windows launched with the boot loader skipped

[chunchengch]

I re-installed Mandriva 2007, after reboot, windows launched with the boot loader skipped.

I placed the boot loader in root partition rather than the first sector of hard disk, it is a legal option Mandriva allowed, so what happened?

[devils casper]

you should have installed Boot Loader in the MBR of harddisk. re-install boot loader again and install it in MBR this time.

[chunchengch]

can't I install boot loader in the root partition?
if so, why Mandriva offers this option?

[devils casper]

if so, why Mandriva offers this option?

If you are using Windows Boot Loader, you have to install Linux Boot Loader in boot sector only.

setting up dual boot with Windows Boot Loader is not easy though. you have to create an image of boot sector, save it in C: driver and edit boot.ini file to setup Windows Boot Loader.

[danvds3]

can't I install boot loader in the root partition?

Well, not the root partition (wrong place, root is the Operating System Administrators files, not the boot) - You can place the folders in 3 areas (reccomended):-
1. '/'
2. '/boot'
3. MBR

setting up dual boot with Windows Boot Loader is not easy though. you have to create an image of boot sector, save it in C: driver and edit boot.ini file to setup Windows Boot Loader.

Well first of all, I nearly made a rant, but then I realised this guy is on about a WINDOWS boot loader. first of all, I don't think he meant a Windows boot loader, he meant that Windows ran without the boot loader appearing.

Steps you can take:-
on the menu-bar, click Applications > System > Configure Your Computer, type your root password when prompted to do so and then click the 'Boot' button on the left panel. Click "set up how my system boots". I advise you set up your boot like this:-



Note: You don't need to select "Lilo Graphical Interface", You can choose anything.

Good luck, and welcome to Linux!

Note: If you can't actually get onto linux, simply re-install it and choose the options in the picture above, The installer will prompt you if you want to format (wipe) the linux partitions, in which case tick both. Try not to go into 'Advanced' under most steps if you do not know what you're doing.