I was recently trying to install to openSUSE 13.2 on Dell Studio 15 laptop. It has old hardware - BIOS System - MBR Boot. The hard drive was new with 1TB space. It had 5 partitions (all NTFS), the 5th one was for installing linux (as mentioned earlier pre-formatted as NTFS). To, my susprise, MBR, the first partition of HDD which was labelled as System Reserved Partition was of ***NTFS ***format. **AFAIK MBR should be of FAT32 partition format right?
**OK.now I will explain how the system behaved weirdly.
When I tried to install Linux Mint (from live cd). The computer folder showed all the partitions. But the installer didn’t show all the partitions
. It showed all the extended partitions as single partition of 800 GB. Becoming aware that Linux Mint won’t install properly I tried to install openSUSE on it. 1. Luckily it showed all the partitions. I rejoiced that “Yeah openSUSE has the best installer.” But this joy was short lived as the installer didn’t allow me to resize, move or delete partitions.
Ofcourse I’m talking about expert partitioning here. So, I edited the 5th partition, on which we had planned to install openSUSE by setting it as root partition and formatting it as XFS (which was formatted as NTFS). I could not make make a SWAP partition as the installer didn’t allow me to do it. When I tried to resize/delete/move a partition a got two dialog boxes. One confirming whether I wanted to continue without swap partition. The second dialog box showed long string of text. I would summarise the text as “The partition structure has improper structure. You won’t be able to Delete/RESIZE/MOVE partition. If you want to do so, you should create a new partition structure, deleting old partition structure.” 1. OH, I didn’t mention, the automatic proposal which the partitioner proposed didn’t even bother to touch the HDD. It infact showed suggestion to install openSUSE on the installation medium (i.e. the liveusb)
. Weird. 1. I was dumb enough to continue even after this.
So, I just made the last partition as / and continued installation. Rest of the settings were left to be default. 1. Another setback came when at last step I got message, "bootloader not installed, retry or edit bootloader options
". Retried to install the bootloader again, then I also selected the option to copy generic bootloader to MBR. Ultimately I had to abort. 1. Then it stuck me, may be the problem is due to not setting MBR partition as boot flag. Again the bootloader didn’t install. I tried different setting like install bootloader to only MBR or install only on /boot or both. Nothing working.
I thought that having formatted a partition as XFS I may be allowed to resize it and make a SWAP partition but I was still not allowed.
Then I gave up.
To my surprise niether Windows nor openSUSE boots.
I’ve tried to FixMbr by Bootrec.exe /FixMbr from windows 7 system repair disk. It shows process completed but in reality it didn’t. And Bootrec.exe /RebuildBCD didn’t even run properly.
The only breather is that the partitions other than / and MBR are left intact.
The Master Boot Record is outside the partitions (together with the partition table itself), does not contain a file system, thus not of any file system type, thus not FAT32.
It is of no importance what the file system type of a partition is as you are going to use it for a fresh installation of openSUSE, as it will be overwritten with a new file system (of a Linux type like Btrfs, ext2/3/4, Reiser, Xfs).
Looks like an extended partition was corrupt and the installer is unable to interpret a partition table.
There are tools to recover that situation if you provide a guess of where the original partitions were.
It would be simpler to reformat the whole extended partition, if nothing important is recorded there.
Likely a known problem of the OS 13.2 DVD installer: GRUB is unable to write its configuration to the BTRFS (default) partition.
You might try to correct this with a GRUB rescue tool, but be careful, you risk messing things up even more.
That way you borked your original MBR. So NO, the MBR was NOT left intact. No wonder that Windoz doesn’t boot.
The OpenSuse installer saves the original MBR in /boot/backup_mbr and you might be able to restore it.
But be careful, chances are that you overwrote it several times with your attempts, so maybe it is not “original” anymore.
Rescue of your system requires sysadmin skills about both Windoz and Linux, something above my ability to “fly by wire”…
It is probably what is often called the “OEM partition”. It is from the computer vendor, and used for initial setup and possibly recovery. It’s often FAT, but can be NTFS.
ok MBR install often are on DOS/MBR/MS/old disk structure this only allowed a max of 4 primary partition. But one could be defined as extended and in that extended you could have a large number of logical partitions. With EFI booting came GPT format became common which has no extended but also has a very large limit on number of partitions. You can do MBR booting on a GPT formatted disk but it is much more common to do EFI booting though it is possible to do mixed but can lead to confusion in the OS 's installed. In practice it is best not to mix boot methods. So it is unclear what format the drive is. Guessing wrong could lead to the errors you saw.
The HDD which came with the laptop had crashed. So, he replaced the HDD with a new one. And installed Windows 7 by himself (i.e. clean installation of windows 7 was done). So, I would rule out the possibility of OEM partition or recovery.
I’ve checked the BIOS settings. I doesn’t has option of switching in between Legacy or EFI. ALso the laptop is old. Was brought in 2009 and it came with Windows 7 Home Basic. So, I will ruleout the possibility of EFI problem.
I know I’m not ready enough to fiddle with BTRFS. So, I had changed the format to XFS.
The OpenSuse installer saves the original MBR in /boot/backup_mbr and you might be able to restore it.
But be careful, chances are that you overwrote it several times with your attempts, so maybe it is not “original” anymore.
Rescue of your system requires sysadmin skills about both Windoz and Linux, something above my ability to “fly by wire”…
Sounds interesting, how can I do that? ANd would it be worth considering the shortcomings which you listed. Even if the condition doesn’t improve, it shouldn’t deteriorate the condition.
Hi
For dual boot with windows 7 on the same drive, I normally boot an openSUSE rescue cd (on usb) and prep the drive so;
wipefs -a /dev/sdX
fdisk /dev/sdX
sda1 - 100MB type 7
sda2 - extended (less size wanted for windows eg 100GB)
sda5 - 512MB /boot type 82
sda6 - 40GB / type 82
sda7 - as required /home type 82
sda8 - < 8GB RAM = 2 x RAM >= 8GB RAM = RAM for swap type 83
sda3 - Windows type 7
On the windows iso image I remove the ei.cfg file so then you can install any version of windows 7 for the product code you have. Then you don’t need lots of dvd’s around. I do use rufus on windows to prep if I use a USB device for the install. You can also just delete the ei.cfg file from the usb device which can be easier.
Also note that even if it’s a 32bit install and the system will handle 64bit you can use the same product key if your wanting to use 64bit.
Then start the windows install, use the custom option and select the volume, indicating sda3. Then let it do it’s thing…
Then install openSUSE, select expert when at the partitioner, hit rescan drives, then go up and select sdX and complete the partitioning for mount points and formats. Now when at final screen I then ensure grub installs it’s bits and bobs into the extended partition leaving the windows mbr alone. The install will set the active partition to sda2 (extended), then can happily chainload the windows install. In the event of a windows boot issue you can boot with a rescue system, set the active boot flag to sda1 temporarily and sort out the windows stuff, then reverse the process to reset the boot flag to sda2 for grub/openSUSE.
Sometimes Windows may create a boot partition depends on the exact install disk used and the advanced options. In any case sounds like a MBR install so you may have to create and use the extended partition and install in there either fully or partially since you can have at most 4 primary partitions which one can be an extended. There should not be any EFI boot partition and you should use grub2. Best to install generic boot in the MBR and install grub to the partition that contains /boot directory. Usually root.
There were 5 partitions, all formatted by disk management tool of windoze. The fifth one was meant for GNU/linux installation.
So, I guess it was extended partition. I’m guessing because I’m could not see description (whether logical or extended) of any of the partition in their properties (in disk management tool ofcourse)
There should not be any EFI boot partition and you should use grub2. Best to install generic boot in the MBR and install grub to the partition that contains /boot directory. Usually root.
Didn’t make any EFI partition.
First time, I didn’t install generic boot, 2nd time I did. Both the times I didn’t set /boot flag on any partition so, it must have been written in /
3rd time I did blunder and set /boot flag to MBR partition. When it didn’t work then I removed the /boot flag.
Still nothing worked.
I tried more number of times but still no result.
I have described all this in my first post (oh I should say story :D)
NO if it is GPT partitioning, which is implied with EFI boot, then there are NO extended partitions.
Count the partitions the numbering can be off and an extended is almost always listed as 5 even if there aer 4 actual partitions. And the Windows partitioning tool lies and hides stuff from you use a gparted disk or any other disk partitioning software.
An extended partition on the old DOS/MS partitioned drive can hold up to 128 logical partitions ( if I recall) . But it can only have 4 actual primary partitions one of which can be the extended. The newer GPT partitioning scheme does not use extended at all but can have any number of partition (limit, look it up)
In general do not make partitions for Linux in Windows just provide free space for the installer to work
Err. I’m so Sorry. It’s so difficult in convincing this guy, the friend of mine, that those two commands will not cause any harm to his laptop. He is simply not giving his laptop.
Now he doesn’t believes in me and he believes in my mechatronics lab in-charge (who has got more experience than me).
I’ll post the output of those to commands but that will happen only (tomorrow) in the presence of my lab in-charge. >:(
If your friend dos not trust you, and through you does not trust us, helping is almost impossible. If I were you, I would step aside and let him do his own business (he can join the forums himself can’t he?), because when this mistrust comes between him and you, that will be the end of your friendship.
I never said I don’t trust you guys.
Henk do I need to write a post, explaining how much I love what you guys do? I joined openSUSE community (first on forums, then on other channels) back in Jan 2013, I never would have thought I would start contributing back to community.
Taking inspiration from what you guys do, I have started to do openFATE screening. It wouldn’t have started without the support of you guys, which I got here on the forums.
I would step aside and let him do his own business (he can join the forums himself can’t he?)
I thought of that, but then I thought it’s my responsibility to bring my system back to the working condition because this mess was caused by me.
Uhh … Henk never inferred that you did not trust us. Reread his comment, it was about your friend not trusting us by – or through – not trusting you.
… and, from professional experience, I can tell you that if this person does not trust you – or has doubts about you – you should do as Henk says: Cut & run.
This lack of trust can only lead to serious trouble down the road.
Sorry, maybe I did not express myself clear enough. I tried to explain that when he does not trust you, then he does not trust us (through you). I never had the intention to say that you do not trust us. Again sorry for the misunderstanding.
I only wanted to warn you that trying to help someone that does not trust the helper(s), being it you or us through you, will be a frustrating struggle. And that you better tell him to join the forums and ask himself (or forget about it) then to risk the the friendship between the two of you.
When someone first asks me for help and I try and ask for more information and then he says: “I do not trust you”, I am finished.
