[ltp] Suse Linux and Windows XP in a R40, problem with predesktop

[JOSE IGNACIO SANCHEZ VENZALA]

I'm a new member, so hi everybody! 

I have a R40 with windows xp.  Some days ago i decided to reinstall the 
computer and install both WindowsXP and Suse Linux.  First of all i use 
recovery utility (which is in a hidden partition) to format and install 
windows xp. After of that i use a partititon manager to resize the windows 
partition and install linux in the new free disk space.  That was ok, but 

when i installed suse linux and configured Grub in the mbr my problems 
started.  The predesktop subsistem (i think) launch an error when the computer 
starts, the error say: "1810: Hard disk partition layout error. A hard disk 
partition layout recognition problem has halted computer startup.  Either the 
IBM Predesktop Area has been deleted or hard disk data is corrupt." Then it 
give me two option: to enter in predesktop area or in the bios. In predesktop 
area, i can choose start from hard disk, and then it runs the grub.  But the 
message is always showed at startup.  I don't know how to make it dissapear. 
Any ideas? Trying other solutions, I formated the computer and try to recovery 
again windows, but the 

recovery utility gave me an error when the process is on the 3% which say that 
the image file is corrupt... Ok, more problems.  I have called ibm to ask 
recovery cd's. My computer is out of guarantee, so it cost 60€... Ok i take a 
deep breath, and format the hard disk, with a partition manager, install 
windows from a cd, and the problem dissapear.  Thats great! but then i install 
suse linux again in the other partition, install grub at mbr, and the problem 
appear again.
i don't make the correct disk partition?
is grub the problem? is lilo the solution?
is the install of grub in the mbr the problem?
i suspect grub modify partition layout to make the second partition (linux 
partition), which is over the first 1024 ¿cylinder?, bootable... I'm not sure 
of that.

Summarizing, i wanna know how to install linux and windows in an ibm r40 hard 
disk without the problem i describe at the startup. Thank you very much. Any 
help is welcomed. I'm lost.