Windows XP won't dual boot

[dalinux_n00bie]

I installed SuSE Linux Enterprise 10 on my home computer on a separate partition. At first windows would not show up on the boot menu, then i figured out how to do put it on and assign it a drive. it booted up once then got frozen at the login screen, and now it just reboots when its loading.

is there anything i can do to have the dual boot system wotk?

[jsatt]

did you resize the windows partition to install suse, or did you already have an existing free partition that you used? If you resized, did you defrag in windows before the resize. not doing this could cause lost files and thus the freeze.

also, how did you add windows in the bootloader?

[lone]

I think that Dalinux you might have over written some of the partition that belongs to the windows, also try this partiton tool:Acronis suite.

[dalinux_n00bie]

I installed windows and left a 20GB partition for linux using the windows partitioner. I installed linux on that 20 GB and when i loaded it up the first time, a window boot option was not there. I then went into YaST2 and clicked on the boot loader option and put on the unmounted hda1 driver and tried that. It booted once, then froze at the login screen. i restarted it and now it just reboots when the windows logo comes up.

[gogalthorp]

I installed windows and left a 20GB partition for linux using the windows partitioner. I installed linux on that 20 GB and when i loaded it up the first time, a window boot option was not there. I then went into YaST2 and clicked on the boot loader option and put on the unmounted hda1 driver and tried that. It booted once, then froze at the login screen. i restarted it and now it just reboots when the windows logo comes up.

DId you actually build the 20 gig partition with windows??

you should

1) make a partition for windows leave the rest unformated.

2) install Linux let it make its own partions in the space you left

This should do it and allow a dual boot

[dalinux_n00bie]

right thats what i did.

[gogalthorp]

right thats what i did.

You weren't holding you mouth right

Did you take all the default options??

It worked for me no problems. Though I have since removed the XP partition and now run XP in a VMware window in Linux storing the VM's in that partition Much better then dual booting and VMware server is free.

[dalinux_n00bie]

VMware? whats that?

[monday90]

Virtual Machine. It allows you to emulate an environment where another operating system can be installed. There are other other options like virtuialisation (xen) that allow you to achieve similar results. At the moment I find it easier to dual boot (but then I use XP very rarely).

[monday90]

With your XP CD try reinstalling the mbr (boot from the cd select repair console, then your installation. Use the Fixmbr command). Also try Fixboot this will completely re-install the windows boot loader. Test your windows installation by booting into it. Then use your Suse linux cd/dvd to re install your boot loader. If XP still has problems this indicates a problem with XP. I love windows.

Edited for poor spelling.