Infinite Reboot

English Install/Boot/Login
1

Hello all,

I tried to install dualboot Vista/OpenSUSE. Somehow the Vista Disc manager could not shrink my partition in order to make a new one for OpenSUSE, so I gave the OpenSUSE DVD a shot. I inserted it while booted in Vista, the disc loaded and offered me to install OpenSUSE. First it installed ‘OpenSUSE Installer’, after that it restarted my PC and loaded OpenSUSE disc. Installation started, I could select language, keyboard etcetera. The DVD couldn’t make a new partition either; it had to remove my Vista first. Not feeling like doing so I aborted installation.

Now, the real problems began. When I booted my PC it gave me two options: Windows Vista and openSUSE 11.0 installer (LOCAL). I selected Vista, but the OS-installation continued! Even when I removed the disc it still tried to install Suse. I simply could not get in Vista any more.
With my Vista-disc I tried to recover my PC to a previous date, but it did not help.
Finally, with the command prompt on the Vista disc I removed the OpenSUSE directory on C: . I didn’t make the folder, so I assumed Suse placed it after the installation of ‘OpenSUSE Installer’. Now, when selecting ‘Windows Vista’ in the boot menu, it still tries to load the OS-installation, but now it gives Error 17: File not found.
Even after system recovery Vista would not start the way it used to.

My question is not how to make a partition to install Suse on. I would really like to know how to boot into Vista again. The installation of OpenSUSE was barely started, so I assume there’s just a small problem with my boot file.

Any help would be greatly appreciated! :slight_smile:

Greets,
Quzex from the Netherlands

2

couple of threads to look at

Winhoes no longer likes to boot after fresh install - Page 4 - openSUSE Forums

Cannot boot into Vista after openSuse 11.0 Install - openSUSE Forums

3

That looks very promising indeed! I’ll keep you up to date, thanks :slight_smile:

4

At the command prompt, type diskpart.
This will get you to the DiskPart prompt, which allows you to use a variety of hard disk partitioning and formatting tools similar to FDISK in older versions of Windows.

At the DiskPart prompt, type select disk # where the # sign is the number of the hard disk drive with Vista installed on it. If your Vista drive is the only hard drive in your computer, it is Disk 0.

Select the partition by typing select partition # where the # sign is the partition that has Vista installed on it.

Type active and press ENTER. The Vista partition is now active. Finally, type ‘exit’ to close DiskPart. Reboot the computer using the Vista dvd and follow steps 1-6 above. You can now repair the Vista boot:

Fix the Master Boot Record: (commands)
bootrec /fixmbr
bootrec /rebuildbcd
bootrec /fixboot

DiskPart couln’t make my disk active. Also it said that there were ‘0’ Windows Installations found… :S

5

Hello all,

A friend of mine told me to delete all files in C:, as it is the installation directory of the OpenSUSE Installer. It worked!

Now the question remains how to make a new partition, but I’ll figure that out myself.

Thanks!