Where do i start????

[RichyL]

Need your help guys made a big booboo!!

On my h/d i had win 98 + 2k + linux mandrake 8.1. Now i decided to remove mandrake so i deleted the partition using fdisk. After deleting i booted to win98 and used partition magic and redistributed the now unallocated disk space as fat32 to the win98 partition, or so i thought.

Only thing is i didn't merge with win98 i messed up and it merged with the ntfs 2k partition by the looks,(cant realy tell in fdisk). I now cant boot the machine, it looks like it's looking for the linux bootloader lilo and then hanging.

How can i edit my master boot record to remove lilo??? I've tried booting from a 98 start disk and running 'fdisk /mbr' but fdisk wont run???

I need to get access to the data which was on the 2k partition. How can i do this??? Can i recover the data if the worst has happened :confused: :eek: it's a bit of an emergency.

Any ideas realy appreciated :D

[RichyL]

Haven't got you guys stumped have I?? Hope not cos th@ wouldn't be good news.

Things have progressed a bit, i've fixed the mbr, HooRah! But still cant boot the system i'm getting told that 'ntldr' is missing. I haven't checked but i assume this is the nt boot loader? Is there any way of getting this back on??

2k is still on the disk, i can access the NT fldr by using the recovery console, so there is hope.

[smurfy]

Hi Richy. It sounds like you have hosed the W98 partition (that's where the W2k boot loader is).

Can you still see the W98 partition ( C:\ ) from a boot disk?
If so, try this...

From DOS prompt change to C:
Type EDIT boot.ini
Type the following:

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=C:\
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINNT="Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional" /fastdetect
C:\="Microsoft Windows"

Save and close
Reboot.

If you can't see the Win98 partition, I'd reinstall 98 then create a new boot.ini file as above.

I'm actually surprised fdisk allowed you to delete the Mandrake partitions (unless it was installed on a FAT partition?) but mixing and matching with Partition Magic & FDISK is risky at best of times. I bet you didn't scandisk & defrag before you resized?

[RichyL]

Hi Smurfy :D

Had a go at the above, good news i can see the 98 parttion,

My boot.ini looks like this

[boot loader]
timeout=999
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(5)\WINNT="Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional"
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(5)\WINNT="Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional" /fastdetect
C:\="Microsoft Windows"

Tried the edit as above but it was unsuccesful. If i boot with the change as you suggested i get

Verifying DMI pool....................Success
LI

and thats it, just sits there

where as if i boot without the change i get

Verifying DMI pool....................Success
ntldr missing
press a key to restrt

dont know where to go next :confused: :confused:

I can see both the OS's booting from a start disk or the 2k cd. But the worrying thing is i cant runthe emergency repair for 2k as setup can locate the 2k install, but it will let me access with the recovery console. Only prob with the recovery console is i cant see the desktop of the 2k os and this is where the files i need are!!! They were q'd for backup!!!

And no i very foolishly didn't defrag or scdisk before the resize!! I fear i'm doomed:(

I have a 2nd hard drive in the tower, do you think if i installed 2k on there i would be able to see the other disk??

[w1che]

Quote...I have a 2nd hard drive in the tower, do you think if i installed 2k on there i would be able to see the other disk??
>>>>>
That would be well worth a try...It should work if you don't call up something from the other disk that will make you crash...I know I would try it because at this point you don't have a lot to lose..Good luck

[RichyL]

SUCESS:D :D

Ok i can access all drives, all the data is intact!!!:D (and now backed up)

So any ideas why the sys wont boot??

[RichyL]

Haha got it all sorted:D

me problem was, the disk with 98 + 2k was set as slave, and not the active disk. set the disk to master, booted from 98 startup disk, and run c:\fdisk /mbr. Rebooted and we get the 2k boot loader :D :D

At this point only 98 would boot:confused: so using Smurfy's advice i ran edit boot.ini and entered the config smurfy posted. Reboot and now sorted!!! Everything works :D

I now got 10gig unused space sat on the disk. Whats the best way to re allocate this space??? I dont want to knacker anything up again.

Guys a lesson here, backup everything you need as soon as it's created. Would have saved me a whole load of hastle. :D :

[jtdoom]

hi

I think that had we known there was a second hard drive, we'd have been able to solve this real quick.

I saw the initial posting, and had no clue as to how to solve this (without putting the drive in another machine...)
I also did not have much time, and I am not an expert.

anyway, you was generous in telling us about the solution...

[RichyL]

yeah sorry dude i just didn't think :uhoh: