[Moocat]

Hi, folks. This isn't necessarily a Windows-specific question, but it might be! I haven't quite figured it out, yet.

My setup is something like this and was put together in this order:

Disk0 (Old XP install) : 250GB WD, 1 partition NTFS
Disk1 (Opensuse, music partition) : 320GB WD, 4 partitions- 1 swap, 1 root, 1 home, 1 for my music, all ext3.
Disk2 (New XP install): 300GB 10,000RPM WD raptor: 1 partition, NTFS, getting full.

What I want is to format Disk0, the one that originally had XP installed on it on this PC. I started out by installing XP, then getting a new HDD to dual boot Linux. I installed linux next, setting up the dual boot using the GRUB boot loader. After a long, long, long time, I wanted to bump it up by getting myself a Raptor for my gaming OS, so this also meant a new, clean OS! Yay!

Now that I've installed this Disk 2 (the raptor with my current working XP install), I never ever use the old Disk0 XP install. I kept it around for a bit so I could use some applications til I had time to install them on the new disk. Now, I want the 250gb of storage. NEED it. I only have 8GB left on my raptor!

So I try to format through Windows XP (my computer>right click drive>format). "Windows was unable to complete the format." I wasn't sure what to think of that so I tried using DISKPART. This gave me a little more information. "The selected disk is necessary to the operation of your computer, and may not be cleaned." Does my new XP need files on this disk to boot? How do I check? Windows, as usual, won't tell me anything. I would go to my linux side and format it as ext3, but I'm worried that this will prevent me from booting.

To test this, I disconnected Disk0 (the old XP install) and tried to boot. Before even reaching GRUB, I got an error that the boot disk was not detected (can't give it verbatim right now as it's not in front of me, sorry). How do I check to which disk GRUB is installed? Can I reformat my Disk0 to have a /boot/ partition from which to load GRUB and then use the rest as storage?


Thanks so much for any help!

[Moocat]

Anyone have any ideas here?

[Moocat]

none?

[RootbeaR]

Originally Posted by Moocat

none?

Search Linux/Unix forum for a user by name of "saikee."

Answers may be in links in his signature or post the question in the Linux forum.
(You can request a moderator to move this there.)

[Moocat]

I see, thank you very much. I initially saw this as more of a Windows problem, but with Linux involved, Windows folks are probably not the best bet, huh :P I would indeed like for this thread to be moved, but can repost if necessary. Have reported the thread. I found all the info in saikee's sig very useful but thus far have not come to complete understanding of my own specific problem.

[RootbeaR]

Originally Posted by Moocat

I see, thank you very much. I initially saw this as more of a Windows problem, but with Linux involved, Windows folks are probably not the best bet, huh :P I would indeed like for this thread to be moved, but can repost if necessary.

To have the thread moved, click on "report" below your first post and request a moderator to move to Unix/Linux forum.

Here is a thread saikee is participating in. You may want to peruse links in his sig until help arrives. It could possibly contain info you need.
http://forums.techguy.org/unix-linux...one-wrong.html

[Alex135]

Here, try this, Get gparted (a linux app) , and pre-format the hdd partition you want as NTFS, the windows install should auto-detect it and you can install directly onto it. Piece of cake. (i have also experiance problems with non-linux drives and/or partitions being on the computer at the same time as the install, so removing them and making sure helps a lot in this.

[Moocat]

"Disk0" as mentioned above already has Windows on it, the problem is that I do not want Windows on it I want to format it as ext3 to use it as extra storage for all of my backed up data, but it seems to have the boot loader on it.

[saikee]

Moocat,

You have a bit of a problem here.

A MS Windows needs its boot loader to work. This boot loader resides in the boot sector of the system partition. The boot sector is part of the hard disk overhead not accessible by the filing system (like the indexing of the NTFS system).

What is more if you install two MS Windows the MS installer will make use of the existing installer and will not implement the boot loader for the 2nd MS Windows. The XP boot loader relies on 3 system files;NTLDR, boot.ini and NTdect.com and that will be in the C drive of the first disk.

All PC systems are supposed to boot from the first hard disk or disk0.

If you were booting the systems by Grub then Grub also needs the MBR of the first disk to launch itself.

By removing the disk0 your disk1 and disk2 will be dectected by the Bios as disk0 and disk1 and so your booting order will be upset. You must edit either Xp's boot.ini or Grub's /boot/grub/menu.lst to reflect the new disk numbering system.

I am not offering any cure untill you confirm your current status and your ultimate goal.

Linux is very easy to rescue. Any Live Cd can do it. XP is more difficult especially your 2nd sysem shares the Xp boot loader with the first one in disk0. You can check if the 3 system files of the NTLDR present in your disk2 or not. Hidden files in Xp are shown up in all Linux and can be edited directly (only for boot.ini) if you have the root privilege.

By formatting the first disk you nuke the MS boot loader and make both MS system unbootable.

You could do what you were doing if you had hidden the 1st Xp when installing the 2nd Xp, forcing its installer to put the 3 system files inside the disk2. This way you can remove any disk and edit Grub to suit every situation. Grub can hide and unhide systems as well as re-map the disk order for you in the booting operation. That was the way I booted 3 Dos and 5 Windows together in the box.

[Moocat]

Alright, time for an update.

Today I woke up and decided to be adventurous. I got out my openSUSE 11.1 DVD and reinstalled Linux (just because not much had been done to it and I was in the mood for a fresh start there) and the boot loader, after formatting the original Windows disk. Yes, this did FUBAR the entire system. However, I was able to get out my Windows XP install CD and copy NTLDR and ntdetect.com to my new Windows XP install and successfully boot up after running fixmbr and fixboot.

I haven't gotten back to fixing GRUB yet, but that's next on the list Had to get Windows up first as that is the system with all of my critical software on it.

[saikee]

Very easy to restire Grub.

If your Suse (the partition that has /boot) is in say the 1st partition of the 2nd disk it will be known to Grub as (hd1,0).

You can make it chainloadable by any PC system, say by Xp or any Linux, by Grub commands

root (hd1,0)
setup (hd1,0)

If you want Grub to take over the MBR of the 1st disk the commands are

root (hd1,0)
setup (hd0)

These commands set up Grub in a floppy

root (hd1,0)
setup (fd0)

The Grub commands can be issued by booting any Linux Live CD, enter a root console (terminal with root privilege), fire up a Grub shell (by command "grub" and restore Suse's Grub in any way you want.

Many Live CD can allow you to drop into a Grub prompt to execute Grub commands. Here is a list of them. In a Grub prompt you don't need root privilege as you haven't booted up a Linux yet.

Technically your Xp is now chainloadable too. It can be fired up by Grub just identifying its "root" and the command "chainloader +1".

[Moocat]

Great information!!! Thank you so much. I'll get this working ASAP. Busy, busy weekend.


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