ala

I installed Mandrake 9.2 onto hda, while Windows XP is on hdd: Two big problems: FIRST: installation went fine(I guess.., my first linux experience), I used all the automatic settings, I did not enter any passwords at all. After finished installation , booted and got a menu to boot into linux or windows. So i boot into linux.. wait.. ended up with black screen and small text on left top corner something like: ppp/190-197 login: So???? where is the operating system?? i press ENTER it telling me wrong password, bugger. I started all over again and installed Mandrake AGAIN, this time with username and password. I boot again same text comes up, I type my username and password and it still does not work. something like alappp/-197()$ comes up. What the heck is going on?? I cannot get into the operating system!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! BUT WORSE: I then wanted to boot into my Windows XP on hdd to find info on the net, but when i chose boot windows from that linux start menu , i get the message: NTLDR missing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i changed boot sequence in BIOS to boot straight into hdd(E:) and still does not work. At this time I got really fed up, so i installed windows new into hda where mandrake was, hoping it would enable me later to boot into my other windows installation again, but no!!!!!!!!!! My fully updated windows in hdd(E:) is fricking unable to boot now!!!!!!!! What the hell are these linux people doing? I mean i could understand something like this happen when having two operating systems on the same harddrive. But how can a mandrake installation on hda mess up my windows on hdd????

thanks for the info ...hda is primary master... so i figured out what harddrive to install. I did install Mandrake 9.2 with fatal consequences which i explain in a new topic...(!!!)

Hi. I am trying to install Mandrake 9.2 for the first time, but when I get to the point of choosing harddrive I am stuck with not knowing WHICH harddrive is WHICH. I have 3 harddrives on Windows XP (currently labelled as C: D: and E:) Every time I do a new Windows installation on another drive, my computer(or windows?) changes the drive names automatically, without me having any control over it. For example: Until last week i had two harddrives, windows on E: and another one C:. Then I put a new harddrive in and it got recognized as F. Then i installed a new windows on F. During that new installation old E: became new C: old C: became new D: and old F: became new E:. This has confused me many times but my solution always was to remember the size used and left on the harddrives to know which one is which and to installl onto the harddrive I wanted. NOW in Mandrake it gives me the options hda, hdb, and hdd. (Why is there no hdc??? ) but it does not tell me correctly the size free and used on each drive like windows does. Two harddrives appear to be empty. i know this is not true. So my question is how can i find out which is which? I guess I cannot just believe that C: is hda D: is hdb and E: is hdd. Right? My desire is just to install Mandrake onto my harddrive C: while I have windows on E: now , and hopefully achieve dual boot option. I know this may sound stupid for many of You, but I spent hours on the net trying to find answers without success. Mandrakes's official installation guide does not explain this either. :unsure: I would really appreciate any help on this.