Mandrake 10.0 ****** up my HD

[joeclark]

I followed the link to the bug report.... Will someone PLEASE explain to me how to install the new drakxtools? I couldn't really find 10-24, or 10-25, 10-26, etc. I did find 10-29, but most of the FTP mirrors didn't have the correct directory structure (ie, the cooker mirror lists are wrong or something). I finally found one that had the file, but of course there are a bunch of dependencies on the file. I added the source to urpmi, and at first it didn't seem to work, but the second time it did (go figure). So I was able to see 10-29 on the list. It failed to install due to dependencies. It relies on perl-Libconfig (among other things), but I couldn't install perl-Libconfig due to a dependency of Libconfig::Glueconf::Passwd (or something similar). And who knows what package that can be found in (no perl-Glueconf or Perl-Passwd).

 

Figures. This is so typical of my experiences with Linux -- that finding the answer to one problem usually involves solving 15 other subproblems, and half the time I run into a brick wall like some stupid irreconcilable dependency that has nothing to do with the actual problem I'm trying to solve. I don't know why I continue to mess with this stuff -- it's a waste of time really, except in this case it is my best hope for fixing the MBR/partition table that MDK10 installer broke.

 

Sorry for my rant. I just get tired of the rpm stuff that never works the way I want it to.

 

BTW: I might consider the LBA BIOS magic, except that this is on an HP laptop that has a crummy BIOS that has only an option for changing boot order...I don't think it has any settings for LBA vs auto mode. Besides, call me crazy but I still trust diskdrake more than fdisk /mbr (I guess because I'm not clear on what fidsk /mbr actually does). I'm trying to make Windows boot, not wipe out my partition table...at least, that's my goal.

Edited April 7, 2004 by joeclark

[bvc]

I hear ya.

 

fdisk /mbr is suppose to only be applicable to win9x....but seems to help resolve this prob for some. For XP/2k the first thing to try is fixmbr and fixboot with the xp/2k cd. Then if that fails try fdisk /mbr. Your mbr and partition table are 2 diff things. I think what is happening is that when fdisk /mbr is done, xp/2k can then understand/read/rewrite a bootable mbr for itself. Just a guess though since I'm not an mbr :D Should happen regardless, but the fact is, until people have used fdisk, fixmbr didn't work.

[crash2k]

To install Mandrake 10 community without FAT or NTFS crashes you would reinstall all of them. But, the first installation must be of the Mandrake Linux.

 

The necessary HDA1 to be a Linux partition. And, after Linux installation, you can install Windows. In this way, both the systems had functioned.

 

You still it did not lose the HD data... Partition FAT or NTFS it remains accessible for Linux system. With Linux make a backup of Windows partition and later reinstall all, starting for the Linux.

[Cannonfodder]

I disagree, I usually install windows first and then linux. In this fashion, linux will pick up the windows installation and make a lilo.conf entry for you. As far as windows goes, once lilo passes the buck to windows, windows just runs its own boot program..

[joeclark]

About installing Windows first: I agree. I like lilo, and would prefer it to load either Windows or Linux. That has worked fine in the past, but with the crummy buggy partition program in MDK10 stuff gets broke.

 

My saga: Always something....I managed to get the updated drakxtools (v 10-29), and ran the command described in a bugzilla report on this problem (http://qa.mandrakesoft.com/show_bug.cgi?id=7959). That didn't help. Then I tried the fdisk /mbr from FreeDOS, and it did a good job of deleting lilo, but it didn't help make Windows boot at all. I then tried to boot the Windows recovery console, but the first thing it did (after taking forever to load a bunch of driver files) was ask for the Administrator password -- if I remember right, the only users in XP Home were myself and the "Owner" account. Great..so that didn't work. Then I tried using Mandrake to restore the Windows bootloader (after reinstalling lilo). It installed it I guess, but Windows still wouldn't boot. So, I finally quit and just put lilo back on...at least lilo will boot Mandrake still.

 

So, the only thing I haven't tried is the "LBA" switch. However, as I mentioned before, my laptop has one of those software (hard disk) BIOS thingies, so the real setup in the bios has very few options. I tried to run the diagnostic tool to run advanced setup (or whatever they call the hd-based one), but it seemed to be inaccessible (but I KNOW the hidden partition is still there). Whatever, computers are stupid.

 

One more thought: would it do any good to try and reinstall the MBR using **Mandrake 9.2** rescue mode? Would that fix it, or do nothing, or make it worse? Is the problem even the MBR, or is it in the partition table itself?

Edited April 9, 2004 by joeclark

[Cannonfodder]

Usually if windows won't boot, then there is a reason.. the password is the password you type in during windows installation. There is a file on your c:\ called boot.ini. It indicates the location of the boot partition (like lilo). Lilo passes the boot process off to the windows boot manager so if that file is incorrect, you have problems. Its a good reason to continue to put windows in the first active partition ;)

[joeclark]

Yeah, the reason here, though, is that something is screwed up in the MBR/partition table due to a Mandrake bug..I don't think that it has anything to do with the actual Windows files on the Windows partition. When I added the Mandrake partitions, it took space at the end of the physical disk -- the Windows partition is still in the same location where it used to boot from.

[Cannonfodder]

It's possible, you can go to www.bootdisk.com and get a boot floppy with fdisk on it. Do a fdisk /mbr. If that works, then only windows will boot. You will need to boot from CD1 Mandrake to reinstall lilo.

 

If it doesn't work, then take a peek with fdisk at your partition and make sure the first partition is still windows. Does C: (after booting from the floppy) show you the windows files? (might not if its ntfs). In any case, the fdisk mbr is a simple mbr that states, "boot the OS in hda1". No more no less. If its not working after that, then either your boot.ini is NOW wrong or your partition table may be screwed up.

[joeclark]

Anybody know yet whether the Mandrake 10 "Official" version *fixes* this problem (ie if I do an upgrade, will it fix my partition table)? Hopefully it will....it's really "special" that this boot issue is not even mentioned on the errata page for 10CE (at least it wasn't last I noticed).

[bvc]

Anybody know yet whether the Mandrake 10 "Official" version *fixes* this problem (ie if I do an upgrade, will it fix my partition table)?  Hopefully it will....it's really "special" that this boot issue is not even mentioned on the errata page for 10CE (at least it wasn't last I noticed).

I don't see how it would with all the necessary steps involed. If yours got screwed and the suggested fixes didn't work, it's screwed.

Edited April 15, 2004 by bvc

[joeclark]

The saga...

 

So I got the Official ISOs overnight from Mandrakeclub/BitTorrent. I see that they include drakxtools-10-29. I tried doing the diskdrake --change-geometry=hda=255,63 command, and it does something for a bit, and returns to command prompt, but upon rebooting the problem is the same. This was expected, since I'd already tried drakxtools-10-29 as a cooker release on CE.

 

So I am close to the end of my patience with this. I suppose I'll just reformat the thing soon. I agree that it just plain seems "screwed", although I don't get why the supposed fixes don't fix it -- that's the nature of computers I guess. :-) It has become more a philosophical endeavor for me than anything else: "Can Linux repair what it broke". In this case, or due to some random thing I did after the fact, I guess the answer is no. This does not make me happy, but I put up with it. It's not completely unexpected, I know, especially with a "prerelease" version, but let's just say that things like this don't help the reputation of Linux.

 

PS: I did a dual-boot thing with a pre-existing Windows installation at work today with the Official CDs, and it *didn't* break, so I'm guessing they fixed the root cause bug (as I expected).

 

PPS: One last effort: I noticed tonight that when Windows is blinking cursors at me, it seems to be accessing the floppy drive -- not actively really, but the light is on. Any clues based on that?

[nsolitude]

joclark wrote:

PPS: One last effort: I noticed tonight that when Windows is blinking cursors at me, it seems to be accessing the floppy drive -- not actively really, but the light is on. Any clues based on that?

 

I just disabled my floppy drive and I was ONLY THEN able to boot into XP.

 

My situation may be different than yours:

 

First install of 10.0 CE, I installed the boot loader into the MBR and and had the same problem others describe with the blinking cursor. I didn't know a work around so I reformatted and reinstalled XP with all of the updates.

 

I tried the 10.0 CE install again and this time I selected to install the boot loader to a floppy disk. The result was that when I booted the machine without the floppy disk I just got this:

 

L 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 and so on down the page half way.

 

I booted with the boot loader floppy and to Linux I get a CRC error. This has been a consistent problem in my install attempts.

 

When I selected Windows from the boot floppy, it would not boot to XP. I can't recall what the screen showed-- maybe a crc error.

 

I went in to bios to change the boot sequence to try to force XP to boot and for some reason I decided to disable the floppy drive. That is all I did, the remaining boot sequence was CDRW then HDD. I rebooted AND I went straight into windows XP.

 

Maybe this will work for some others.

 

Now I have a disabled floppy drive so I'm not sure how I am going to fix anything.

 

I think that I have a hardware and/or driver problem on this machine. I used the same 4 CD set to do a successful install on another computer with XP.

 

EDITED to add: So, I got into XP, BUT my objective is to get rid of XP altogether and run only Linux. Please give me some advice or refer me to a link. I go through the complete install of 10.0 CE just fine but when I try to boot it from the OS selection screen I get a 'CRC ERROR'

 

I am reluctant to try the 10CE install on a clean reformatted drive (WITHOUT XP!) because I am afraid 10.0 CE won't install correctly. Then I would have to reinstall XP with all of the updates on a slow dial up connection and that takes a whole day. I do not want Windows at all!!!

 

Can Anyone advise me on these CRC ERRORs and do you think that CE would install correctly on a reformatted hard drive? If so this is the easiest solution, just put the CE disks in, and use the whole drive for CE.

 

Should I try this?

 

Thanks

 

nsolitude

Edited April 19, 2004 by nsolitude

[Pzatch]

Installing to an all Linux machine is fine. The problem with CE was it would mess with the partitioning a bit and even though the windows OS was still there it would not run. It looks like it only happened on systems were the partitions were changed and not just reformated. Changing the hard drive setting to LBA in the bios fixed everything for me.

Edited April 19, 2004 by Pzatch

[digiital]

the problem is that since i installed the mandrakelinux 10 comunity it C-O-R-R-U-P-T-E-D my HD's mbr sector! I bougth the better hd I could and you (aRTee) say me to buy a better hardaware?!! ** ...

 

my hd isnt accessible anymore! i'm really furious! i trusted mandrake linux. every where i gone i said only good things about this OS.

 

there's no order on the developers comunity! this is a beta or RC release? why the don't say this on www.mandrakelinux.com?

 

You guys are good guys! you all help me a lot.

 

Hey! im a linux newbie but not a HD newbie! I use custom partition and format tools and have experience with HDs. If my HD was a sansung I'd buy a new with no problem but its a 7200rpm 80gb maxtor. now i'll need to back up 80gb and say to the vendor: "This hd isnt good because mandrake ****** up its mbr! Change it for me pls"

 

I never heard something like that on other distros...

For me, a software that damages the hardware is a virus!

mandrake is a virus!

mandrake is a virus!

mandrake is a virus!

You'll have to low level format the drive to bring it back. I've had the same issue with my Maxtor drives as well.

[Cannonfodder]

Aze, when you did the Mandrake install, did you do a CUSTOM partitioning or did you let Mandrake do the dirty work? Some things to consider..

 

Win2k/XP both have a file on the boot partition called boot.ini. This file contains an absolute address to the partition containing the NTLOADER and other necessary startup. You know if things are goofy due to this file if you get a message "Could not locate NTLOADER" or somethng like that. Unfortunately, what can happen is that the partition table can be rewritten and the order in which the partitions are listed is changed. This is just a possibility. Additionally, if this is a possibility, its difficult to fix because linux doesn't support NTFS read/write and you can't just edit the boot.ini (text file).

 

This is why doing a DOS fdisk /mbr may not resolve your issue, especially if XP is no longer listed as HDA1 or however its boot.ini has it listed.

 

So barring other complications like the bios, the order of startup is..

 

1. Bios goes to Active Harddrive.

2. MBR on active harddrive executes code to run Boot Manager.

3. LILO Boot manager presents options and you select XP.

4. XP Boot manager now runs. If only one option, then goes straight to XP. If more, you get a boot menu (again).

 

Now if boot.ini in step 4 lists the installations location in such a manner s its no longer true, you get an error NTLOADER not found.

 

So, what I would do, is go into Mandrake CD1 and do the install. Locate all of your actual mandrake partitions (double-check) and delete each partition. When done, you should have a NTFS XP partition left yeah?

 

Now do a DOS fdisk /mbr and see if that works. This mbr is very simple and says go to the first partition on the active drive. Use fdisk to insure that the partition is marked ACTIVE.

 

If you do get it going at this point, yoiu can then consider whether you want to continue with Mandrake. 9.2 is a stable release and you might be better sticking with it for now. Otherwise, some other ideas are to buy a second drive and install linux on it. Best way to skip problems with XP because of something you don't know or forgot.

 

Regarding boot managers such as system command and Partition Magic, I recommend you avoid them. They may or may not be linux compatible. You are trusting them *shaking head*. Better to do the 2 disk solution and use XP Disk manager for changing your first drive and use Mandrake Diskdrake for changing your second drive.