Linux rules Windows

[erikro]

Hi everybody,

just a little story how to repair a broken Windows.

A friend of mine destroyed the master boot record of his windows machine with two different installations and about eight partitions, two primary and six or seven logical. So what to do? He asked me to help since he is a genius grafic designer but knows nothing about system administration. So I did what normally has to be done. I started the console and typed fixmbr and fixboot to fix the problem but the problems just began with those commands.

After that windows didn't recognize any partition any longer. Better said it found a FAT16 partition with about 320gig. Wow! Never seen this before. *g* So I started Knoppix, one of the best life Linux CDs to repair broken systems to recover the partitions. After Knoppix launched I was surprised. Everything seemed to be ok. All partitions have been found correctly. All data could be read. All could be mounted and also fdisk and some testing tools told me that there was no problem. So I started again the windows install CD to recover the boot sector but that didn't work. Only one partition (FAT 16, about 320 gig big) with no data on it.

Since we had about 80 gig without partitions on the HD I had an idea. I found a Suse 11.1 install DVD in my notebook bag. So why not install Suse to get the machine work? I asked my friend and he told me that he always wanted to give Linux a try. So I installed my beloved OS on that machine. Of course Yast found all partitions. Also GRUB installation found the correct windows boot partitions. So after about two hours Suse started and everything seemed to be fine. But what about the main point launching the old windows systems?

Let's try. After rebooting the machine GRUB offered to start the two different windows installations. We selected the important one of them and pling, plang, plong. Windows started correctly and everything was as before. My friend was so happy. Only the other one which he had for testing purpose launched into blue screen.

He was even happier that Suse also installed his TV card which was mentioned by the support to be broken correctly. About one year ago it stopped to work without any changes. Reinstall the drivers and everything else what the supporters told my friend didn't change the situation. So the supporters told my friend that the hardware must be broken. No! Just the OS was a ****. Without any changes kaffeine found all tv channels and my friend is now able to watch tv again.

Perhaps it is a bit more difficult to install a Linux but it WORKS! rotfl

Bye

Erik

[chief_sealth]

Good to hear everything worked out for your friend. No, Windows isn't a diagnostic tool, the "solution" most Windows "experts" resort to is clean and rebuild.

[VampirD]

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> console and typed fixmbr and fixboot
All the days I learn something

> He was even happier that Suse also installed his TV card which was
> mentioned by the support to be broken correctly. About one year ago it
> stopped to work without any changes. Reinstall the drivers and
> everything else what the supporters told my friend didn't change the
> situation. So the supporters told my friend that the hardware must be
> broken. No! Just the OS was a ****. Without any changes kaffeine found
> all tv channels and my friend is now able to watch tv again.
rotfl, my tv card didn't work on Win7 or XP with the drivers and
software designed for it, but works perfectly on openSUSE

> Perhaps it is a bit more difficult to install a Linux but it WORKS!
Maybe, for me is more difficult to intall windows and make it work
correctly than install GNU/Linux (also Slackware)

- --
VampirD

Microsoft Windows is like air conditioning
Stops working when you open a window.
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[Will Honea]

Shhh! If the word gets out, you'll be forever first recovering then
tutoring your friends on Linux. Worse, you'll wind up tutoring both the
converts AND their wives/gf. Got that much free time on your hands? ;-)

--
Will Honea

[ken_yap]

Shhh! If the word gets out, you'll be forever first recovering then
tutoring your friends on Linux. Worse, you'll wind up tutoring both the
converts AND their wives/gf. Got that much free time on your hands? ;-)

Yes, reminds me of that old joke:

Waiter, there's a fly in my soup!
Sssh, not so loud, or all the other diners will want one too.

[chief_sealth]

Yes, reminds me of that old joke:

Waiter, there's a fly in my soup!
Sssh, not so loud, or all the other diners will want one too.

You liken Linux to a fly?

[ken_yap]

It's a fly in M$'s soup and they have not been able to get rid of it.

PS: Just imagine the tantrum Ballmer would throw. Soup everywhere!