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Re-Installing the win2k boot loader... 2

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LiquidBinary

Programmer
Jul 27, 2001
148
US
Does anybody know of a safe way to re-install the win2k boot loader? I currently have LILO as my boot loader, but I trashed my Linux partition, so I no longer need LILO. Mike L.G.
mlg400@blazemail.com
 
use a win98 boot disk, and issue an fdisk /mbr
Pbxman
Systems Administrator

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It will definately get rid of the LILO boot loader and most likely the W2K boot loader as well.
You can boot with the cd and do the fix boot option which should get rid of the LILO boot.If done after the fdisk /mbr the fix boot would or should fix the boot.
 
You said the partition is "trashed"..is the Win2K partition the only one remaining?

If LILO doesn't work - the way to dump it is fdisk /mbr. That will remove LILO's "connections" to your Linux partition, and restore Win2K's Boot loader.

Even if it did not work, there are plenty of free bootloaders available to fix your situation out..all an fdisk /mbr does is recreate your Master Boot Record - since LILO was in the way..you want it gone.

Do you have any Partition utilities at your disposal as well?
Pbxman
Systems Administrator

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I was kind of in a hurry when posting my first question.
Here is the scenerio:

1.Win2k is installed on the Master disk.
2.Linux is on the slave.
3.I wanted to partition my linux slave disk to be half ext2, and half NTFS. When running Partition Magic to attempt this, it crashed.
4.Now When I boot into Linux, the kernel does not recongize any of my usernames or root. It does not even understand what a run-level is. When I try to do -> shutdown -r now, the kernel just hangs.
5.HELP!!! Mike L.G.
mlg400@blazemail.com
 
ok - linux is trashed

fdisk /mbr will bet rid of LILO, and restore win2K as the OS..from there you can reinstall Linux and LILO.
Pbxman
Systems Administrator

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Just on a side note. Does LILO install itself in two places?
Scenerio:

1.After I rendered my linux partition unusable I wanted to find out if LILO would still boot win2k without there even being linux.
2.I disconnected my linux slave drive and set the appropriate settings in setup to not detect a slave.
3.At the point where LILO is supposed to show up, the screen scrolls endlessly displaying -> 110100101010101001011110.
4.When I reconnect the slave drive, LILO displays and I can boot into win2k.
5.I was under the impression that LILO was installed on the MBR on the master disk. Does it somehow need access to the slave (which has an unusable linux kernel) to even boot? win2k? Mike L.G.
mlg400@blazemail.com
 
Remove the slave drive, and fdisk /mbr your win2K partition.
Use partition magic's recsue boot disks to reformat and reinstall linux from that point.
Pbxman
Systems Administrator

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You can try rebuilding the linux loader as well...if linux is still installed...

lilo -u /dev/sda1

try that too.
Pbxman
Systems Administrator

Please let Tek-Tips members know their posts were helpful.
 
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