Re-formatting a partition

J

Jim T

Hi, I have XP installed on my Dell Latitude D-620, but it was on a FAT 32 partition. I also had a Linux OS on another partition. I reformatted some unpartitioned space to NTSF and installed another copy of XP on that new partition. When the new NTFS install was finished, I just have the two XP operating systems to choose from on the OS selection screen during boot, but no more Linux. I think Linux is still on its partition and will still function, but I don't know how to access it, or how to change the OS selection page. Can somebody please fill me in. Thank you much.
 
Thanks for your reply. Disk management shows 4 healthy partitions. C and E are the two XP ones, and Linux uses two by itself.

I took a quick look at the link to diskpart. I managed to pull it up using cmd in Run. Is diskpart what I'd use to get Linux back on the list. What is that OS choice list at boot called? Thanks for your help!
 
look at your boot.ini file, go to folder options and unhide the system files and all hidden files and unhide the file extension, then go to c drive, which should be your main xp, and look at the boot file, open it with notepad, does it show 3 listings?

http://www.icpug.org.uk/national/linnwin/step2-xp.htm

above link shows how to add linux and what it should look like. but be careful editing boot.ini or you computer may not boot, make a backup copy of the boot.ini and save it where you know where it is,
 
OK. Thanks again for your help. I added the line to the boot.ini file per the link you sent, which was very easy to understand. I re-booted and "Start Linux" did apperar on the OS list. But, when I selected it and hit enter, I got an error message saying "Windows could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt: <Windows root>\system32\hal.dll. Please re-install a copy of the above file." Can I add that file by refreshing the XP system, or does it need some kind of path to the Linux system?
 
what partition letters are the drives?? 1 xp, 2 xp, and 3 linux , 1 should be c

please post a copy of your current boot.ini and the boot.ini you originally had please, From what I read through several threads at the link below, it seems to be a problem

https://www.google.com/#q=how+to+replace+hal.dll+on+a+dual+boot+with+linux+and+xp

you might also boot to your install cd and run checkdisk with the /r parameter and run it at least twice

when you boot choose R to get to the recovery console
 
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The old Fat 32 XP is partition C, the new NTFS XP is partition E. and the removable disc drive is D. Linux uses two partitions, and they are both listed as “unknown.”

Here’s the current boot.ini file. The C partition listed in the Linux line is probably the problem. Here’s the file text:
[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect
c:\grldr="Start Linux"

Here’s the previous one:
[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect

I also tried the following line using both 3 and 4 for the partition number, but got the same missing file error message for both:
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(3)\grldr="Linux Ubuntu" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect

I looked at the link you sent on the missing hal.dll file. Do you think my problem is insurmountable, after reading that post on SuperUser? Looks like maybe there’s no way to get Windows to recognize the Linux partition. What do you think?
 
can you boot to the recovery console and run checkdisk with the /r parameter?? you can use the install cd and press R for recovery console

if you can then run checkdisk at least twice and then see if you can boot to all three, if not then see if you can run fixboot and then fixmbr, answer yes to all questions.
 
I ran ‘chkdsk’ twice. The first time, it said “one or more errors found,” the second time no errors found, and all the numbers were the same. Then I ran ‘fixboot’, and looked at the startup options again. They looked the same, but I tried to open Linux again, but got the same missing file message. I started to run ‘fixmbr’, but I got scared off, at least temporarily, by the message saying that running it could make all the partitions inaccessible.

Later: I was able to update Linux without loosing any of the files I had on that Linux partition. Also, it lists both Linux and Windows on the new boot list. But, I want to delete the two partitions that the two XP systems are on, create a larger partition, and re-install XP on the new one. I’m worried that I’ll have the same problem again. Any ideas? Thanks again.
 
I am not really sure what to tell you since I have only one partition for only a single os, if it were me I would delete everything, all partitions and reinstall everything, thus resolving all boot issues, and do not be worried about the fixmbr, because you can always boot to an outside disc and replace the boot.ini with one that you have backed up and be back again at the same point.
 
OK. Thanks. That worked well. Because windows can't recognize a Linux partition, I installed Windows first, and Linux second. Linux made the boot page, and it worked fine. Windows works great for all my Microsoft programs. I think that will do it for this thread. Thank you much for your help!!!
 
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