Boot problem because I'm dumb.

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04-24-2003, 01:35 AM
Shoeberto

Boot problem because I'm dumb.

Okay, tonight I was trying a bit of video editing when my computer froze, then BSOD'ed me. So I did a double CTRL+ALT+DEL to reboot, but when I got past the HP splash screen where I'd normally get a boot menu, all I see in DOS text is LI. I formatted my Linux partition a while ago, but I couldn't get rid of the boot menu. I've always heard about editing boot.ini to change the boot settings, but I've never been able to find it. I think the problem might be that, for some reason, the Mandrake boot menu somehow got deleted or just taken off, so now all I can get to (without using a boot disk) is the screen saying LI. I'd go in through safe mode, but I don't know how.

If it helps, I'm running Windows 98 SE.
04-24-2003, 01:47 AM
Endless

If you still have a linux partition with linux installed, boot it with a linux boot disk and there (I know that Mandrake has it) go to the Lilo configuration to reinstall the boot loader.

If you AREN'T using Linux anymore (or just have an empty partition that you won't use immediately), use a DOS boot disk and run format /mbr to clean the boot sector of your disc.
04-24-2003, 01:50 AM
Shoeberto

I got rid of my Linux partition a while ago, and now I have two Windows partitions (I couldn't combine the two without having to do a complete reformat)

Would formatting that /mbr affect either of my partitions? I have stuff on both of them, and I'd rather not lose either.
04-24-2003, 01:52 AM
Dr Unne

It's fdisk /mbr, right? That doesn't touch any partition, just the MBR. fdisk /mbr just reinstalls a Windows bootloader into your MBR, which will get rid of whatever remains of LILO.
04-24-2003, 02:02 AM
Shoeberto

Alright, thanks a bunch guys. I got it working again.
04-24-2003, 01:20 PM
Endless

Quote:

Originally posted by Dr Unne
It's fdisk /mbr, right? That doesn't touch any partition, just the MBR. fdisk /mbr just reinstalls a Windows bootloader into your MBR, which will get rid of whatever remains of LILO.

*commits seppuku*
How did I manage to mix them? :sweat: