From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Return-Path: Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand id S264717AbUEaSIj (ORCPT ); Mon, 31 May 2004 14:08:39 -0400 Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org id S264721AbUEaSIi (ORCPT ); Mon, 31 May 2004 14:08:38 -0400 Received: from louise.pinerecords.com ([213.168.176.16]:19859 "EHLO louise.pinerecords.com") by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id S264717AbUEaSIh (ORCPT ); Mon, 31 May 2004 14:08:37 -0400 Date: Mon, 31 May 2004 20:08:21 +0200 From: Tomas Szepe To: "Patrick J. LoPresti" Cc: Andries Brouwer , linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org Subject: Re: 2.6.x partition breakage and dual booting Message-ID: <20040531180821.GC5257@louise.pinerecords.com> References: <40BA2213.1090209@pobox.com> <20040530183609.GB5927@pclin040.win.tue.nl> <40BA2E5E.6090603@pobox.com> <20040530200300.GA4681@apps.cwi.nl> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline In-Reply-To: User-Agent: Mutt/1.4.2.1i Sender: linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org X-Mailing-List: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org > This is really very simple. If you move a disk from a machine with a > different BIOS and you preserve the partition table geometry, you will > NEVER be able to install Windows on the drive. If you partition a > blank drive and use the wrong geometry, you will NEVER be able to > install Windows on the drive. I don't quite believe this. AFAICT the Windows 2000/XP install program will succeed no matter what, the only problem is with getting the dirty thing to boot AFTER install has completed. If it craps out, boot off the install CD to the repair console prompt, run fixboot/fixmbr and all should be swell. If you need dual boot, you can go ahead and reinstall lilo/grub at this point. The one scenario unfixable without a hex editor that I know of is installing Windows on a partition that was created using mkdosfs -F 32 (and even that will sometimes work). -- Tomas Szepe