I am trying to install Mandrake 6.5. After I am asked to choose a boot sector and continue I get a message that states "Installation failed; retry, menu, ok" If I select retry or ok I get the same result. Is there a particular reason why this is happening? or better yet... How can I fix this problem?
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Size of the HDD isn't a problem, where the boot folder or partition is. This boot folder (partition) needs to be within the 1st 1024 cylinders of the HDD. If not LILO will not install. The boot directory (partition) has the kernel and other files needed to start Linux. If it is located past the 1024 cylinders, LILO cannot see the kernel or boot images and will not install. Try and putting in a boot partition within the 1024 cylinders and then try it. I believe that the documentation that comes with that distribution will assist you in setting that up.
Good Luck
tq3407-- Thank you for your help. I appreciate it greatly!
Do you konw if I can use fdisk, or partition magic to create the boot partition in the first 1024 cylinders with out any loss of data or with out having to reinstall Windows? The down time would mean I would be unable to work until I fixed the problem. (Senior trying to graduate with a M.I.S. degree as quickly as possible!)
Once again, thank you for your help.
Ok,... now my questions are, How can I create the linux boot partition before the 1024 cyl. if the first 14 gigs is a FAT32 file system?
If I can use partition magic (the one that came with Linux-mandrake) will it move my data to an open area of my FAT32 drive and alow me to create another partition there?
Thanks again to all involved in answering these questions!
Ok if you have the full version of partition magic, you can move the windows partition and use the free space to create the boot partition of you can put your whole Linux partition there. If not partition magic can as biard said can resize and adjust the partitions without loss of data. If you move the windows partition out of the way and partition magic warns that it is leaving thje 1024 cylinder. I set up a Linux box with the windows partition outside of the 1024 cylinder range and am still able to boot both OSs. My personal machine is set up that way and I'm able to boot between the two. Just ensure that the Linux boot partition is located below the 1024 limit. I believe that this is the first 2.1G
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by: wuweiPosted on 2000-01-19 at 08:31:20ID: 2367461
I forgot to state: Linux-Mandrake 6.5, I am following the instructions (in the installation manual) for dual-boot with Windows 98. Partitions are in place so I do not believe there is a problem there. The message appears during the LILO boot options section...