Bootmagic Problem

[boyindie86]

Hi Forum,

I don't know if this is the best place to leave this question.

My problem is that I have had problems with hal.dll getting corrupted - so I wanted to take the opportunity to clean my system up and I intended on just wiping and changing my partition configuration.

I managed to backup all the files, that I wanted and repaired windows initially as I wanted to ensure I had removed all files that I needed to keep. I should mention I used Ubuntu Live CD to access my hard drive and back it up on another machine.

My next problem was to get all the data from my Fedora Partition (which I intend on wiping) - but after repairing windows my bootloader menu has been wiped out!

After much fighting I never got this to appear my system would keep launching into windows. Then my mistake occured I installed bootmagic into windows. And I noticed the selection for changing default OS to boot. Which of course I changed to Fedora.

Now when my PC boots I get the error btmagic.img couldn't be found press enter to continue. And it then attempts to load Linux which it then says cannot load Kernel.

Which leaves me with a PC which I can't get access to windows. I managed to mount the disk drive using ubuntu - however due to many annoying reasons I still can't get my files off this PC.

The key to solving my problem is getting back into windows without loosing any data or altering any partition data. The data on my fedora partiton is very important!

Is there anyone out there with any ideas how to change my default OS and stop it trying to load bootmagic?

Many Thanks
boyindie

[glc]

Boot it with your XP CD and use the repair console to do a FIXBOOT and a FIXMBR. This will give you Windows back, but still no bootloader menu. Reinstalling Linux should give that back to you.

[boyindie86]

Originally Posted by glc Boot it with your XP CD and use the repair console to do a FIXBOOT and a FIXMBR. This will give you Windows back, but still no bootloader menu. Reinstalling Linux should give that back to you.

I was considering doing that but I am concerned about it damaging the partition tables. I should also have mentioned that my hard disc is a Raid disc array. I cant afford to have any data lost.

will this be safe?

[glc]

Probably not. I don't know what to suggest. Too bad you didn't back up the Fedora partition before you repaired Windows.

[boyindie86]

i couldn't get into fedora before repair, due to the hal.dll corrupt error..stopped system from getting to boot menu

[glc]

I meant with a live CD.

[boyindie86]

I can still access the files with the live cd. However I am having great problems getting the files of the harddrive. As if I try to tar the files, the PC crashes eventually and doesn't allow the compression to complete. And I also tried copying the files accross the network to a windows share drive but this also failed as linux started complaing about the loss of symblink (i am assuming this is because windows doesn't know what to do with the symbolic links). If I can get into windows I am hoping I can paste these files into the fat32 partition on my HD from the live CD , where I can then try and compress the files up in windows. Crazy I know, but I am out of ideas.

[glc]

Use a live CD and a locally connected drive - either internal or external. Don't try to tar everything, just do a straight copy.

[quartet-man]

I've never heard of tarring before.

[glc]

It's like zip, but in the Linux world. Stands for "tape archive".