Re: Linux-2.6.8 Hates DOS partitions

[TimO <hairballmt@mcn.net>]

Andries Brouwer wrote:
> On Wed, Oct 13, 2004 at 01:31:34PM -0400, Richard B. Johnson wrote:
> 
> 
>>Only the DOS partitions and the swap are used in this new configuration.
>>This is a new "Fedora Linux 2" installation on a completely
>>different IDE hard disk, in which I have to enable boot disks in
>>the BIOS to boot the new system.
>>
>>Immediately after installing the new system I reverted (in the BIOS)
>>to the original to make sure that I was still able to boot the old
>>system and the DOS partition. Everything was fine.
>>
>>Then I installed linux-2.6.8 after building a new kernel with
>>the old ".config" file used as `make oldconfig`. Everything was
>>fine after that, also.
>>
>>I have now run for about a week and I can't boot the DOS partition
>>anymore!
>>
>>I can copy everything  from C: and D: from within Linux
>>and then re-do the DOS partitions, BUT.... bad stuff
>>will happen again unless the cause is found.
> 
> 
> Well, if you do and the same thing happens, we know that there is something
> reproducible here. That is always good to know. It might be that you did
> something a week ago and forgot all about it and now have a strange bug.
> 
> If this is reproducible, then there are lots of possible explanations.
> 
> Have you considered the numbering of the disks? You changed things in
> the BIOS. Did the Linux SCSI disk numbering remain the same?
> 
> Andries
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> 

Having experienced a similar but not exact situation; I'm going to
suggest that your BIOS is to blame.  (AMI?)  If you hadn't already
done a MBR restore; I would have suggested for you to remove the ATA
disk to see if you could once again boot to DOS.  You might remove
it anyway to see if a boot from DOS floppy will again allow you to
'see' the DOS D:\ partition.
   My situation actually arose from a motherboard swap; AOpen/Award/K7
--> GByte/AMI/AthlonXP.  Linux booted fine and ran for 2 weeks with-
out problem.  I could even see/read all the DOS/VFAT partitions just
fine.  It wasn't until I went to boot Win98 that I noticed the prob-
lem(Invalid system disk).  Booting from a floppy showed a "Drive not
ready" for C:(hda2); D:(hdc1) looked fine but became corrupt as soon
as I wrote to it, and E:(hdc2) didn't even show.  I made sure to
transfer the IDE settings exactly but no amount of war would allow
both systems to boot from the same hard drive(ATA)on the GByte/AMI
board and I eventually managed to trash the Linux / as well.  Another
motherboard with an Award/Pheonix Bios, a little restoration and all
is once again right with the(my) world.

oh, YMMV   :)