Question

How to restore Windows and old boot menu

Asked by: msaalim

I had multiple boot systems installed on my laptop. Linux and window xp are installed on separate partitions. Laptop has more than two partition. Couple of weeks ago, I couldn't boot into windows system. Don't remember exactly but think I wasn't even getting to the boot menu. I tried to do some search but couldn't restore the system. I didn't want to lose any data, so I installed a new window xp on partition D. The original winxp is installed on C partition

After new installation, the boot menu showed only two selection. New winxp and previous winxp and didn't show Linux and one more boot option. I can login to new installation fine.

Now I can also bring up my old windows by selecting it from boot menu, but it will display on lower RHS  "This copy of windows is not activated" and when I tried to login, it will logoff by itself. I tried last known, but it will do the same logoff routine after I try to login. But I can now login to previous windows in Safe mode.

Can some please help me getting rid of windows activation message, which I think is causing the problem? and also how can I get my old boot menu. I have no problem deleting the new installation once the problem is resolved. Your help will be highly appreciated.

Thanks,
 

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Asked On
2009-01-13 at 08:15:24ID24048005
Tags

Window xp and linux

,

Cognos PowerPlay

Topics

SQL Reporting

,

Movable Type

,

X-Windows Window Manager

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Answers

 

by: gheistPosted on 2009-01-14 at 00:12:21ID: 23370725

What sort of boot menu you are using?

 

by: msaalimPosted on 2009-01-16 at 11:56:03ID: 23396747

I got this system preconfigured and had LILO boot loader (not 100% sure). Is there any way of knowing which boot loader was installed?  I can boot to linux from linux OS CD and can get to linux command prompt through rescue option, but when I tried to run lilo command per google search, it gives me a message that I need to edit lilo.conf file before or on line 20.

Thanks,

 

by: gheistPosted on 2009-01-16 at 12:45:24ID: 23397216

Probably you got GRUB rewritten.

So-
1) Boot off your Linux installation and put boor manager on partition start, not disk start.
2) Install http://www.bootmanager.com/ss/11booted.html.en.html and boot whatever system you find useful including *BSD, Linux, any windows and everything that fits inside single partition.

You can get trivial shadow of it called BootMGR from FreeBSD - F1 - 1st partition, F2 - second and so on...

20120131-EE-VQP-002

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