i recently tried to install opensuse on a CompactFlash card using the port of my computer, i could succesfully install opensuse on the CF, but the Opensuse dvd modified the Bios on the computer, and now i cant boot windows xp, what should i do?
strange, never heard of that, have you tried changing the boot order in the bios ?
Andy
Your bios is not modified (that’s not possible). But you may have inadvertently written over the Windows MBR.
What exactly happens when you boot now? And are you booting with or without the CF plugged in?
lopiko wrote:
> i recently tried to install opensuse on a CompactFlash card using the
> port of my computer, i could succesfully install opensuse on the CF,
> but the Opensuse dvd modified the Bios on the computer, and now i cant
> boot windows xp, what should i do?
>
>
Are you sure it modified the bios or did it modify the master boot record?
i guess what happened is that Grub was installed to your MBR. The MBR or Master Boot Record is the place where the BIOS searches or information on what OS to start and where to locate it.
If you want to restore the old windows setting do the following:
put your XP CD-rom in the drive and boot from it
(notice that your SuSe dvd boots WAY nicer and recognizes WAY more hardware @boot)
choose R for repair
from the console run fdisk /mbr
congrats… your XP is back on track again…
lopiko@
Regrettably, most users do not have the Windows XP media necessary to use “fix /mbr” (“fdisk” was using the old DOS fdisk, XP’s command is different). It must be one of the retail/oem installation/upgrade Pro CD’s. If you have a typical purchased computer, the only media you likely have is the “recovery CD” from the manufacturer. This media usually only restores the entire Windows image as it came from the factory. If this is the case, and assuming you don’t want to reinstall Windows, you will need to borrow a CD or . . .
You can create a boot floppy to boot into XP, and from there in the command window, fix the mbr. There are a number of ways to do this, for example, here are two methods from MS:
](http://support.microsoft.com/kb/305595)
You can find other methods with Google.
after booting from the xp disc,
select repair, then at the prompt
typ: fixmbr.
all shoud be well.
I just noticed that my link to Microsoft’s instructions was lost. Just go to MS support site and search for “xp boot floppy” and you’ll find several articles.
Again, the only Windows CD that you can use to make the repair, as others have suggested, is a retail or oem fresh install version. The usual Windows CD that comes with most computers cannot be used for this.