Dual Boot Problem

rancheros

I just partitioned my hd with partition magic and formatted it for Linux, got linux installed on this partition. The problem is when i boot my machine, windows boots automatically

Any one any ideas?

aidan_walsh

Sounds like you didn't install a bootloader when you were installing Linux. Time to get the auld disc out again.

rancheros

cheers, i'l have a look

rancheros

got it to boot into linux,
Now it asks for a localhost.localdomain username and Pw, with no option to skip,

Any ideas, it startcom linux

tomk

Did you set up a user name and password during install? Did you set a root password? If the answer is yes to either of these, you have all the information required to log in - although user-level login may not be too much use to you if you're still at the configuration stage. If the answer to both questions is no, you need to boot into single-user mode, and set a root password and a user name and password.

Mach

In partition magic , you use BOOT MAGIC, you add linux to it and boot magic should take care of everthing.

nadir

windows overwites the mbr when u install it because its such a great piece of software, you dont even need to ask it to, it does it automatically....

just reinstall grub.

mp3guy

what distro you using? And you should just allocate unused space with partition magic, and let linux format it whatever way it wishes during installation

Mac daddy

Did you not install grub?

Edster

A nice way to do this is to install Windows in the first partition. Leave enough space for Linux. For example I have 40 GB on my laptop and I gave Windows 30 and left 10 at the end (Linux is not as 'fat' as windows).
If you already have windows installed you can shrink it down using one of the millions of free apps that do this. Make sure you back up first just in case.

Now install linux in the space. I created 3 partitions in the remaining space.
HDA2 = 500 Meg boot
HDA3 = 9 Gig
HDA4 = Swap space (about 500 Meg)
When it asks you where you would like the MBR (Master boot record) say in HDA2 not on the root of the drive (other wise it will nuke the windows install).
Now boot into Linux. The best way of doing this would be to use the rescue disk. You either created this during the install (yeah right - who does that) or you can often boot off disk 1 of your install set and type 'linux rescue' at the boot prompt (see your docs for advice on this).
You now make a tiny boot file (sort of like a boot disk)
dd if=/dev/hda2 of=/boot/linux.bin bs=512 count=1
You need to copy this off onto floppy disk
and then reboot into windows. Copy the file to the root of the C: drive
and edit a file on the C: drive called boot.ini
This file is flagged as hidden, read only and system so you may need to do :
attrib -s -r -h c:\boot.ini

Edit the file and add this line to the end of it :
c:\linux.bin="Linux"

Flag it back to the normal settings :
attrib +s +r +h c:\boot.ini

And reboot. You now have a little menu on boot up. It will default after about 30 seconds (you can adjust this in control panel in windows) to your windows OS or if you select linux it will boot to linux.

This may seem like a long winded way - but it is smooth running, never causes any problems (for me) and does not get flagged by any windows update / anti virus apps as something trying to take over the MBR.

Tobias Greeshman

Do either what Edster said or install Grub when installing Linux, I've done both in the past and both have worked a charm, though Grub being easier with a lot less steps to it.

http://www.littlewhitedog.com/content-52.html

Mach

Well in partion magic use use boot magic, it come with it.You set up a FAT 32 parttion install boot magic on it , then when you install linux insatll the boot loaded in either /root or on a partion called /boot.Now when you boot up again it will boot in to windows, go to boot magic, and there shoud be a an option to add a operating system.just add the partion with your linux boot loader on it.Next time boot you should geta a blue screen, ask weather want to boot in windows or linux.As far as rember it explain it well in manual.