Hi,
I own a HP pavillion DV2762TX special edition notebook and tried to install openSUSE 11 on it. I changed the software and the partitioning schema accordingly. The OS got installed but I think that the boot loader did not install the proper way; or may be it just did not install? Whatever be the case, the OS having the control of the boot loader was still Vista.
Note that I had not changed the boot options as they are always fine and do the job in the default setup. Also, I do not have more than 1 HDD, nor do I have any extended partitions, hence, failure due to bad mapping or extended partition install cannot be the case as well.
What could be the reason boot loader did not work te desired way? And yeah, I know that there is a way to use bootmgr (vista’s bootloader) to boot into linux distros. Can someone point me to a page which details the steps needed?
The laptop has a nvidia 8400mGS installed into it. but there were no compiz effects enabled by default. Ubuntu also reported that visual effects cannot be enabled (the live DVD session). Do I need to enable effects manually for this GP unit?
I hope you guys will respond positively.
Hi vaibhavkaushal123
I can’t imagine why it failed – it could be 53 possibilities 
Here’s the how to for booting Suse from vista:
Boot Multiboot openSUSE Windows (2000, XP, Vista - any mix) with Windows bootloader.
If you decide to try fixing the Suse/Grub bootloader first, you could try steps 1 and 2 of this tutorial:
GRUB Boot Multiboot openSUSE Windows (2000, XP, Vista) using the Grub bootloader.
Step 1 creates a mini boot menu of 1 entry (the boot to Suse). Step 2 creates the comprehensive boot menu that includes windows.
Two methods – good luck
Okay thanks for that thing brother. I have gone through this guide of yours:
Boot Multiboot openSUSE Windows (2000, XP, Vista - any mix) with Windows bootloader.
Now, the thing I want to do is :
Boot into Linux using the Windows Boot loader. I have Windows Vista. Actually, I bought the Laptop to have my documents and other media and all things which need no experimentation. The desktop computer is exclusively for experimentation. but I am a Linux Addict, although not a great learned person in that area.
I want to keep Windows as the boot controller so that I always have at least one operatinog system with me (Windows).
I just want to ask you these two things:
1> Are you asure that the trick over there does work (just want to be sure that I would not mess up with my laptop).
2> I know there exists the way to , but still, can you tell where I need to go after clicking on the Booting option in the install summary page to disable the installation of Grub?
Thanks in advance.
1> Are you asure that the trick over there does work (just want to be sure that I would not mess up with my laptop).
Yes
2> I know there exists the way to , but still, can you tell where I need to go after clicking on the Booting option in the install summary page to disable the installation of Grub?
When you get to the screen “Installation Settings” which includes the section “Boooting”, click the link for Booting. Then click the Tab “Boot LOader Installation”: unset to Boot from MBR and instead set to “Boot from Root Partition”.
You may have to boot manually to Suse until you set up a connection from vista, but that’s not to difficult.
On second thoughts, you should go with the flow, using the defaults so you can easily boot into Suse. There’s no difficulty re-installing Vista bootloader. You just switch the bootable flag to vista and use the repair method outlined for vista’s repair function. You do have a vista disk? That’s a must.
Thanks. but the thing is in my laptop. And I have nothing except recovery disks (and partition of course). had this not been the case, I would have opted for GRUB for sure. but I want to have Windows in conctrol so that in case I want to remove Linux off the laptop someday, I wont be stuck. That is why I want to keep Windows as the controller of the boot process.
Recovery disks – hmm – This is what I would do: I would tidy up vista and take an image of the hard drive and store it off computer. That would save my settings and data to restore to this point in time if the install went badly.
You need an imager that copies the partition table, mbr and partition/s.
And I would back up all my vista data too by copying it to external storage, just to add redundancy into the equation.
Then I’d go for it with Suse, multiboot and all.
Hey mate, you are a real genius bro!
Actually, I was just too afraid to do things. Anyway at last, fed up of all the ****ty performance by vista and tempted enough to see the performance of my nVIDIA 8400m GS delivering the compiz effects which, even though I am not too fond of but still admire a lot, I just installed openSUSE. I have got a few points to tell you:
- Yes, the guide you had given on that very page in your web site does work and I am booting into my fav OS of all times using the Windows bootloader.
- Before installing openSUSE 11, I was thinking “if any hardware does not work on the SUSE, I would remove SUSE” and this is why I wanted to have Windows boot loader as the controlller of the booting meachanism. NOw I must say that I am thinking of removing Windows altogether and make both my machines run SUSE 11.0
what a superb OS the new oS is! I must give a big and loud THANKS to each and everyone who has contributed to it!
- I want to copy the tutorial and put it onto another forum while giving away a link back to the original one. I have learnt a lot of things in this course of time which I want to share with the newbies. Since a part of all that is on your site (the Vista boot loader part), I wanted to ask for your permission so that I could make it easier for the newbies who are ready to switch to Vista. Along with that very tut of yours, I am also going to put a tut on how to install nVidia drivers etc. So, if you permit “to copy a part of your stuff”, I would be more than happy.
Thanks a lot for your help till now.
I’m really glad it all worked for you – well done.
So, if you permit “to copy a part of your stuff”, I would be more than happy.
Be free – be wild – go for it!