topic Re: Linux/Laptop in Operating System - Linux

Linux/Laptop

Nobody's Hero — Sat, 05 Jun 2004 09:42:57 GMT

Hi All,

I am running Linux RH9 on a toshiba laptop PII. I want to wipe out linux and load up windoze for my mom to use (birthday gift). When I put the win2k cd in the cd rom drive and reboot, it still loads the linux os. Why doesnt the system recognize that there is an OS cd in the drive? Shouldnt the firmware recognize this and boot from the cd and load windoze? Any ideas what I need to do to load the windoze OS?

Re: Linux/Laptop

Vernon Brown_4 — Sat, 05 Jun 2004 09:47:25 GMT

You probably need to get into the BIOS by hitting F1 during the early boot process and change the boot device sequence; I think it is on the second BIOS screen that you get to by the right arrow key on your keyboard.

Change the sequence so that the CD you want to boot from is at the top of the list or just after Floppy Disk.

Vern

Re: Linux/Laptop

Nobody's Hero — Sat, 05 Jun 2004 09:52:15 GMT

Yes I tried that, f1 shift f1, f8 f10...still boots the grub loader right to linux. Birthday is tomorrow, need to get this loaded and all help is always appreciated.

Re: Linux/Laptop

Vernon Brown_4 — Sat, 05 Jun 2004 10:03:17 GMT

Maybe try holding down the control key during the boot process to get into the BIOS screens; bottom line; you have to get into the BIOS to change the boot device sequence :o)

Vern

Re: Linux/Laptop

Nobody's Hero — Sat, 05 Jun 2004 10:08:42 GMT

Yes, it is a toshiba tecra 8000 PII.
tried cntrl f1, cntrl shift f1, f8 f9....wont get to the bios.

thought about going into the grub loader and edit to boot from cdrom, but I am afraid I'll go into limbo with no OS at all.

Re: Linux/Laptop

Vernon Brown_4 — Sat, 05 Jun 2004 10:22:52 GMT

You could try booting with a floppy disk in the floppy drive; might could get to something from the error message if it is not a system floppy.

Maybe make a Windows system floppy boot disk on another Windows computer:

format A: /s

There's got to be some way to get into the BIOS.

Re: Linux/Laptop

Nobody's Hero — Sat, 05 Jun 2004 10:23:50 GMT

OK, control shift esc got me into the bios.

Boot priority = CD-ROM > lan > FDD > HDlooks like cd-rom is first, not sure why it wont recognize the cdrom media as a boot OS install disk.

Re: Linux/Laptop

Nobody's Hero — Sat, 05 Jun 2004 10:27:39 GMT

how do I make a windoze floppy boot disk?
I have a win2k PC here.

Re: Linux/Laptop

Nobody's Hero — Sat, 05 Jun 2004 10:37:17 GMT

the format a: /s command gives me an invalid argument. I am running win2k. Is there a different command to create a boot disk in win2k?

Re: Linux/Laptop

Vernon Brown_4 — Sat, 05 Jun 2004 10:47:27 GMT

Not sure about win2k; I'm using win XP duel boot with Fedora Core 1 and SuSE 9.

format a: /s should work; maybe try \s.

I would try messing around with the boot sequence in BIOS; maybe it's getting the last one first. I don't think GRUB hides from the BIOS.

Vern

Re: Linux/Laptop

Nobody's Hero — Sat, 05 Jun 2004 10:49:35 GMT

OK, well being an HPUX systems admin, I learned something about windoze. Cant use the command to make a win2k boot disk. Have to run makeboot.exe, I downloaded it from the web. Another problem, I have no floppy drive in my laptop, only cdrom. Maybe mom at 70 years old will learn linux?

Re: Linux/Laptop

Nobody's Hero — Sat, 05 Jun 2004 11:01:33 GMT

tried messing with the boot sequence in the bios. the cdrom entry, wont move to the end. best I could do was, lan at the end, cdrom second from last. tried reboot, still goes to grub.

Re: Linux/Laptop

Vernon Brown_4 — Sat, 05 Jun 2004 11:02:47 GMT

Just a long shot; did you try another bootable CD?

Re: Linux/Laptop

Nobody's Hero — Sat, 05 Jun 2004 11:05:23 GMT

yes vernon, linux boot cd will fire up, no windoze though, no 98, nore win2k. but thanks.

Re: Linux/Laptop

Nobody's Hero — Sat, 05 Jun 2004 11:21:30 GMT

OK my girlfreiend here and myself feel a bit stupid. she supports novell, me hpux...windoze dummies.

Re: Linux/Laptop

KapilRaj — Sat, 05 Jun 2004 11:46:21 GMT

Good ... I have worked on all that u hv said . u may go to the my computer ==> Right click == > format (Now is there an option to copy system files...

Oh ... I remember I think there is a command called rdisk ... sorry am not sure whether this is the right one.

Kaps

Re: Linux/Laptop

Nobody's Hero — Sat, 05 Jun 2004 12:05:43 GMT

are you saying i need to run fdisk on my linux laptop and create a dos partition?

Re: Linux/Laptop

Vernon Brown_4 — Sat, 05 Jun 2004 12:42:07 GMT

Just to make sure that Windows install CD is Ok maybe try it in another PC to see if it boots there ??

Re: Linux/Laptop

Nobody's Hero — Sat, 05 Jun 2004 16:36:43 GMT

already tried that,but thanks.

Re: Linux/Laptop

KapilRaj — Sun, 06 Jun 2004 04:30:58 GMT

I said "rdisk" not "fdisk"

Regds,

Kaps