[NTLUG:Discuss] Long dual boot question

[Chris J Albertson]

>From my understanding of the dual boot thing:
Windows will overwrite LILO if you install it second. The recommended
approach is to install Windows, then LINUX.
I would set up all your partitions first.. Then install Windoze.. then
install LINUX. Windows should have no problem seeing your FAT partition.
Watch the FAT32 thing though. I'm not sure what version of windows started
to recognize that.. I know 95 does not play that game. Not sure if 98
does.

Windows Error corrections:
Did you try hitting support.Microsoft.com and looking for a resolution to
this problem? I usually work with the NT/2000 world and find resolutions
to a lot of problems in that. I don't look for 98/95 problems much, but
I'd bet they have a solution of some sort for ya. (Might involve registry
changes) If you've FDisked your drive, the issue is moot anyway...


First Saturday:
I go to this as much as possible and build my PC's there about 75% of the
time. (I use Fry's or online parts purchases as well)
I have never had a problem with the stuff I bought there. You just need to
use a little care and common sense. For instance, if you buy a processor
there, make sure the guy has a way to be contacted in case the processor
doesn't work. Don't buy processors from the back of a guys Trans Am unless
it's for like $15.

Good luck with your windoze/LINUX box!


Chris


Wayne Dahl said:
> Hi all,
>
> I need some info about doing a dual boot with Linux and Windoze 98.  Let
> me  tell you what has happened to this computer I'm asking about.
>
> My wife doesn't see very well and needs the computer set to 640 x 480
> screen resolution, whereas I like it at 1024 x 768 on my 15" monitor (I
> see  like a hawk).  I had screwed up and left the monitor set to the
> higher  resolution and my wife, unable to read the icons on the desktop
> very well,  went into the Accessibility options (it was a Windoze 98 OS,
> not sure which  version as it was loaded on it when we got this
> hand-me-down computer) and  set the option for higher visibility fonts
> with black on white high  contrast.  That was a bad mistake because it
> appeared to corrupt some files  on the computer.  Apparently, Windows
> doesn't like for you to use those  accessibility options in a higher
> screen resolution.  I have been unable to  fix it and it won't even boot
> up into Safe mode.  The dialog box pops up  saying you're in safe mode,
> I click ok on that an immediately an error box  saying Explorer has
> caused a general protection fault in an unknown module  (real helpful,
> huh?).  When I click on that ok button, the safe mode dialog  box comes
> back up and it gets stuck in a loop you can't get out of as each  dialog
> box comes back up after clicking ok.  The only thing to do is hit
> control-alt-delete and reboot to a floppy.
>
> The filesystem would come up ok because I could see it from this
> computer  on my internal network, so I was able to copy all of the
> application  directories and applications to another computer, although
> being able to  get them to work again on a fresh install of Windows
> might be a challenge  unless I can just reinstall them from scratch.
> The desktop was completely  unusable and would not completely boot up.
> The bootlog didn't really show  any major problems either.
>
> This computer came from my mother-in-law's boss and he may have the
> restoration discs for it (the computer came from CompUSA and is one of
> their home brand jobs).  I have never been able to get the onboard sound
>  card to work on it as it appears that her boss had somehow removed the
> drivers for it (have been unable to find any drivers for it)and it
> doesn't  have an add in sound card.
>
> Here is the skinny on the computer...
>
> Intel Celeron 466 Mhz
> 256 Megs 130 Mhz RAM
> 1 6 Gig hard drive, C:, no other drive currently, although I have plans
> to  add an 80 Gig HD to it.
> CD-RW drive (can't remember the brand, but it worked out of the box with
>  the existing CD-ROM drivers)
> PS-2 Mouse, PS-2 keyboard (although once I get it back up and running,
> my  wife uses a natural keyboard using a USB connection)
>
> Can't think of anything else pertinent, but here comes the dual boot
> question.  First, if I'm going to load Linux (Red Had 7.3) and Windows
> on  this machine, which do I load first?  I've had to fdisk and format
> the  drive because it was just unrecoverable and plan to just reload it.
>  Should  I format the drive with Linux and set the partitions with it
> first, install  RH 7.3 and then  install Windows into the FAT32
> partition?  And never  having done that, if it's done that way, then how
> does the Windows  installation CD see that partition?  Is there anything
> special I need to do  to get it to see it or does it see it
> automagically?
>
> Next, how would you set the partitions?  Windows and the applications
> that  were loaded on it were taking up about 3.5 gigs of space.  Is 2.5
> gigs of  hard drive space enough to do a Linux install now with the
> ability to add a  LOT of space later once the new hard drive is
> installed?  Or should I just  go ahead and install Windows now and wait
> until I can get a new hard drive  for the space?  I eventually plan on
> using the current C: drive as the boot  drive for Linux and the only
> drive for Windows.
>
> Off the topic of the dual boot, a friend of mine went to the Saturday
> sale  in downtown Dallas and got some really good deals on a sound card,
> 256 Megs  mem for $30 and an 80 Gig WD drive for $70 (might have been
> somewhat  less).  What do you guys think of getting parts at that sale?
>
> Sorry that this was so long, but I've been fighting this problem for a
> week  now and my wife is both beating herself up for messing up the
> computer (it  was really my fault for leaving it in the higher
> resolution and I've told  her over and over that was so) and driving me
> nuts to get it fixed.
>
> Thanks in advance for your responses.
>
> Wayne
>
>
>
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