Summarizing: Following DOS/WIN-FDISK rules: ONE CAN HAVE 1 MAIN PARTITION.
That means everything else (WIN/Linux mix) HAS TO GO IN AN EXTENDED PARTITION.
It is the PARTITION-TABLE of this EXTENDED partition that gets wiped out.
(wiping out nearly all harddisk because the extended-partition-table holds
information for all logical drives, that is all drives minus the main
partition).
Linux fdisk allows 4 main partitions. My next setup will have 3 main partitions
+ 1 Extended partition.
The main partition for DOS/WIN will be towards the end of the disk as much as
possible.
With today's big harddisks and the FAT16 limit of 2GB one ends up with more
partitions. I used FAT16 (and not FAT32) to avoid incompatibility.
----------------
At 11:30 PM 9/13/99 +1200, Dagan Sgiath wrote:
><======= On 13 Sep 99, at 10:51, SuM w1ttY f00l wrote: =======>
>
>> >I have trouble with WIN98(95) co-existing with Linux (RH 5.0).
>>
>> >Yesterday DEFRAG of D: wiped out enough of my Linux to require
>> > a re-install.
>>
>> >How can I improve following setup to stop WIN98 from clobbering
>> > my Linux?
>
> It sounds like you installed Linux into a DOS partition or something. If
>this is
>the case, then Win9x/NT will of course take the filespace back to a proper
>FAT/FAT32 partition, and any linux files will get messed up.
>
> If you have Linux installed in a proper Linux Native partition, Windows
>shouldn't see the files, so it shouldn't change them.
>
Linux was properly installed. WIN98 does not see the Linux partitions.
Yet during operation (an application of) WIN98 is AFFECTING Linux. The damage
I experience could be as little as affecting/changing the partition-table of
the EXTENDED partition.
I was trying to find out if others have this problem. If not, maybe there is a
problem in my hardware, or in my harddisk-setup.
>> I've never been brave enough to experiment with dual booting systems for
just
>> this sort of reason. Instead I have Windows and Linux on separate drives
>> each in a removable tray.
There are no removable drives in the stores here.
Separate drives is a practical possibility.
My first step will be to put DOS more toowards the end of the drive. Myabe
Linux-fdisk allows MAIN MAIN EXTENDED MAIN whereby DOS goes to the last MAIN.
Should that not be possible, or fail, I will use my other harddisk for DOS.
Thanks for trying to help.
Herman Aa.
>From a mountaintop on Cebu island, Philippines.
List: Direct copies (extra copy) welcome.
