system failure (dual boot with XP)

**pradiptasaha** · 23-Jan-2011, 22:40

I have a Duall Boots system where suse 11.3 (GNOME) is shared with Win XP SP2

.....my windows crashed last night ...after that I tried to reinstall, but installation failed and it continually asked me restart the system again again without installing the windows, but copying the system files each time.

Then worst happened when I found even options for booting suse at start up is not showing up and instead an error msg is coming .....

Plz Help

**caf4926** · 23-Jan-2011, 22:43

You can get SUSE back by following this
Re-Install Grub Quickly with Parted Magic

Once you have SUSE back, show us the result of this

Code:

fdisk -l

YouTube - su - fdisk.mpeg

**pradiptasaha** · 24-Jan-2011, 02:48

yeah it seems to be bit complicated ........

I just want to know that if using GRUB will erase the data that are stored in lunux partition ?

furthermore i think my linux is quite intact ..i think .......but after i tried to install win XP ..initial booting options that are used to show up is not showing

**please_try_again** · 24-Jan-2011, 03:00

Originally Posted by pradiptasaha

yeah it seems to be bit complicated ........

I just want to know that if using GRUB will erase the data that are stored in lunux partition ?

Nope it will just write a bootloader either in the first sector of the hard disk (MBR) or in the first sector of a partition, depending where you choose to install it. There are no data in this area.

furthermore i think my linux is quite intact ..i think .......but after i tried to install win XP ..initial booting options that are used to show up is not showing

That's perfectly normal. Windows has just activated its partition and overwritten the MBR. You have either to reinstall Grub in MBR or set the bootflag back on the Linux or extended partition which has Grub installed. It sounds more complicated than it is really.

**caf4926** · 24-Jan-2011, 03:00

Just follow my guide using Parted Magic
Read it carefully and you'll be fine, it'll not erase anything

**stamostolias** · 24-Jan-2011, 03:11

Look your partition read this Partitioning external drive for Linux

**pradiptasaha** · 24-Jan-2011, 03:20

thnx ...will keep u updated when am done

**please_try_again** · 24-Jan-2011, 03:47

Originally Posted by stamostolias

Look your partition read this Partitioning external drive for Linux

@stamostolias,

I might not be clever enough to understand the thread you refered to and already presented (in other threads) as the ultimate solution for dualbooting problems ... but seriously ... there are hundreds of posts - not to mention pictured howtos and videos, describing and/or explaining the method in a less confusing and more intelligible way.

**JohnVV** · 24-Jan-2011, 03:57

personally when dealing with MS being also installed .I find my life WAY MUCH easier and having way less hassles
If i just let MS have the mbr .
and install grub on the FIRST linux partition and use gparted to place the boot flag there . .

this way the very "dumb" MS install disk can overwrite the mbr and not mess me up when a reinstall/"fix" is needed
also some third party applications have the windows OS put data on the mbr . If grub is there then windows can overwrite some of it and
Windows will not check if non MS code is there it assumes that it is the MS bootloader.

**stamostolias** · 24-Jan-2011, 04:26

Originally Posted by please_try_again

@stamostolias,

I might not be clever enough to understand the thread you refered to and already presented (in other threads) as the ultimate solution for dualbooting problems ... but seriously ... there are hundreds of posts - not to mention pictured howtos and videos, describing and/or explaining the method in a less confusing and more intelligible way.

I understand!! Of course there are hundreds of posts which solve dualbooting problems. I do not diminish your intelligence!!!
I'll take it as advice. But many Greeks which are members of this forum will not get it as advice but as an insult.