vista + debian + hard drive problem

[Dozer]

also posted this in the M$ vista forums... maybe you guys can help?

I have a "storage" drive (seagate sata 3.0gb, 320gb) with lots of files which
was previously used (as a storage drive) with my xp pro 32 install, and after
that, with my linux system via fuse+ntfs-3g. This drive is mountable in linux
still, and all files appear to be intact.

I would like to share this storage drive between my dual boot Vista
Ultimate/Debian Etch (both 64) system, but if it is connected while trying to
boot vista, vista will stop after the "loading" screen, and rest eternally on
a black screen, before any welcome logo or logon screen.

Without this drive connected, vista boots fine. Without my linux drive
connected, and with the storage drive connected, vista still will not boot.

Vista even sees my linux drive and all its partitions, but will not boot
with the storage drive attached.

I've tried booting and *then* connecting the drive, but it doesn't show up
anywhere at all (my computer, device manager, disk management).

I've searched EVERYWHERE for the last several months (ever since i bought
vista near the end of september '07) and have found absolutely Zero clues as
to why this is happening or how to fix it.

[coopstah13]

sounds to me like you have some MBR issues on the drives

[Dozer]

yep, i sure did... but i couldn't "fix" it, so here's what i did instead...

used the debian install dvd to format the offending drive, After backing up as much of the data as i could... which wasn't nearly all of it, but i had limited storage space (other than the storage drive...). I then booted into windows and let Vista wipe/format the drive in ntfs again.

Now... here's the problem.

I want to have a dual boot system, which shares a single ntfs storage volume, However, debian doesn't make it easy at all to upgrade to a new enough kernel to use Fuse/Ntfs-3g *safely* and i don't want this happening again.

So what should i do? should i DL a different distro? or is there a Current and Applicable step-by-step "Very Verbose" guide for dist-upgrading my debian etch stable into bleeding-edge debian sid unstable (which *should* have a new enough kernel and libs to properly and safely run the Fuse/Ntfs-3g solution "safely")?

Or... like my original plan, is there a way to Only upgrade the kernel and libs needed, without having to dist-upgrade?

Debian stable repos obviously don't contain new-enough kernel/libs to accomplish this, but last time i attempted the etch->lenny->sid dist-upgrade, it ended in an unbootable system, and finally a 2nd reinstall in less than a day.

I've also seen lots of dis-recommendations for upgrading parts of debian stable beyond what is contained in the stable repos, via apt-pinning and manually installing newer packages...

Does anyone have a suggestion here?

edit: Does this question belong in it's own thread?