Member Avatar for nizzy1115

I've searched all over the internet attemting to find a solution, but nothing has worked for me so far.

Basically, on my main desktop computer, i have been running xp home, but i was able to purchase windows xp pro and xp pro 64 bit for $11.95 for both through MSDN academic. I decided that i would upgrade it to pro just for the hell of it. I wasnt doing a clean install becuase i have it the way i like it, and there are several folders i need to get off of that hard drive on the os partition. Anyways basically it is installing and it hangs at 34 minutes left. I dont know what to do from here.

So far i have:
-Retried the setup a dozen or so times
-hook up only one hard drive
-removed all external components besides keyboard
-removed all pci cards

I am at a real loss right now guys, anybody have any suggestions? I'm open to all! Thanks!

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by nizzy1115

Dani AI

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Quick, practical checklist to get Linux booting again after XP overwrote the MBR (based on what reported and ’s suggestion).

Windows installs will replace the master boot record with the Windows boot code, so the Linux bootloader (LILO or GRUB) disappears — that’s why you get no Linux menu after the XP reinstall. (doc.ubuntu-fr.org)

First try the Mandriva 2006 install CD since you already used it to recover files: at the CD boot prompt enter rescue (or press the CD’s advanced/options key) to load the rescue image, then choose the installer’s option to reinstall the boot loader (or to restore the Linux bootloader). The DrakX/DrakBoot tools on Mandriva provide a menu for that step. If the GUI option fails, the rescue environment still gives you a shell to work from. (gitweb.mageia.org)

If the Mandriva rescue doesn’t work, use a live/rescue CD (SystemRescue, Knoppix, an Ubuntu live CD) and reinstall from a chroot. Typical workflow (replace device names with yours): 

mkdir /mnt/linux
mount /dev/sda2 /mnt/linux        # your Linux root
mount --bind /dev /mnt/linux/dev
mount --bind /proc /mnt/linux/proc
mount --bind /sys /mnt/linux/sys
chroot /mnt/linux
grub-install /dev/sda
update-grub
exit

If /boot is a separate partition, mount it on /mnt/linux/boot before chroot. This chroot-and-reinstall method is the usual reliable fix. (system-rescue.org)

If your install used LILO instead of GRUB check for /etc/lilo.conf or /sbin/lilo in the mounted system; inside the chroot run liloconfig or lilo -v -b /dev/sda after editing /etc/lilo.conf as needed. If you prefer a clean slate and time is short, a reinstall of Mandriva will also restore a working bootloader. Always confirm device names before writing to the MBR. (slackbook.org)

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Member Avatar for nizzy1115

Just for the record, i ended up just doing a clean install of xp. AND i did manage to get my files because i had mandrivia 2006 installed. However, after the installation of xp it rewrote the mbr and there is no lilo to boot to linux anymore. Does anybody know how to fix this? or should i just reinstall mandrivia as well?

Member Avatar for gemini4

You have to boot into Linux using your setup cd. Then go into your control panel(I'm not sure how it is in Mandriva I know how to do it in SUSE because it happened to me all the time) and look for the boot options and reapply all the changes all over again.

Member Avatar for nizzy1115

hey thanks! i will try that tonight!

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