The same old Dual-Boot problem.. HELP!!

[yeepin]

I guess that this problem has been posted many times. But I still can't get it working on my laptop. I'm running Win98 on the first partition and have just installed RedHat 7.0 on the second partition on the same hard disk.
I can boot up to linux (which is my default) but I can't get it to boot up to win98. It just stops at the "Loading dos" prompt. This is so weird.. coz it works perfectly fine on my desktop (also a win98-linux dualboot system).
I have read and tried some of the tips on the NHF but it still doesn't work. I haven't tried fdisk /mbr though. Anyone can advise a newbie? My lilo.conf is as follows:

boot=/dev/hda
timeout=50
linear
prompt
message = /boot/message
default = linux
vga = normal
read-only
map=/boot/map
install=/boot/boot.b
image=/boot/vmlinuz-2.2.16-22
label=linux
root=/dev/hda5

other=/dev/hda1
label=dos

[Tiger]

I'd try fdisk /mbr just to get Windows back. Then with the rescue floppy you made boot linux and run # /sbin/lilo -v. The "v" parameter means verbose and will let you know if anything goes wrong during the procedure.

Also, check the lilo.conf on your desktop. I think that windows stanza looks a little short for some reason.

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[This message has been edited by Tiger (edited 28 January 2001).]

[JAdrock]

my lilo.conf [windows section] resembles the following

other = /dev/hda1
label = Windows
table = /dev/hda

so maybe its the fact you're missing "table = /dev/hda"

[yeepin]

Oh no!!! I have a feeling that I am in deep **** here ( that feeling of despair and panic is setting in)...

I have checked with the lilo.conf on my desktop and it seems that the "table = /dev/hda" is also not present.. but the dual boot is working perfectly on my desktop. Anyway, I did add in the "table" entry on my laptop lilo.conf just to see whether it works... it didn't solve the "Loading dos" lock-up.

The worst thing is that I was going to try fdisk /mbr and when I booted up using my Win98 boot disk, nothing happened!! There was just this blank screen with the underscore flashing. The light on my floppy drive did light up for about 5 secs or so then it went out. This happened with or without the "table" entry.

Anyone can save me?

[Tiger]

Did you run /sbin/lilo after changing lilo.conf?



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Badges? We don't need no stinking badges.

[yeepin]

Yep... I did with -v
The following was the readout:

Reading boot sector from /dev/hda
Merging with /boot/boot.b
Mapping message file /boot/message
Boot image: /boot/vmlinuz-2.2.16-22
Added linux *
Boot other: /dev/hda1, on /dev/hda, loader /boot/chain.b
Added dos
/boot/boot.0300 exists - no backup copy made.
Writing boot sector.

Any ideas will be much appreciated... thanks!!