ITLogic() Posted November 11, 2004 Report Share Posted November 11, 2004 Hello. Due to some istallation trouble I'm having with 10.0 official, which is the subject of another forum, I am trying to completely remove all Linux partitions and start from scratch. I have 10 gig with Windows ME using 5 and ML on the other. I have done this before and it worked fine, but this time I am not as sucessful. On Win ME I have PartitionMagic 8.0 installed. I wanted to delete all Linux partitions and make the whole 10 gig one DOS primary partition again. When I booted into Win ME and started PM, I got several boot sector errors that PM said it fixed. After each error was fixed, I got and init error that it didn't recognize the drive letter and PM would not start. I rebooted with a Win 98 boot disk and started fdisk. It showed one primary partition of 5 gig and another extended partition. I told fdisk to delete the extended partition. I knew something wasn't right because I did't get the error that I had to delete logical partitions before the extended one. Afterwards, fdisk only showed the primary partition with Win ME. When I rebooted, it went into the Linux boot, which again was not expected. Finally it gave me an error that it couldn't boot so I hit a key, as told, and went into the boot manager and started Windows. I started PM again and it showed the one 5 gig partition as my whole drive and nothing more. I can't see the other 5 gig, it should at least be showing 10 gig overall with 5 partitioned and the other 5 unallocated. Do I need to format the drive and reinstall ME as well? If I do, will it format the whole 10 or just the 5? Would it help to restore the master boot record with fdisk? Thanks. :unsure: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris z Posted November 11, 2004 Report Share Posted November 11, 2004 instead of using Partition Magic, try booting with the Mandrake boot disk, then choose expert install & use Disk Drake to reformat/repartition the parts you want. could be PM isn't seeing a particular FS. what were you using on the MDK partitions? ext2,3, reiser? Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cannonfodder Posted November 11, 2004 Report Share Posted November 11, 2004 If you are smart, you won't depend on PM or Windows Disk manager to make changes to your partition table for a drive containing linux. You just don't know if they are bug free or whether your version supports it. You are much safer using the disk manager in Linux. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ITLogic() Posted November 12, 2004 Author Report Share Posted November 12, 2004 Honestly Chris, I don't know. I was having problems with installation. During the install I eventually got to the part where I test my video. After a couple of tries I got to a blue screen with crosshairs that I could control with the mouse and that was it. I waited the 12 seconds, or whatever it said in the docs and pressed every key on the keyboard. Anyway, I rebooted and it went into the Mandrake text logon. I wanted to try again from scratch and make the whole drive one dos partition again. I had done this before, and PM saw everything fine. Just this time its not working. I will use the Mandrake tool, as you guys have suggested, tomorrow or as soon as I get a chance. I'll keep you posted... literally! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ITLogic() Posted November 13, 2004 Author Report Share Posted November 13, 2004 Me again. I did as you guys suggested and used the Mandrake disk utility. Sure enough, it worked like a charm. Thanks a bunch, for now on when it comes to dealing with the Linux partitions, I'll go straight to that utility and forget PM. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bvc Posted November 13, 2004 Report Share Posted November 13, 2004 Me again. I did as you guys suggested and used the Mandrake disk utility. Sure enough, it worked like a charm. Thanks a bunch, for now on when it comes to dealing with the Linux partitions, I'll go straight to that utility and forget PM. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I use nothing but PM8 B) The reason it had problems was because of changes made to the partition table by a linux partitioner to begin with. I've always allowed it to fix errors and never had a problem. You were less fortunate. I suggest that if you use a linux partitioner, use something other than diskdrake. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ITLogic() Posted November 13, 2004 Author Report Share Posted November 13, 2004 Thanks bvc. I do like PM8, but in this case, it didn't work. Anyway, I know this is off topic, but I see you support Ubuntu. Is that one good? I've read good things. Mandrake is giving me problems and if I can't figure it out, I'm thinking of trying another distro and Ubuntu was one I was considering. I don't want to fill this board with Ubuntu off topic posts, so feel free to email me at keithmj1026@yahoo.com with any pros and cons if you have a moment to do so. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bvc Posted November 13, 2004 Report Share Posted November 13, 2004 well it's your thread so you can't be OT and I'm just OT if I want to be ;) I love ubuntu. It's the best thing since....well, since mandrake :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arctic Posted November 13, 2004 Report Share Posted November 13, 2004 yeah, ubuntu is very good out of the box. just like fedora3 :P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ITLogic() Posted November 15, 2004 Author Report Share Posted November 15, 2004 Thanks fellas! I just installed Ubuntu and it solved all of my Mandrake problems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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