Can't Dual boot w/ XP - TRIED EVERYTHING

PLease help me.... i'm about to go insane w/ this.

I've installed RH9 about 20x and each configuration I use to install the bootloader, it doesn't get detected.

I've tried, grub, lilo, w/ and w/out LBR, w/ an option of Primary Boot Partition or MBR, no matter what, after rebooting, it doesn't give me an option to boot into Linux.

Also, my comp doesn't have a floppy so I can't make a boot disk.

Thanks for any help possible.


Additional Info.

For the Install process, I use the auto partition, I've allocated about 3 gigs for it, and it does go through the installation perfectly, just doesn't want to give me an option to boot into it.

If it matters, I'm using a Dell 4600 - I even changed the settings in the BIOS for OS install.

Do you have something like this in grub.conf

Code:

---

title=Windows XP
rootnoverify &#40;hd0,<wherever M$ is>&#41;
chainloader +1

---

How would I access the grub.conf file? I can't boot into linux.

it doesnt give u a LINUX option??? what about a kernel version number eg 2.4.22-rh or somethign similar. if ur sure u cant boot into linux, boot off the install cd's into resuce mode and post /mnt/sysimage/etc/grub.conf

well this ones an old trick but could work...

have your lilo installed on the first sector of ur boot partition( not the MBR).

if u have a boot diskuse it to boot linux or use 'linux rescue' at the boot: prompt from the bootable install disc. either way drop into a shell with ur linux root partition on ur harddisk mounted.

now assume hda1 is ur linux partition; use the following commands

(have a dos bootable floppy at hand)

Code:

---


#dd if=/dev/hda1 of=/bootsect.lnx bs=512 count=1

#mount /mnt/floppy

#mcopy /bootsect.lnx a:bootsect.lnx
                    or
#cp /bootsect.lnx /mnt/floppy

---

now with this file boot back to windows Xp, have the option to show hidden files and folders as well as show protected OS files enabled

now on ur c:\ paste the bootsect.lnx file from the floppy

then in ur C: dirve locate a file called boot.ini
to it add this after the last line

c:\bootsect.lnx = "Linux"

save the file and reboot

if all goes well u would get a windows startup menu with a second option linux.. on selecting this option it should boot into ur linux

check out the tutorial section on GRUB HOWTO and you may be able to get around it.

have fun

Nerderello

slim

THer miight be a really easy way of fixing this.

When you install linux you are installing the linux partition 'after' the windows partition correct. Now what might have happened is linux did not set the second partition as 'active' so it is booting in windows whose os loader is oblivious to linux. with a dos boot disk you can use fdisk to set the active partition. since you don't have a floppy drive, you can go into windows.

Administrator's Tools, Computer Management, disk management, then right click on the linux partition and set it active. Be warned!!!!! if that isn't the problem then you will boot to a screwed up partition and can't set the active partition again since you don't have a floppy. You might want to ask if you can set the active partition from within linux rescue mode.

HTH

if lilo or grub is installed on the MBR, then ur linux need not be.. and should *NOT* be the active partition. Change your active partition only if GRUB is loaded on the first sector of your boot partion.