Question

Strange Hard Drive Behavior on install

Asked by: jkipp_66

I am trying install Slackware on a Machine (P3 -500) with a fresh 10GB Maxtor Hard drive.  It boots up fine with the Slackware 9 CD, but when I try to fdisk it, I get:
"You will not be able to write to the partition table. The table device contains niether a valid DOS,..., Disklabel.
Building a new DOS disk label....
 
Warning: Invalid flag 0x0000 on partiton table 4 that will be corrected to write."
 
So I make a partition and write it, it exits with no problem. But when I boot back up or run setup, none of the info is there.
If I run cfdisk, I get "Open disk read only" and I can't even save any changes in that program.
 
So.. I bootup with a DOS bootdisk and it has no problem with making DOS partitions and formatting them. But when I go back to Linux, the same thing happens. It sees the DOS partition, but if I delete it or try to add more partitions, it won't save or write() the changes.
Then I installed Win2k on of the FAT partitons, again no problem at all with that. I put the Linux CD back in, run fdisk and I get the same problem.

Before installing DOS/Win I tried to 0 out the MBR with dd and that failes as well.
 
Any ideas?

Thanks

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Asked On
2003-05-03 at 07:08:36ID20604573
Tags

read

,

cfdisk

,

install

Topic

Linux Setup

Participating Experts
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12

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Answers

 

by: majorwooPosted on 2003-05-03 at 14:01:09ID: 8451338

check that your linux CD's are nor corrupt

 

by: jkipp_66Posted on 2003-05-05 at 13:04:00ID: 8464332

I tried 3 different CD's. Redhat 8.0, Slackware 8 and 9. I was able to use 2 of them in another machine. So it is not the CD's
Thanks

 

by: Chester_M_RagelPosted on 2003-05-06 at 04:32:01ID: 8469990

It seams something with ur harddisk... Do you have partition magic? I think that harddisk doesn't have importand data. If so... Boot using linux CD and erase all the partitions and everything via fdisk. Create the partition using fdisk and try.

 

by: jkipp_66Posted on 2003-05-06 at 11:43:38ID: 8474018

Chester
I have already done everything you mentioned. If you read my question again, you will see that it won't operate any changes i make using linux 'fdisk' or 'cfdisk'
"So I make a partition and write it, it exits with no problem. But when I boot back up or run setup, none of the info is there. If I run cfdisk, I get "Open disk read only" and I can't even save any changes in that program."

Does the maxtor hard drive just not like Linux? :)

 

by: radfojcPosted on 2003-05-06 at 12:29:49ID: 8474324


how about making sure that lilo is configured with
the lba32 perimeter?

-Jason

 

by: jkipp_66Posted on 2003-05-06 at 14:56:46ID: 8475081

lilo? I have not even got that far yet. maybe you didn't read the question? besides these are new versions of linux where lilo have no problems with 10GB disks

 

by: moduloPosted on 2003-05-06 at 16:49:08ID: 8475576

Dear expert(s),

A request has been made to close this Q in CS:
http://www.experts-exchange.com/Community_Support/Q_20607828.html

Without a response in 72 hrs, a moderator will finalize this question by:

 - Saving this Q as a PAQ and refunding the points to the questionner

When you agree or disagree, please add a comment here.

Thank you.

modulo

Community Support Moderator
Experts Exchange

 

by: natmaPosted on 2003-05-06 at 17:13:19ID: 8475727

use 'cfdisk -z' (cfdisk will not read the partition table)

 

by: majorwooPosted on 2003-05-06 at 17:49:48ID: 8475984

modulo

since there appears to be no answer (and jkipp hasn't posted how he solved it) why PAQ and not delete?

 

by: Chester_M_RagelPosted on 2003-05-06 at 19:31:15ID: 8476422

jkipp_66, I think its some hardware(harddisk) problem.

 

by: jkipp_66Posted on 2003-05-07 at 14:29:40ID: 8483184

I found a work around for the problem. Requesting Question be deleted.

natma, i tried that the 'fdisk -z' before, didn't work.

Here is how I solved it. Took the hard drive off of Secondary IDE controller (jumpered as cable select). Placed on first IDE controller with no other devices, jumpered it to Master. Now linux can fdisk and format. Still strange how Win/Dos had no trouble with it either way.

 

by: moduloPosted on 2003-05-10 at 02:27:41ID: 8499381

Saving this Q as a PAQ and refunding the 500 points to the questionner

modulo

Community Support Moderator
Experts Exchange

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