After installing Mandrake 10.1, having bootloader problems

[Rekkr]

I am new to Linux, so bare with me.

I have an HP desktop and after installing Mandrake 10.1 on it smoothly, the bootloader completely freezes. I have tried re-installing with both LILO and GRUB, and I get the same problem each time. The bootloader has been installed on MBR each time...

When I use LILO, after I boot my computer it just says L with a repeating 80. (L 80 80 80 80 and so on infinitely). When I use GRUB, it just say GRUB on the screen and doesn't do anything.

This problem also prevents me from booting into Windows XP. I pretty much can't do anything. I really hope I don't have to do a clean Windows install over this...

(P.S. I am installing Linux on a different HD than Windows)

[kriss]

L 80 means that LILO loaded, but it cannot find the boot.b file (in most cases). Are you sure that LILO is installed, you have disabled any anti-virus in the bios etc? Can you boot into Mandrake using the Mandrake CD any try to see if the path's in lilo.conf are correct?

[Rekkr]

I am currently using GRUB, so the LILO info you gave me won't work. I (think) I solved the problem. I changed some configurations in my BIOS regarding the HD and now GRUB loads. The only problem now is that it gives me a command prompt [grub> ] and I don't know what to type in to load anything. It says press tab for a list of commands. I can see the commands, but don't know how to use them.

I think I type in "kernel /path/to/kernel". If so, what is the path to my kernel?

[Rekkr]

Ok, I put the install CD back in, pressed F1 and typed rescue. I chose Mount under /mnt or something like that, and it says cannot find root partition. I chose Re-install bootloader. Same problem.

I found this link: http://mandrakeusers.org/lofiversion...hp/t20695.html

That guy seems to have the same problem I have. I don't know, maybe you can glean some information from that post.

[Rekkr]

Nevermind, I've got everything working fine now.

[jeremy1701]

Rekkr, can you post the solution for everyone to see?

Thanks,
Jeremy

[Rekkr]

I reinstalled but chose "Erase existing partitions" instead of customizing my partitions. Then it asked on which harddrive I wanted this done, and I chose hdb (my second HD). The error must have been in customizing the partitions...