mandrake & win2k loading problem

[p805]

I have 2 hard drives and on my first hd I have my win2k alone on 40 gig drive. On my second drive I have redhat and mandrake. The reason for this post is that mandrake didn't load anymore so I decide to delete the partition (using partition magic in windows). WHAT A MISTAKE. now when I start my computer I see 99 99 99 99 99 99 ... And nothing happens. So my guess is that mandrake installed a boot loader on my first mbr (my mistake maybe). But my redhat still works if I boot with the floppy. What do I have to do. I tried going in recovery console in win2k and fixmbr command and didn’t solve the problem. So can anybody help.

[smurfy]

The way I see it you have a few options.
1) Win2000 recovery console:
You tried fixmbr right 9good work) but it didn't work. So try Fixboot command from the recovery console.
http://www.microsoft.com/TechNet/prodtechnol/windows2000serv/tips/recovcon.asp

2) Reinstall Mandrake, let it load it's boot manager again, see if that allows you to boot to Windows.

3) Install Red-Hat's boot manager to the primary disk partition and see if you can get it to load windows.
How?
(RH7.1 - later version may differ)
Control Centre > System > Boot manager (lilo) > General Options > Install Boot record to drive/partition... change to 1st partition on primary master disk.

Last resort, reinstall Win2k (arrggghhh)

Edit - just found this:
http://www.mandrakeuser.org/docs/install/iboot3.html


Removing LiLo, GNU GRUB and GNU/Linux

Uninstalling Linux and getting rid of the boot loader are two different things.

The best way to proceed is to delete the Linux partitions from within Linux using either 'diskdrake' or cfdisk /dev/[device] ('device' usually being 'hda' or 'hdb'), then booting into the other operating and cause it to reinstall its boot loader. In DOS/Windows, that would be achieved by issuing the command

fdisk /mbr

which replaces LiLo or GRUB with the Windows boot code. In Windows 2000 / XP you would boot into the 'system recovery console' and run these commands:

fixmbr
fixboot [drive]

command (with 'drive' being the 'drive letter' of the system partition). That's all.
In Mandrake Linux 8.2 and later, you can also use the rescue system from the CD to restore the previous boot sector.

If you've already removed the boot loader, you can try to remove the Linux partitions with Windows' (well, DOS') own 'fdisk' program. This program will usually detect 'incompatible' partitions and offer to delete them. Notice however, that NTFS partitions - if present - might also be deleted if the program is run from within Win9x or from DOS!
A second possibility is booting the rescue system from the Mandrake CD (hit F1 key on first screen and then type 'rescue') and use the included 'fdisk' program to delete the Linux partitions.
A third way would involving third party programs like Partition Magic or the free of charge Ranish Partition Manager.

[p805]

Thank you. For the post. I made redhat reinstall the boot loader but eventually I'll uninstall the Linux boot loader and try to restore the win2k boot loader. But thank now at least I can work. :)