FC2 destroyed Windows XP!!

[Joey Kelley]

Quoting Paolo Bonavoglia <paolo.bonavoglia at liceofoscarini.it>:

>
> Two days ago i installed FC2 on a PC wich had Windows XP installed in
> the first partition and FC-1 on the remaining HD space (about 20G). I
> choose a brand new installation deleting the old one of FC1.
>
> When I started Druid for re-partitioning the HD a strange message
> appeared telling something like "There is a problem in the partition
> table which is not congruent with the BIOS geometry; this can cause
> problems with bootloader, but  the problems are fixable". (but it didn't
> say how)
>
> The PC is just a client in a network and doesn't contain any valuable
> information, so I carelessly continued the installation, activating the
> GRUB boot-loader etc.etc.
>
> Bad news came at the end of installation: FC2 works perfectly, but
> Windows XP is no more usable; if I select Windows from the GRUB menu the
> PC hangs up.
>
> Worst of all: I tried to reinstall Windows XP from the originale
> Microsoft CD, installation begins normally,  I choose the old partition,
> reformat the partition,  installation files are copied, but when Windows
> XP restarts the computer the first time, the computer hangs with an
> error message like: "can not load operating system".
>
> I tried everything I can guess, I even deleted all partition from the HD
> with fdisk, recreated new partitions, restarted the XP installation
> process, but it ends up the same way: at the first reboot the PC can not
> load any operating system.
>
> Seems the PC can not find the first partition or the partition table.
>
> I looked in the BIOS also but didn't find any useful tool.
>
> On the other hand if I install FC2 everything goes well and FC2 works
> perfectly!!
>
> Hope someone can help me to get out of this nightmare!!
>
> --
>
> Paolo Bonavoglia
>
> Liceo Classico "Marco Foscarini"
> Cannaregio 4942 30131 V E N E Z I A
> Pagine Web http://www.liceofoscarini.it/

Paolo - I am not sure, but I think that sounds like a Master Boot Record problem
with XP - Grub or whatever bootloader you used probably over wrote it, and I
would guess that XP can't handle that. If all else fails, it will probably kill
your FC2 install, but boot off a floppy (even a Windows 98 one would do) and
run:
        fdisk /mbr
        That will reset your master boot record, and should allow you to setup
Windows again.
        Hope that helps!
        cya, Joey


--Joey Kelley, Fedora Newbie--
"If David beat Goliath, Linux
should kick Microsofts butt!"