windows and gentoo installation problems [now partly solved]

[blkdragon]

hi!

im trying to dual-boot windows 98 with Gentoo, and keep running into problems...

my partition table looks like this:

/dev/hda1= 512Mb, Windows 98 Partition. Gentoo identifies it as a W95 FAT partition.
/dev/hda2= ~5GB, Linux / partition.
/dev/hda3= ~500Mb, Linux Swap.

every time i install windows 98 onto /dev/hda1, it wipes my MBR and i get:

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Disk I/O error. Replace Disk and press any key to continue...

and then i have to reinstall grub onto /dev/hda.

then i formatted my /dev/hda1 partition from Gentoo using

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mkfs.vfat -F 32 /dev/hda1

, and reinstalled windows onto it. then when i try and boot windows from grub i get:

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Disk I/O error. Replace Disk and press any key to continue...

the process repeats itself.

In the grub menu, i enabled Windows 98 as a bootable option, with the options:

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rootnoverify (hd0,0)
makeactive
chainloader +1
boot

is this a problem with the grub options for windows, or something about the partitioning that isn't right?[/code]

[Kaste]

Hi blkdragon
The boot command is only neccessary if you boot from within grub, i.e. starting it up and then typing in everything by hand.

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rootnoverify (hd0,0) 
makeactive 
chainloader +1

Did you actually try booting into windows after reinstalling grub and before formatting /dev/hda1? It is expectable for windows to break the mbr when installing and to have to reinstall grub. I would have put ms win on the disk first and then linux, but this way it should work just as well you just have to reinstall grub whenever windows ruins it.

[SirYes]

Is there any chance that the Windows' partition is not marked as bootable? What does this show you on your machine?

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# fdisk -l /dev/hda

BTW. It's perfectly doable to setup a dual boot between Windows and Linux. I did it many times. Currently it runs fine on six computers (mine and family's) I have access to.

[blkdragon]

hi! thanks for the replies, and when i type

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fdisk -l /dev/hda

i get /dev/hda1 as being maked by the *, for the bootable flag.

as for the boot option, i edited out the "boot" part in /boot/grub/grub.conf and it still dosent work.

im still stuck for ideas.

[SirYes]

I read carefully once again your first post and I'd like to ask you for more information.

1. You've stated that when you install *only* Windows 98 onto the hard drive, and you run it in a "normal" way you get:

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   Disk I/O error. Replace Disk and press any key to continue...

   Is this correct?
2. Then you install Linux and setup grub as a boot loader. Then you configure it to start Windows and get:

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   Disk I/O error. Replace Disk and press any key to continue...

   again? Do you see a trend here? I do. Grub tries its best to start your Windows. But it looks like the Windows installation is broken, and grub just repeats the process.

My advice:
Install Windows and get it to start properly, without I/O errors, okay? Then we'll guide you to get a working dual boot with Linux in that configuration.

Deal?

[blkdragon]

You've stated that when you install *only* Windows 98 onto the hard drive, and you run it in a "normal" way you get:

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Disk I/O error. Replace Disk and press any key to continue...

Is this correct?

Unfortunately, i installed Gentoo before Windows. The installation CD that i have has worked fine previously on other machines that i have.

Then you install Linux and setup grub as a boot loader. Then you configure it to start Windows and get:

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Disk I/O error. Replace Disk and press any key to continue...

again? Do you see a trend here? I do. Grub tries its best to start your Windows. But it looks like the Windows installation is broken, and grub just repeats the process.

Again, I installed Gentoo first. Gentoo boots fine from Grub, and after i install windows to /dev/hda1 THATS when i start having problems with Grub not being able to boot "the windows partition" and so on.

Maybe I should have added:

After i install windows, my installation of Gentoo and everything is TOTALLY broken. No grub, no nothing, just

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Disk I/O error. Replace Disk and press any key to continue...

I reinstall grub from the LiveCD using

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mount /dev/hda2 /mnt/gentoo
mount -t proc none /mnt/gentoo/proc
mount -o bind /dev /mnt/gentoo/dev
chroot /mnt/gentoo /bin/bash
grep -v rootfs /proc/mounts > /etc/mtab
grub-install /dev/hda

This fixes my MBR, and allows me to boot from the HDD, into Gentoo.

Refomatted /dev/hda1 with:

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mkfs.vfat -F 32 /dev/hda1

Reinstalled Windows onto it.

Try to boot into windows from Grub, and *surprise surprise*

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Disk I/O Error. Replace Disk and press any key to continue...

AH!! this is really fustrating.

thanks for you help.

[SirYes]

Unfortunately, i installed Gentoo before Windows. The installation CD that i have has worked fine previously on other machines that i have.

Oops, too swift conclusions, I apologize.

Gentoo boots fine from Grub, and after i install windows to /dev/hda1 THATS when i start having problems with Grub not being able to boot "the windows partition" and so on.

Maybe I should have added:

After i install windows, my installation of Gentoo and everything is TOTALLY broken. No grub, no nothing, just

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Disk I/O error. Replace Disk and press any key to continue...

Try to boot into windows from Grub, and *surprise surprise*

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Disk I/O Error. Replace Disk and press any key to continue...

AH!! this is really fustrating.

Really, this Windows installation didn't went right. Your description confirms that. (Only Windows -> I/O Error, Grub -> Windows -> I/O Error -- this is the same! Grub boots your Windows correctly, really! But it's Windows that refuses to start). It's expected that Windows should be able to start normally first, then you set up a dual boot with Linux.

Looks like something is very wrong with the FAT32 partition you have there. Try using Windows 98 start floppy and execute "chkdsk /f c:" to be 100% sure that the partition is free of errors. Maybe "sys a: c:" or "fdisk /mbr" will be necessary. Maybe even a reinstall.

Just look:
http://www.experts-exchange.com/Hardwar ... 39605.html
http://www.tek-tips.com/viewthread.cfm? ... 490&page=7
http://www.dewassoc.com/kbase/hard_driv ... sector.htm
http://home.att.net/~rayknights/pc_boot/w98bboot.htm
http://users.bigpond.net.au/hermanzone/ ... k_IO_error

Alternatively, you can also run "fdisk -l /dev/hda" from under Linux to obtain exact numbers of cylinders for your Linux partitions. Write them down. Then *delete* the hda2 and hda3 partitions and leave only the FAT32 partition. Having a written copy of cylinders' numbers you'll be able to boot from Linux LiveCD and recreate back the partitions later.
This will leave exactly one partition on disk, the one which Windows 98 should use for its installation. Then try to reinstall or repair Windows so it boots correctly. After that, boot from Linux CD and restore the other partitions. Mount them and reinstall Grub (you've written excellent exact steps to set it back, BTW!!!) All *should* be fine then.

The above boils down to one thing, really. The Windows installation you're trying to put onto the first partition just isn't right somehow. Do your dirty work and make it run correctly, then come back here so we'll be able to help you with Linux things. You see, we don't really like to fix problems with the other OS....

[blkdragon]

thanks for your help.

ran

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dosfsck /dev/hda

from Gentoo, and then reformatted (again) with

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mkdosfs /dev/hda1

ran

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dosfsck /dev/hda1

again, and this time it showed

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/dev/hda1: 0 Files, 0/6583 Clusters

tried to reinstall windows (on a freshly formatted partition) but this time it showed:

Setup cannot create files on your startup drive and cannot setup Windows 98

so, onto method 2: delete the partitions.

ran

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fdisk -l /dev/hda

and it came back with:

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/dev/hda1: 1-62, 62 Cylinders total.
/dev/hda2: 63-758, 696 Cylinders total.
/dev/hda3: 759-789, 31 Cylinders total.

went into cfdisk, re-did the partitions. wrote the new/old partitions to disk, rebooted into the Windows 98 Setup, did the whole "Welcome to Microsoft" thing, setup finished, rebooted, and *ta da*

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Disk I/O Error. Replace disk and press any key to continue...

The way i see it, i have 2 options:

a) give up

or,

b) Reformat everything, and install windows on a clean hard drive.

Of course, option B entails reinstalling Gentoo as well, but you know. It's a learning process.

[SirYes]

It's a learning process.

Oh, yes it is. But it looks like that you too have more problems installing Windows than it's worth it. I was (unsuccessfully) trying to install Windows XP on a SATA drive after Gentoo was already running smoothly. I was wondering: why the heck am I trying to install this "Windows virus", while Linux already runs? In the end I needed to use a more recent install disk (with SP1 on it), because Windows didn't know about SATA drives! [digression end]

Three more things:

• If you boot from Windows CD-ROM you should see the option to start command line instead of installer. In MS-DOS you have the "format" command, try this instead of formatting the partition using Linux tools.
• Make sure that the Windows' partition starts at the beginning of disk. If that's not the case, find a LiveCD with gparted or qtparted and try to move Linux partitions to the end of the disk.
• You haven't posted the output of "fdisk -l"

[blkdragon]

Make sure that the Windows' partition starts at the beginning of disk. If that's not the case, find a LiveCD with gparted or qtparted and try to move Linux partitions to the end of the disk.

I already did that.

You haven't posted the output of "fdisk -l"

I did, cept i simplified it a bit:

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/dev/hda1: 1-62, 62 Cylinders total.
/dev/hda2: 63-758, 696 Cylinders total.
/dev/hda3: 759-789, 31 Cylinders total.

[SirYes]

You haven't posted the output of "fdisk -l"

I did, cept i simplified it a bit:

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/dev/hda1: 1-62, 62 Cylinders total.
/dev/hda2: 63-758, 696 Cylinders total.
/dev/hda3: 759-789, 31 Cylinders total.

Right, I overlooked that (expected some other format), sorry!

Good luck with your multiboot machine!

[blkdragon]

Update:

Installed Windows. Works fine.

Installed Gentoo. Also works fine, albeit no GUI, (yet).

I've been having some problems with Grub, though.

My /boot/grub/grub.conf:

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timeout 5

# By default, boot the first entry.
default 0

splashimage=(hd0,1)/boot/grub/splash.xpm.gz

# For booting GNU/Linux
title  Gentoo Linux
root (hd0,1)
kernel /boot/gentoo-2.6.18 root=/dev/hda2 video=vesafb-tng:mtrr2,ywrap,mode:1024x768@60 lapic
#initrd /initrd.img

# For booting Windows NT or Windows95
title Windows 98
rootnoverify (hd0,0)
makeactive
chainloader  +1

Problem is, on boot, there is no selector, as in, i cant select with OS i want to boot. It just boots straight into Gentoo.

update2:

actually, i can boot into windows, by hitting the down arrow and pressing enter. no selector screen, just a lot of guess work.

update3: fixed.

fact: i need to learn to type more accurately.

my /boot/grub/grub.conf b4 i got the selector:

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splashimage=(hd0,1) /boot/grub/splash.xpm.gz

and then after:

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splashimage=(hd0,1)/boot/grub/splash.xpm.gz

ah lol.

[SirYes]

Glad you did it!! Super cool!!

And while we are at the grub splash topic. Check out these resources:

• http://www.schultz-net.dk/downloads/grub/gentoo.xpm.gz
• [topic=490488]topic #490488[/topic]
• [post=3540510]post #3540510[/post]

Personally, I use the last one.

Cheers!