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COMPUTER HELP ---*URGENT*---

I screwed up this time really badly... let me start at the beginning.

Last night I saw a video of Ubuntu and I'd always wanted to try Linux so I decided to get partition magic and partition off some data for a linux OS. I made the partition specifically for Linux with a Linux file system and everything. Now.. it said that I had to activate the Linux partition in order to install Linux onto it. So I set the linux partition as active and (deactivating the current one at the same time) so that I could install Linux to it... Well I used a CD to boot into Linux which is where I am now.. but it won't let me install Linux to that particular partition. I have no idea why but it will only let me do it if it it partitions itself.. it also doesn't seem to recognize my RAID configuration which is even more of a problem. So when it didn't work.. I crossed my fingers and restarted but alas.. "Error loading operating system" so I restarted again and booted into Linux again and tried various things.. I tried to use the rescue disk that partition magic created but it gets a critical error when I run it.. I guess one of the disks was bad or something.

Right now I'm getting a friend to install partition magic and make his own rescue disk and then he can send the files to me via email so that I can make a new boot disk that will hopefully work.. but since I'm not sure if that will work either.. I downloaded bootmagic rescue disk that I can't get to work and I don't know why.. I guess because it's .exe.. but I don't see why it wouldn't run right from startup like it should.

Do you ever have those time where you wish you could just rewind and undo something STUPID?

I need help so badly.. if anyone ANYONE knows of a way that I can reactivate my windows partition... that would be... SO..SO SO SO MUCH APPRECIATED...

I will be rebooting with a new disk that I just made and if that doesn't work.. I'll be waiting here for replies...I doubt it will work though..

Please help.
 
What's that thing? A system restore can't you just do that and select like, yesterday or last week or whenever to start over from?
 
go to download.com, I recently saw some programs to do what you want to do, I dont know if they were shareware, freeware or buy... but in their search just put in partition repair and see what comes up, I know I saw a few at least

maybe LOL....
 
The problem with downloading programs is that I can't run them.. the only OS I can use right now is a Linux OS that I booted from my CD drive..

Clint, System Restore is on Windows.. which I cannot access.. that's the whole problem... :/

Is there a way that I can get Linux to recognize my RAID configuration? With that, I may be able to at least get a stable OS running...
 
You should be able to boot off the Windows CD.
 
I tried to do that as well but there's no "Boot from CD" selection. It just takes me to the installer and the recovery module and neither of them work because they can't find a hard drive.. which is probably because the only active partition right now is for Linux...which Windows probably doesn't recognize. I think what I may have to do is buy PartitionMagic (the disc) because it will supposedly run from there.. and from that I can boot up.. but if I can avoid that then I would like to.
 
I tried to do that as well but there's no "Boot from CD" selection. It just takes me to the installer and the recovery module and neither of them work because they can't find a hard drive.. which is probably because the only active partition right now is for Linux...which Windows probably doesn't recognize. I think what I may have to do is buy PartitionMagic (the disc) because it will supposedly run from there.. and from that I can boot up.. but if I can avoid that then I would like to.

Well, I suppose we start from the ground and work our way up, otherwise all I can do is make blind suggestions.

To kick things off, what'd you partition, that is WHERE on a given harddrive did you bound the partition? It is possible that you "cut off" some files that windows needs unless you only bounded sections that are clear of information. What type of RAID configuration are you using, because that could make it easier to end up partitioning off some space that's in use.

As for the RAID stuff in linux, it's probably just a matter of getting drives, or telling it to use whatever generic ones it has- google can help you out with the specifics.
 
You have to go into the BIOS setup and set the CD drive as the bootable device before the hard-drive.
 
which Windows probably doesn't recognize.

Use Linux discs for messing aronud wih partitions. Using windows CDs to partition is finicky even when you don't have partitions/OSes that it wont recognize. You should be able to boot off of a linux disc and do whatever partition-changes you need from there.
 
  • #10
I fixed it!!! WOOOOO! I am so happy!

I took an old floppy drive from my ancient computer and put it in my step brother's computer and then I installed PartitionMagic there and made new rescue disks... AND THEY WORKED!! Woooooohooooo!! I will have to use the rescue disks again because I forgot to make my E:\ drive active as well.. whoops! That drive has all my junk on it... anyways.. I'm done messing with partitions and Linux.. it's out of my league and simply unnecessary. I don't need it, I was just doing it out of curiosity.

Thanks for tyhe help guys, I really appreciate it!
 
  • #11
Glad you got it fixed.

I tell ya what, next time you want to try out using another OS, do it on a separate HDD (one not RAIDed with any other) so that there's nothing that can be lost or fuddled with. That's the easy way out, and works just fine if you've got a small harddrive sitting around somewhere.
 
  • #12
Yeah I've thought of doing that, but it's definitely gonna wait a bit. I'm too spooked from that day-long fiasco I just had.. plus I don't feel like buying another HDD just yet.

On my old computer I had Windows 98 and Windows XP.. and i did that by accident, so it was EASY.. I guess I had kinda expected doing it with Linux to be the same.. but I was WRONG. I guess the RAID really is what screwed me up.
 
  • #13
I was wondering about that, any reason to be using a RAID configuration? Are you just using several smaller HDDs, or are you using one for backup, or what?

The problem with partitioning, as you've seen, is that linux works fine and dandy. The bootloader works, it works perfect, there's drivers for just about everything, and then there's generic drives for most everything else, you don't take HOURS updating, sitting in front of your computer waiting to have to restart and blah blah blah just so that Microsoft can have a problem with their genuine advantage BS and lock you out of updates leading you to misdiagnose the problem and reinstall 20 times over the course of a few days.

rrrr :rant: You get the picture. Windows doesn't like bootloaders. Windows doesn't like not being at the start of a drive. Windows doesn't like other OSs. >_<
 
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