bcdedit.exe error on OpenSUSE 11.4 installer in Win7

English Install/Boot/Login
#1

Hello friends.

I have an ASUS N82 model notebook with Windows 7 and an ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4670 GPU. I downloaded the openSUSE-11.4-DVD-x86_64.iso file and tried to run it from my desktop using Daemon Tools LITE software. The install program for the installer started up and let me progress all the way to the final screen at which point it starts extracting files and then I almost immediately get this error message: “Cannot exec bcdedit.exe”

I have done everything I know to do to make sure that I am signed in and running the install as an administrator. I even ran the command prompt as an administrator to make sure that I could run bcdedit.exe myself and it ran fine.

Can anyone help me?

Thanks,
JC

#2

That is not how you do it. You have a good chance of destroying you Windows 7 install if you do not at least try and follow the online instruction.

I don’t in any way recommend installing from Windows. But if you must try

  1. first be prepared to reinstall Windows if things go south.
  2. follow instruction here exactly Chapter 1. Installation with YaST

And good luck

#3

Thanks gogalthorp! I guess I’ll need to break down and buy some DVDs to install it then? I don’t think a network install is possible with my resources. Thanks again for the heads-up.

#4

You’ll need exactly one (1) DVD for the original 11.4 install, but you must be prepared for I’d say at least a download 50-500 MB of updates/drivers, etc. after the 11.4 DVD has finished installing. Virtually all distros have this type of demand, except perhaps for openBSD.

#5

On 2011-04-04 01:06, gogalthorp wrote:
>
> That is not how you do it. You have a good chance of destroying you
> Windows 7 install if you do not at least try and follow the online
> instruction.

A comment: this is not the install from windows method that the
documentation describes, and that I referred to previously; there is no
bcdedit.exe in the dvd.

–
Cheers / Saludos,

Carlos E. R.
(from 11.2 x86_64 “Emerald” at Telcontar)

#6

I am taking the liberty of summarizing this thread (I hope I get it right), for the benefit of other folk who might read it. At present, it comes across as a bit disjointed.

There is a way of starting an openSuSE install in Windows (see post #2 for the link). What that does, is setup the Windows boot loader so that it will boot from the DVD on the next boot. It depends on having the install DVD. And it will use the Windows program BCDEDIT.EXE (found in Vista and Windows 7) to setup the Windows boot loader appropriately.

The originator of this thread apparently did not have the install DVD. Instead, he had the “.iso” file that could be used to burn the DVD. But, instead of burning a DVD, he used a software package that emulated a virtual DVD from the “.iso”. And there’s no way that could work, because the installer still has to run from the actual DVD.

#7

On 2011-04-05 23:06, nrickert wrote:
>
> I am taking the liberty of summarizing this thread (I hope I get it
> right), for the benefit of other folk who might read it. At present, it
> comes across as a bit disjointed.
>
> There is a way of starting an openSuSE install in Windows (see post #2
> for the link). What that does, is setup the Windows boot loader so that
> it will boot from the DVD on the next boot. It depends on having the
> install DVD. And it will use the Windows program BCDEDIT.EXE (found in
> Vista and Windows 7) to setup the Windows boot loader appropriately.

Ahhhh… thanks, I did not know where that bcdedit.exe came from.

> The originator of this thread apparently did not have the install DVD.
> Instead, he had the “.iso” file that could be used to burn the DVD.
> But, instead of burning a DVD, he used a software package that emulated
> a virtual DVD from the “.iso”. And there’s no way that could work,
> because the installer still has to run from the actual DVD.

I think there is a method with Ubuntu that works (they say) and perhaps
people are trying to use it with openSUSE. I remember a thread asking for
that feature, where was it… :-?

…] Searching…

Ah, WUBI! But I got it wrong, it is a method to install ubuntu inside
windows without partitioning.

–
Cheers / Saludos,

Carlos E. R.
(from 11.2 x86_64 “Emerald” at Telcontar)

#8

Thanks guys, it makes a lot more sense now. I bought some DVDs and will try again later when I have more time. I really appreciate your help.