IBM Recovery and Restore partition?
> I'm asking because on my T42p, I installed Ubuntu linux, taking care not
> to destroy the IBM Restore partition. Grub did create an entry for it in
> menu.lst. However, I can't boot  from this entry (the system hangs when
> I select it).
>
> On a related note, I used Partition Magic to shrink the original WinXP
> partition and format the free space to ext3 (so my linux partitions sit
> between the WinXP partition at the beginnning of the disk and the
> Restore partition at the end). But now Partition Magic says it lost the
> drive letters, so I can't use it at the moment. Reinstalling PM didn't
> help.
>
> During the linux install, when asked where I wanted to install grub, I
> chose "MBR" (not knowing any better, basically).
>
> And I just saw the following:
> $ mount
> /dev/hda3 on / type ext3 (rw,errors=3Dremount-ro,commit=3D0)
> proc on /proc type proc (rw)
> sysfs on /sys type sysfs (rw)
> devpts on /dev/pts type devpts (rw,gid=3D5,mode=3D620)
> tmpfs on /dev/shm type tmpfs (rw)
> usbfs on /proc/bus/usb type usbfs (rw)
>
> $ fdisk -l
> Cannot open /dev/hda
>
> I have no experience with fdisk, but I guess this is not good, is it?
>
> Otherwise, I can boot and work normally in WinXP and linux.
>
> If anybody has experience on:
> 1. how to install linux in a way that still lets me boot the WinXP and
> the Restore partition?
> 2. how to install linux so that Partition Magic still works?
> I'd be very interested to hear from it.
>
> Thanks,
> Florence

=2D-=20
We are the LUsers - my friends=20
And we'll keep on fighting=20
Till the end=20
We are the LUsers=20
We are the LUsers=20
No time for WINners=20
'Cause we are the LUsers of the World

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