I have a machine with several OSes installed on a single SATA disk

(XP, Vista, Linux), and in updating a Linux distribution, I somehow

screwed up my boot loaders. Previously, I had a grub loader, Vista's

loader, and XP's loader all playing nicely together in order to boot

into the different partitions. Now I can't boot to any.

 

I've tried the Vista recovery method (boot Vista DVD and let it repair

the MBR, claims to do so but nothing happens), and a few methods using

my XP CD (fixmbr, bootcfg list|rebuild), but none worked. Now, I'm

trying to do a "recovery" install over the previous XP installation,

but the installation program is saying that the XP partition "does not

contain a Windows-compatible partition." I'm guessing this means that

the partition table is bad? Is there any way to fix this?

 

Thank you.

Hi John,

 

I found that on my system, the SATA Disk disappears. I have my operating

systems on two IDE Disks and using the SATA Disk as storage.

 

Why did you start messing with the Boot Loaders at all? Which boot

loader were you using to boot into each operating system?

 

Which motherboard are you using?

 

Are you sure you screwed up your boot loaders, or did the SATA Disk

disappear during a Linux Distribution, therefore messing up everything?

 

Have you created Drive Partition images?

 

 

--

thecreator

 

 

"John DeStefano" <john.destefano@gmail.com> wrote in message

news:1183501717.188738.149710@k29g2000hsd.googlegroups.com...

>I have a machine with several OSes installed on a single SATA disk

> (XP, Vista, Linux), and in updating a Linux distribution, I somehow

> screwed up my boot loaders. Previously, I had a grub loader, Vista's

> loader, and XP's loader all playing nicely together in order to boot

> into the different partitions. Now I can't boot to any.

>

> I've tried the Vista recovery method (boot Vista DVD and let it repair

> the MBR, claims to do so but nothing happens), and a few methods using

> my XP CD (fixmbr, bootcfg list|rebuild), but none worked. Now, I'm

> trying to do a "recovery" install over the previous XP installation,

> but the installation program is saying that the XP partition "does not

> contain a Windows-compatible partition." I'm guessing this means that

> the partition table is bad? Is there any way to fix this?

>

> Thank you.

>

Hello!

 

On Jul 3, 6:40 pm, "thecreator" <thecrea...@comcast.net> wrote:

> Hi John,

>

> I found that on my system, the SATA Disk disappears. I have my operating

> systems on two IDE Disks and using the SATA Disk as storage.

>

> Why did you start messing with the Boot Loaders at all? Which boot

> loader were you using to boot into each operating system?

 

I didn't intentionally, but I must have chosen to install the grub

loader by mistake during a Fedora Core upgrade. And I must have

screwed things up further by trying to restore Windows' loaders.

> Which motherboard are you using?

 

Interestingly, it's a Gateway machine, with what they claim is an ECS

motherboard, but there is no such board on ECS's site, and they claim

it's not theirs...

http://support.gateway.com/s/MOTHERBD/Shared/4006157R/4006157Rsp2.shtml

http://support.gateway.com/s/pc/R/1009452/1009452nv.shtml

> Are you sure you screwed up your boot loaders, or did the SATA Disk

> disappear during a Linux Distribution, therefore messing up everything?

 

The disk hasn't disappeared; even XP's install recognizes it as "Disk

0 at Id 0 on bus 0 on atapi". But when I select the XP partition to

reinstall XP over it, I get the message that the disk doesn't contain

a Windows-compatible partition (even though the setup screen displays

it with the other partitions and allows me to press Enter to select

it).

> Have you created Drive Partition images?

 

Sorry, not sure what you mean... should I use a utility to copy the

partition to another disk?

 

 

Thanks,

John

Hi John,

> Sorry, not sure what you mean... should I use a utility to copy the

> partition to another disk?

 

 

http://www.acronis.com/homecomputing/download/trueimage/

 

This is the program I use for creating Partition Images. However, to be

perfectly safe, you don't really want to created an image of the Drive on

the very same Drive, and in a different partition, because if the Hard Drive

should fail, you would be out of luck. Install a second Hard drive or use

DVD-RW Disks to back up with. Even use a USB Hard Drive.

 

You can, but copy it to another place also.

 

http://www.acronis.com/homecomputing/download/diskdirector/

 

Now Acronis Disk Director Suite 10, also comes with a Boot Manager too.

However I had problems with it. But I used the program to prepare a brand

new SATA Hard Drive. I am using it for storage and experimenting, too with

new operating systems. However, still having problems with the Sata Hard

Drive.

 

You can use Disk Director to reformat the partition, then reinstall

Windows XP on it. Do you have a backup of your Documents, E-mails,

Favorites, Address Book?

 

 

--

thecreator

 

 

 

 

 

"John DeStefano" <john.destefano@gmail.com> wrote in message

news:1183505440.116369.86470@n60g2000hse.googlegroups.com...

> Hello!

>

> On Jul 3, 6:40 pm, "thecreator" <thecrea...@comcast.net> wrote:

>> Hi John,

>>

>> I found that on my system, the SATA Disk disappears. I have my

>> operating

>> systems on two IDE Disks and using the SATA Disk as storage.

>>

>> Why did you start messing with the Boot Loaders at all? Which boot

>> loader were you using to boot into each operating system?

>

> I didn't intentionally, but I must have chosen to install the grub

> loader by mistake during a Fedora Core upgrade. And I must have

> screwed things up further by trying to restore Windows' loaders.

>

>> Which motherboard are you using?

>

> Interestingly, it's a Gateway machine, with what they claim is an ECS

> motherboard, but there is no such board on ECS's site, and they claim

> it's not theirs...

> http://support.gateway.com/s/MOTHERBD/Shared/4006157R/4006157Rsp2.shtml

> http://support.gateway.com/s/pc/R/1009452/1009452nv.shtml

>

>> Are you sure you screwed up your boot loaders, or did the SATA Disk

>> disappear during a Linux Distribution, therefore messing up everything?

>

> The disk hasn't disappeared; even XP's install recognizes it as "Disk

> 0 at Id 0 on bus 0 on atapi". But when I select the XP partition to

> reinstall XP over it, I get the message that the disk doesn't contain

> a Windows-compatible partition (even though the setup screen displays

> it with the other partitions and allows me to press Enter to select

> it).

>

>> Have you created Drive Partition images?

>

> Sorry, not sure what you mean... should I use a utility to copy the

> partition to another disk?

>

>

> Thanks,

> John

>