Re: [newbie] partition info destruction
That partition is gone. You should never have told it to install there. - Original Message - From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Friday, November 24, 2000 6:34 PM Subject: [newbie] partition info destruction Ok, this is what happened... I was running Windows, and bought Linux-Mandrake 7.2. I installed it with the custom option, as i had already installed 7.1 a couple of times. when it got to the point to decide how to install it on my harddrive, i chose the option "install to free space on Windows", which i thought would create the necessary partitions, and 'steal' the space from windows. Beforehand i had defragmented windows. when i clicked into the "install to free space on Windows" option, the system froze.(AI could move the mouse, but the system would not respond to the mouse or the keyboard navigation of the options... I proceeded to press ctrlaltdel. the system rebooted, but instead of booting normally it asked for me to enter the location of my command.com file, i entred c:\windows\command.com but to no avail. When i booted with my win 98 boot disc it told me that it had not found a valid FAT16 or FAT32 partition on my drive, and that i should use fdisk to make one. i used fdisk and it told me that there was the windows partition (i could tell because of the size), but that it was a non-DOS partition. I tried using norton disc doctor, but that didn't help because it could not see a drive to examine... I desperately need help, because i've got important stuff on the windows partition... I started Lnx-mdk 7.2 setup again, just to see what the partitions looked like etc. but the 'only' option of how to install was to use all the space (ie. no option to use the space that was not being used by windows - win does not use all the space on my harddrive; the rest is empty) I know this is not exactly a linux question, but my guess is that some of you will also know something about windows. Thanx a lot... creaktop -- Sent through GMX FreeMail - http://www.gmx.net
RE: [newbie] partition info destruction
It sounds like it overrode your winblows partition. Ouch! -Original Message- From: Goldenpi [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: Monday, November 27, 2000 1:27 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [newbie] partition info destruction That partition is gone. You should never have told it to install there. - Original Message - From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Friday, November 24, 2000 6:34 PM Subject: [newbie] partition info destruction Ok, this is what happened... I was running Windows, and bought Linux-Mandrake 7.2. I installed it with the custom option, as i had already installed 7.1 a couple of times. when it got to the point to decide how to install it on my harddrive, i chose the option "install to free space on Windows", which i thought would create the necessary partitions, and 'steal' the space from windows. Beforehand i had defragmented windows. when i clicked into the "install to free space on Windows" option, the system froze.(AI could move the mouse, but the system would not respond to the mouse or the keyboard navigation of the options... I proceeded to press ctrlaltdel. the system rebooted, but instead of booting normally it asked for me to enter the location of my command.com file, i entred c:\windows\command.com but to no avail. When i booted with my win 98 boot disc it told me that it had not found a valid FAT16 or FAT32 partition on my drive, and that i should use fdisk to make one. i used fdisk and it told me that there was the windows partition (i could tell because of the size), but that it was a non-DOS partition. I tried using norton disc doctor, but that didn't help because it could not see a drive to examine... I desperately need help, because i've got important stuff on the windows partition... I started Lnx-mdk 7.2 setup again, just to see what the partitions looked like etc. but the 'only' option of how to install was to use all the space (ie. no option to use the space that was not being used by windows - win does not use all the space on my harddrive; the rest is empty) I know this is not exactly a linux question, but my guess is that some of you will also know something about windows. Thanx a lot... creaktop -- Sent through GMX FreeMail - http://www.gmx.net
RE: [newbie] partition info destruction
Get Norton Utilies, it has a partition repair program (on the emergency disks) - little advanced, but you can change it back to a DOS Part -JD- -Original Message- From: Kelly, Christopher [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: Monday, November 27, 2000 10:44 AM To: '[EMAIL PROTECTED]' Subject: RE: [newbie] partition info destruction It sounds like it overrode your winblows partition. Ouch! -Original Message- From: Goldenpi [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: Monday, November 27, 2000 1:27 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [newbie] partition info destruction That partition is gone. You should never have told it to install there. - Original Message - From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Friday, November 24, 2000 6:34 PM Subject: [newbie] partition info destruction Ok, this is what happened... I was running Windows, and bought Linux-Mandrake 7.2. I installed it with the custom option, as i had already installed 7.1 a couple of times. when it got to the point to decide how to install it on my harddrive, i chose the option "install to free space on Windows", which i thought would create the necessary partitions, and 'steal' the space from windows. Beforehand i had defragmented windows. when i clicked into the "install to free space on Windows" option, the system froze.(AI could move the mouse, but the system would not respond to the mouse or the keyboard navigation of the options... I proceeded to press ctrlaltdel. the system rebooted, but instead of booting normally it asked for me to enter the location of my command.com file, i entred c:\windows\command.com but to no avail. When i booted with my win 98 boot disc it told me that it had not found a valid FAT16 or FAT32 partition on my drive, and that i should use fdisk to make one. i used fdisk and it told me that there was the windows partition (i could tell because of the size), but that it was a non-DOS partition. I tried using norton disc doctor, but that didn't help because it could not see a drive to examine... I desperately need help, because i've got important stuff on the windows partition... I started Lnx-mdk 7.2 setup again, just to see what the partitions looked like etc. but the 'only' option of how to install was to use all the space (ie. no option to use the space that was not being used by windows - win does not use all the space on my harddrive; the rest is empty) I know this is not exactly a linux question, but my guess is that some of you will also know something about windows. Thanx a lot... creaktop -- Sent through GMX FreeMail - http://www.gmx.net
Re: [newbie] partition info destruction
I'm not quite sure your win-partition is gone. If your LM-setup past the point where the boot disk has been made, use this, else you could retry the Linux-install disk upto the point where you can use fdisk. It will probably show your partition as a type '82' (Linux Native). You can change your partition here to type 'b' or 'c' (FAT32). After that you should be able to reboot with your Win bootdisk and save your data. That partition is gone. You should never have told it to install there. - Original Message - From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Friday, November 24, 2000 6:34 PM Subject: [newbie] partition info destruction Ok, this is what happened... I was running Windows, and bought Linux-Mandrake 7.2. I installed it with the custom option, as i had already installed 7.1 a couple of times. when it got to the point to decide how to install it on my harddrive, i chose the option "install to free space on Windows", which i thought would create the necessary partitions, and 'steal' the space from windows. Beforehand i had defragmented windows. when i clicked into the "install to free space on Windows" option, the system froze.(AI could move the mouse, but the system would not respond to the mouse or the keyboard navigation of the options... I proceeded to press ctrlaltdel. the system rebooted, but instead of booting normally it asked for me to enter the location of my command.com file, i entred c:\windows\command.com but to no avail. When i booted with my win 98 boot disc it told me that it had not found a valid FAT16 or FAT32 partition on my drive, and that i should use fdisk to make one. i used fdisk and it told me that there was the windows partition (i could tell because of the size), but that it was a non-DOS partition. I tried using norton disc doctor, but that didn't help because it could not see a drive to examine... I desperately need help, because i've got important stuff on the windows partition... I started Lnx-mdk 7.2 setup again, just to see what the partitions looked like etc. but the 'only' option of how to install was to use all the space (ie. no option to use the space that was not being used by windows - win does not use all the space on my harddrive; the rest is empty) I know this is not exactly a linux question, but my guess is that some of you will also know something about windows. Thanx a lot... creaktop -- Sent through GMX FreeMail - http://www.gmx.net
Re: [newbie] partition info destruction
All may not be lost. If you can run a floppy version of Linux, or an older (manual) install, use Linux's fdisk to set the partition information for that old DOS partition to be fat32 and "active" or bootable, or whatever they call it, save what you have done, and reboot. You _could_ get lucky. This should not make things any worse, anyway. At 06:27 PM 11/27/2000 +, you wrote: That partition is gone. You should never have told it to install there. - Original Message - From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Friday, November 24, 2000 6:34 PM Subject: [newbie] partition info destruction Ok, this is what happened... I was running Windows, and bought Linux-Mandrake 7.2. I installed it with the custom option, as i had already installed 7.1 a couple of times. when it got to the point to decide how to install it on my harddrive, i chose the option "install to free space on Windows", which i thought would create the necessary partitions, and 'steal' the space from windows. Beforehand i had defragmented windows. when i clicked into the "install to free space on Windows" option, the system froze.(AI could move the mouse, but the system would not respond to the mouse or the keyboard navigation of the options... I proceeded to press ctrlaltdel. the system rebooted, but instead of booting normally it asked for me to enter the location of my command.com file, i entred c:\windows\command.com but to no avail. When i booted with my win 98 boot disc it told me that it had not found a valid FAT16 or FAT32 partition on my drive, and that i should use fdisk to make one. i used fdisk and it told me that there was the windows partition (i could tell because of the size), but that it was a non-DOS partition. I tried using norton disc doctor, but that didn't help because it could not see a drive to examine... I desperately need help, because i've got important stuff on the windows partition... I started Lnx-mdk 7.2 setup again, just to see what the partitions looked like etc. but the 'only' option of how to install was to use all the space (ie. no option to use the space that was not being used by windows - win does not use all the space on my harddrive; the rest is empty) I know this is not exactly a linux question, but my guess is that some of you will also know something about windows. Thanx a lot... creaktop -- Sent through GMX FreeMail - http://www.gmx.net
Re: [newbie] partition info destruction
Ok, I finally made it... thanx everyone for the help... I used linux fdisk on the Lnx-Mdk 7.2 install disk, in rescue mode, it's amazing how much more powerful it is than DOS fdisk, wow... Here's what i did: linux fdisk said that the partition with windows on it was an extended linux partition. i wanted to just rename it to a windows partition, but it said that i would have to delete it first. So i deleted it and made a new windows parition on the space that had been labeled with linux extended partition. I then saved, and rebooted, but the computer just stopped, no prompt, nothing. So i rebooted with my windows bootdisk and used DOS fdisk to look at the partitions, it said that there was one non-DOS partition and one DOS partition. I then used my norton basic rescue boot disc, which restored, i think it was my, bootsector. Then i booted normally and everything is just dandy. Thanx again, to all of those who helped me, i really appreciate it, before posting to this list i was close to despair and considered just formatting the drive... bye... creaktop At 06:24 PM 11/24/00 -0800, you wrote: [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: [snip] Are there perhaps any tools which i can use to just tell the computer that my windows partition is infact a FAT32 partition, just by editing the partition table) - this excluding fdisk, as i had no luck there... thanx for your help... creaktop.yes Linux fdisk will do that. Use your Linux Mandrake 7.2 install CD in rescue mode to gain access to both fdisk and your partition. The 't' command of fdisk will change a partition's system id. From what you've been saying you probably need to change it back from whatever it is now (probably a type '83' or a type '85') to a type 'b'. Check out the 'l' command to decide what to change it to. -- Alan
Re: [newbie] partition info destruction
nomad creaktop wrote: Ok, I finally made it... thanx everyone for the help... I used linux fdisk on the Lnx-Mdk 7.2 install disk, in rescue mode, it's amazing how much more powerful it is than DOS fdisk, wow... Here's what i did: linux fdisk said that the partition with windows on it was an extended linux partition. i wanted to just rename it to a windows partition, but it said that i would have to delete it first. So i deleted it and made a new windows parition on the space that had been labeled with linux extended partition. I then saved, and rebooted, but the computer just stopped, no prompt, nothing. So i rebooted with my windows bootdisk and used DOS fdisk to look at the partitions, it said that there was one non-DOS partition and one DOS partition. I then used my norton basic rescue boot disc, which restored, i think it was my, bootsector. Then i booted normally and everything is just dandy. Thanx again, to all of those who helped me, i really appreciate it, before posting to this list i was close to despair and considered just formatting the drive... bye... creaktop [snip] creaktopthat's a nice success story. Here's hoping that your next Linux install will be less eventful. :-) -- Alan
Re: [newbie] partition info destruction
hi, well, 7.1 is installed, but not working. So i can only run discdrake from the install menu of either 7.1 or 7.2... I have a backup of my bootsector, I think i created that with norton, but when i boot from that it also asks for the location of command.com, and i've tried first booting from win98 bootdisc, and then using the 'backup of bootsector' disc, but it doesn't find any files on the disc... I think i'll try to boot from my lnx-mdk 7.1 install disc, and look at discdrake again, although i'm pretty sure that when i entered that window, the whole graphical display of the hard-drive was filled with the recommended sizes of /, swap and /home (together filling the hard-drive) but i doubt wether this will help at all, as i don't recall any diagnostic or repair tools included there... I never actually answered 'yes' to any such action, infact the install system froze just as i was going to make that choice. So in effect i think it shouldn't have but it did somehow totally change the information ABOUT the partitions (which i gather is in the partition table), not the partitions themselves. (this i think is exemplified by the fact that running fdisk told me that the windows partition is a non-DOS partition, but that it does exist, and obviously has the same dimensions as i had left it with.) Are there perhaps any tools which i can use to just tell the computer that my windows partition is infact a FAT32 partition, just by editing the partition table) - this excluding fdisk, as i had no luck there... thanx for your help... hi creaktop i'm still a linux newbie, but fairly experienced with windows umm... it sounds to me like you have blown away your windows partitions. i've never used the "install to free space on Windows" and i'm not sure exactly what that does. is Linux installed on your computer and actually working? you said you had 7.1 on the box before. if so, try running diskdrake as this will give an easy to understand graphic view of what the partitons on your drive(s) look like. linux is red, free space is white, fat is blue i think. if it doesn't show any fat drives, then you may have totally killed it. do you have any backups of your partition tables? diskdrake will allow you to do that -- tho i have never used that function so i couldn't say how well it works. ummm i use norton disk doctor also if that doesn't see any drives to work on then, i would say you partition table is damanged or changed... at any point before your crash burn did you answer 'yes' to anything asking you if you were sure you wanted to write a partition table or format a drive? best case, i think your data may still be there on the drive, physically there... but the partition table is gone. can it be repaired? i'm not too sure. wish i had better news for you but there are lots of other folks here who are up on windows, so don't give up hope quite yet. again, my best idea right now -- use diskdrake to see what it says. if you have a big white chunck that says "free space" i bet that use to be your windows partition. Adrian Smith 'de telepone dude Telecom Dept. x 7042 [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] 11:34:31 AM 11/24/00 Ok, this is what happened... I was running Windows, and bought Linux-Mandrake 7.2. I installed it with the custom option, as i had already installed 7.1 a couple of times. when it got to the point to decide how to install it on my harddrive, i chose the option "install to free space on Windows", which i thought would create the necessary partitions, and 'steal' the space from windows. Beforehand i had defragmented windows. when i clicked into the "install to free space on Windows" option, the system froze.(AI could move the mouse, but the system would not respond to the mouse or the keyboard navigation of the options... I proceeded to press ctrlaltdel. the system rebooted, but instead of booting normally it asked for me to enter the location of my command.com file, i entred c:\windows\command.com but to no avail. When i booted with my win 98 boot disc it told me that it had not found a valid FAT16 or FAT32 partition on my drive, and that i should use fdisk to make one. i used fdisk and it told me that there was the windows partition (i could tell because of the size), but that it was a non-DOS partition. I tried using norton disc doctor, but that didn't help because it could not see a drive to examine... I desperately need help, because i've got important stuff on the windows partition... I started Lnx-mdk 7.2 setup again, just to see what the partitions looked like etc. but the 'only' option of how to install was to use all the space (ie. no option to use the space that was not being used by windows - win does not use all the space on my harddrive; the rest is empty) I know this is not exactly a linux question, but my guess is that some of you will also
Re: [newbie] partition info destruction
howdy -- my comments are mixed in below with yours... you said: I have a backup of my bootsector, I think i created that with norton, but when i boot from that it also asks for the location of command.com, and i've tried first booting from win98 bootdisc, and then using the 'backup of bootsector' disc, but it doesn't find any files on the disc... me sayz: hmmm, that's odd now that i think about it if you boot from a win98 disk, shouldn't command.com be on that disk? it's been so long since i have booted win from a floppy. but that seems really strange. do you have a norton rescue disk? that should have partition info on it which could be restored. you said: I think i'll try to boot from my lnx-mdk 7.1 install disc, and look at discdrake again, although i'm pretty sure that when i entered that window, the whole graphical display of the hard-drive was filled with the recommended sizes of /, swap and /home (together filling the hard-drive) but i doubt wether this will help at all, as i don't recall any diagnostic or repair tools included there... me sayz: i don't know if there are diagnostic or repair tools there either didn't someone on the list write that they used linux fdisk to look at their partitions and that "refreshed" the partition data brought it back? try that. i don't know much about linux fdisk yet, but i was looking at it the other day and i see that it will let you change the type of partition. if the former win partition still exist, perhapse you simply need to start fdisk and change that partition to fat32 but not format it or anything. maybe that would fix it?? i'm just theorizing here -- understand i have never done this. you said: I never actually answered 'yes' to any such action, infact the install system froze just as i was going to make that choice. me sayz: again, i theorize, but this would lead me to hope that your information is still on the drive, just the partition table is lost. you said: So in effect i think it shouldn't have but it did somehow totally change the information ABOUT the partitions (which i gather is in the partition table), not the partitions themselves. (this i think is exemplified by the fact that running fdisk told me that the windows partition is a non-DOS partition, but that it does exist, and obviously has the same dimensions as i had left it with.) me sayz: yes, the partition table records what the partition type is where it ends begins, at least that is my understanding. you said: Are there perhaps any tools which i can use to just tell the computer that my windows partition is infact a FAT32 partition, just by editing the partition table) - this excluding fdisk, as i had no luck there... me sayz: probably, tho i don't know what they might be. =( partition magic might be able to do it (i don't have PM, but hear very good things about it) i'm sorry i can't tell you anything that will save you here, just tossing a bunch of theorys at you. =) i've been lucky never had to recover from something like this, so i have no first hand experience. i still kinda think using linux fdisk to "tell" the computer that partition is a fat32 system might work. is this what you tried? i also wonder about using windows fdisk with the switch to repair the master boot record. maybe that would convince it that you have a fat32 drive? this last suggestion is a big big big SWAG (scientific wild ass guess). please don't try that unless you are really brave or unless someone smarter than me thinks it might work. =) i hope your problem works out... i am leaving soon will not be back to the list until monday. i hope to see a post from you telling us how you fixed it. =) --- hi creaktop i'm still a linux newbie, but fairly experienced with windows umm... it sounds to me like you have blown away your windows partitions. i've never used the "install to free space on Windows" and i'm not sure exactly what that does. is Linux installed on your computer and actually working? you said you had 7.1 on the box before. if so, try running diskdrake as this will give an easy to understand graphic view of what the partitons on your drive(s) look like. linux is red, free space is white, fat is blue i think. if it doesn't show any fat drives, then you may have totally killed it. do you have any backups of your partition tables? diskdrake will allow you to do that -- tho i have never used that function so i couldn't say how well it works. ummm i use norton disk doctor also if that doesn't see any drives to work on then, i would say you partition table is damanged or changed... at any point before your crash burn did you answer 'yes' to anything asking you if you were sure you wanted to write a partition table or format a drive? best case, i think
Re: [newbie] partition info destruction
[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: [snip] Are there perhaps any tools which i can use to just tell the computer that my windows partition is infact a FAT32 partition, just by editing the partition table) - this excluding fdisk, as i had no luck there... thanx for your help... creaktop.yes Linux fdisk will do that. Use your Linux Mandrake 7.2 install CD in rescue mode to gain access to both fdisk and your partition. The 't' command of fdisk will change a partition's system id. From what you've been saying you probably need to change it back from whatever it is now (probably a type '83' or a type '85') to a type 'b'. Check out the 'l' command to decide what to change it to. -- Alan
