dual boot help needed

[lynchmob]

I have searched quite a bit, trying to find an answer to my problem,
and have'nt had much luck.First, let me describe my system:
PII 400
128MB pc100 sdram
WD 10.2GB ata66 hdd connected to Ultra66 controller card with Win98
WD 6.4GB ata33 hdd connected to secondary on-board controller with
Mandrake 7.1
Plexwriter 8x4x32 on primary on-board controller set as master
Toshiba dvd/cd-rom on primary set as slave.
Voodoo Banshee 16MB agp
Soundblaster 16pci
Supra Express 56ki hard modem
PNP disabled
There are 3 connections free on the promise card
Here is what I tried to do:
I previously installed MDK 7.1 on the same 10.2GB hdd that has Win98 on
it.The install went well with only a few post-installation probs. I was able to work out.
My problem started when I tried to use xcdroast to try burning cds using
Linux.When it came to where you choose a place to store the image of the cd to be burned,
it suggested a dos/fat32 partition. I'm not sure exactly what followed,I might have
clicked the wrong button or somthing but as a result,everything but my c:\ drive was
formatted and I lost my extra win98 partitions and Linux.
I wanted Linux back so I tried this:
I disconnected my 10.2GB hdd that has only Win98 and set up the 6.4GB hdd using PartitionMagic,
creating one large ext2 partition with a 125MB swap file.The MDK 7.1 installed(automatic install)fine and
set up X just like my previous install.When it came time to restart,though,it booted into Win98.I installed
BootMagic and configured it to boot Win98 or Linux(it called it unknown).When the bootmagic selection screen came up
I chose "unknown" and it just hanged there.Writing this down has given me a few ideas of what might have
gone wrong,but I would appreciate one of you Linux experts to tell me what you think.
lynch

[earlboy]

Set your boot partition to win98 and hope it still boots.
If it does not then you have to make it bootable in dos ( disregard the linux first ) and check if you can run windows.

Now for the Linux Part:

Before you have this problem, whenever you boot do you get a prompt like this ?

LILO :

I need to know if your are using LILO or LoadLin to load linux.

If you are using LoadLin, set your boot partition to win98 then use loadlin which I assume was configured by the Linux setup.

If you are using LILO you need to use your Linux rescue disk ( you said yes when it ask for disk right? ) to be able to boot to linux then run lilo to update the Master Boot Record and you should have both your OS back.

Note : If you have swaped your drives, changed your partition you will have to edit lilo.conf in linux. See Howto documentation on this.

[Edited by earlboy on 10-05-2000 at 06:01 AM]

[earlboy]

An easier way of doing this is to re-install both OS, if there are no important data in both harddisk.

Just remember Install win98 first then Linux. And when you install linux don't remove the drive where win98 is located as linux checks for this and set's up the loader you are using to be able to dual boot ( if you are using LILO, Loadlin boots linux from DOS or Windows ).

[lynchmob]

Thank you for your replies. I realize now that I should have left my win98 hdd hooked up. SHEESH, whata newbie I am.With Linux ,anyway.I tried using BootMagic and it wouldnt work and when I had MDK 7.1 running before, the loader was grub.I could try your 2nd suggestion if I had the time.Thanks
lynch