Problems with RH8.0

[ramirabeau]

I have installed RH8.0 to an 8GB partition of my 40GB hd with win2k Pro in the primary partition. Used Grub as bootloader but got errors on the floppy. Now as I boot, I get the error, "ntldr not found, press ctrl + alt + del to continue". I require my Win2k cd to boot to the RH dual boot option screen. Please someone lend a little knowledge to this situation. Thanks.

[bosox79]

Originally posted by ramirabeau
I have installed RH8.0 to an 8GB partition of my 40GB hd with win2k Pro in the primary partition. Used Grub as bootloader but got errors on the floppy. Now as I boot, I get the error, "ntldr not found, press ctrl + alt + del to continue". I require my Win2k cd to boot to the RH dual boot option screen. Please someone lend a little knowledge to this situation. Thanks.

do you have a win 2000 CD avalible? you can use it to restore the nt bootloader check out N0RKX post from this thread NTLDR is missing (http://www.justlinux.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=91575&highlight=ntldr) after doing this you will need to reinstall grub.:)

[ramirabeau]

Thanks for the info. Can you give any insight to the use of OSL-2000 Boot Loader? I have read a few postings about it, and a listing of reviews on downloads.com, but would this help or hurt? No problem re-loading linux, but would hate to have to reload all the crap in win2k. what would you suggest?

[dysharmonic]

The way I've been doing w/ XP is to get into recovery console and give the command fixmbr. I would reinstall LILO or GRUB, replacing ntloader but so far I'm ok w/ having XP ntloader on the MBR itself :D

[bosox79]

Originally posted by ramirabeau
Thanks for the info. Can you give any insight to the use of OSL-2000 Boot Loader? I have read a few postings about it, and a listing of reviews on downloads.com, but would this help or hurt? No problem re-loading linux, but would hate to have to reload all the crap in win2k. what would you suggest?

I have never used the OSL-2000 Boot Loader? myself so I can't really comment much about that. as far as ntloader goes ounce you have run fix mbr this will replace your Linux bootloader with ntloader and then you will need to reinstall grub or lilo. restoring the windows bootloader and then reinstalling grub or lilo should not wipe out your windows drive partition :D this process deals with the MBR of your primary master drive e.g dev/hda1 in Linux

[Satanic Atheist]

I don't think it's a problem with the MBR since it's asking for NTLDR but not finding it. Why would it ask for a file it doesn't know about?

Can you tell us about how you installed Linux? You may have done something that could have disrupted the Win2k install that isn't normal.

James

[bosox79]

Originally posted by Satanic Atheist
I don't think it's a problem with the MBR since it's asking for NTLDR but not finding it. Why would it ask for a file it doesn't know about?

Can you tell us about how you installed Linux? You may have done something that could have disrupted the Win2k install that isn't normal.

James

I don't think it's a problem with the MBR since it's asking for NTLDR but not finding it. Why would it ask for a file it doesn't know about?

The NTLDR is the windows 2000/XP boot loader so if both NTLDR and grub were removed from the MBR then windows is going to look for NTLDR to boot and if this is missing windows can not boot.

[Satanic Atheist]

Thanks (x2) for quoting me (x2).

NTLDR is the boot image for Windows NT based operating systems and is a file that resides in the root drive of the boot partition (usually C:).

My point is (and I'm sorry I didn't make this clearer) is that if the MBR has been flattened by LiLo or Grub then it wouldn't even know it existed.

Interestingly, trying to boot from a non-bootable disk on an NT system will produce the same error.

James

[ramirabeau]

This installation went rather un-eventfully mundane...I used an 8GB secondary partition on my main drive (/dev/hda2; hda3; and hda4 [root (Remaining), swap(512MB), and boot(100MB)]). Went through the boot loader configurator and selected win2k as my default os, and things went to shyte from there. Should I re-install RH and choose it as my default OS instead of win2k?

[serz]

What do you mean with default OS? That it waits a few secs and it boots win2k if yuu didn't select other os?

If it's that, it can be changed by editing the grub config file.

[ramirabeau]

Serz, That's correct. If that happens to be the source of my troubles, how do I edit the Grub file?

[serz]

The grub config is /boot/grub/grub.conf.

You will need to edit the config file as root, use any editor you want to do this.

Note the "default" option there.

Let's say your Red Hat partition is titled "redhat" in GRUB. So you change your default to "redhat".

default=redhat

[ramirabeau]

I'll try that, since the win2k recovery console fix didn't work. Will let you know what happens.

[ramirabeau]

Hey everyone,

Thanks for the assistance. I got it all fixed and it is running fine and I am able to boot into both OS's. traced the problem to one ofthe third party boot loaders...too much stuff was written and re-written to the MBR. Completed a clean install of Win2k and then RH8.0 and everything is back to normal....for the time being (Until I find something else to try to learn :) ). Thanks again all.

[bosox79]

Originally posted by ramirabeau
Hey everyone,

Thanks for the assistance. I got it all fixed and it is running fine and I am able to boot into both OS's. traced the problem to one ofthe third party boot loaders...too much stuff was written and re-written to the MBR. Completed a clean install of Win2k and then RH8.0 and everything is back to normal....for the time being (Until I find something else to try to learn :) ). Thanks again all.

:cool: I am glad the RH is up & running for ya your welcome:)