Can't boot now after Linux Install disater

Poritz

Member
May 20, 2001
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Hi folks, I am on my knees, I need some assistance.
Here is how it went. I downloaded Linux-Mandrake 8.0 on to my new machine and burned the iso image. Very excited that the download finnished after many interuptions I ran to the next room to the old computer running win98 and proceded to use PartionMagic 5.0 Pro to partion an ext2 and swap space partions. I then rebooted the machin twice and then inserted the mandrake disc. everything went fine, I selected the partitions I had created earlier during the install and every thing was going fine through the installation until toward the end when I was supposed to be prompted to make a start diskette. The installer suddenly skiped over that and went on to the next steps. The installer then asked me to insert the second disc labeled "xfree86" or somthing to that effect. It said if I did not have the disc which I did not to click on a button to prevent contiuing the install from the disc ind the cd-rom drive. The installer finished several minutes later and restarted the machine. and then comes the worst part. The machin failed to go into linux it just stoped after booting and on the next line read the letters "LIL" and nothing else happened. I tried starting with my win98 start disk but nothing worked. I am desperate, I am at the point where I am willing to take the drive out and connect to the new machine but I am not quite sure how to do that and if it can be fixed without doing that that's even better. there were som files that were not backed with rest and i need to at least be able to transfer them so they can be saved. I have begun to move into a state of panic so I need an outside opinion and help.
 

warlord

Golden Member
Oct 25, 1999
1,557
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boot from your 98 start up disk to DOS

type: fdisk/mbr

you should be good to go then.
 

warlord

Golden Member
Oct 25, 1999
1,557
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did you try it or not? no one is being sarcastic.

your problem is that linux installed info onto the Master Boot Record, and now when your computer boots using the dual boot program it cannot find a proper installation of linux. I had this problem when I was installing linux, but mine only came up LI.

actually typing fdisk/mbr will not affect a noramlly running win9x maching.
 

SonofRage

Junior Member
Jun 21, 2001
1
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Each letter in LILO represents a part of the loading process. I'm not sure how to fix it but with Mandrake 8 I recommend you use the GRUB bootloader (it gives you the option to choose it over LILO). The easiest thing would be to just do the install over and use GRUB if you don't trust LILO.

(<nothing>) No part of LILO has been loaded. LILO either isn't
installed or the partition on which its boot sector is located isn't active.

L <error> ... The first stage boot loader has been loaded and
started, but it can't load the second stage boot loader. The two-digit error codes indicate the type of problem. (See also section &quot;Disk error codes&quot;.) This condition usually indicates a media failure or a geometry mismatch (e.g. bad disk parameters, see section &quot;Disk geometry&quot;).

LI The first stage boot loader was able to load the second stage
boot loader, but has failed to execute it. This can either be caused by a geometry mismatch or by moving /boot/boot.b without running the map installer.

LIL The second stage boot loader has been started, but it can't load the descriptor table from the map file. This is typically caused by
a media failure or by a geometry mismatch.

LIL? The second stage boot loader has been loaded at an incorrect address. This is typically caused by a subtle geometry mismatch or by moving /boot/boot.b without running the map installer.

LIL- The descriptor table is corrupt. This can either be caused by
a geometry mismatch or by moving /boot/map without running the map installer.

LILO All parts of LILO have been successfully loaded.
 

Techwhore

Golden Member
Aug 2, 2000
1,248
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I had the same problem when i installed redhat 6.1 on one of my machines. It came up as LI and i was really confused... There is actually a way to fix it, but it's pretty involved and it didn't work for me, the best thing to do is to reformat and install over. You get boot loader errors like that becasue soemthing in the install won't wrong when either creating the MBR or partitioning drive space... If you're not gonna dual boot, I'd suggest just letting linux partition for you.

It took me about 5 installs before linux loaded when i set the partitions, only 1 when I wasn't dual booting and allowed automatic partitioning.
 

sandorski

No Lifer
Oct 10, 1999
70,709
6,266
126
Just do what Warlord and Ladi suggested, it works at getting the computer bootable again. Then re-install Mandrake, but make sure you get a bootable floppy made(you may have to use the &quot;expert&quot; install for that). Boot into Mandrake using the floppy only, until you can figure out why it's not loading LILO.
 

Shudder

Platinum Member
May 5, 2000
2,256
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fdisk /mbr has always worked for me except for yesterday :)

For some reason my windows 2000 wanted to put itself on drive D, even though logically it's C (first partition). Man did that cause problems when I did it.

Let me guess, you did the &quot;recommended&quot; install for Mandrake 8? I did that after the 3rd time redoing it and I was NOT pleased that it skipped all those steps.

Easiest thing to do, is after you get your boot sector working again, when it asks you to install lilo or grub, pick grub and instead of writing to /hd0 or whatever it is, pick fd0 which will be your floppy drive. Then you'll have a boot disk for linux, change the seconds to 2 or something, and it'll be just as fast as booting off the hard drive but if you don't like mandrake, you won't have to worry about it ever agian.
 

sandorski

No Lifer
Oct 10, 1999
70,709
6,266
126
Make a Windows boot disk, make sure the file fdisk.exe is on it, reboot using floppy, after restarted goto C:\ and type fdisk /mbr. Then remove floppy, ctrl-alt-del or hit reset switch.