Install of WindowsXP: does it delete MDV partitions?

On 04/08/10 13:33, VMunich wrote:

On my laptop I installed (years ago) Mandriva and windowsXP (Windows
on the first partition sda1 of my HD).

I have the same arrangement on my desktop machine.

I need to reinstall Windows and I seem to remember that the install
process of WinXP does ignore the other partitions present on the HD...
means that my Mandriva partitions would be deleted during the
install...

My recollection is that the XP install offers you the _option_ of
deleting all partitions to claim everything for itself, but that this
not required. What it will do IIRC is to overwrite the grub bootloader,
making it difficult to boot into your Mandriva partition without a boot
disk. Once you can get back into MDV, restoring the bootloader is easy
enough in 'Configure Your Computer'->'Boot'.

VMunich wrote:

On my laptop I installed (years ago) Mandriva and windowsXP (Windows
on the first partition sda1 of my HD).

More likely you installed Mandriva onto/after an existing factory XP
install by having the Mandriva install create another partition - not
Mandriva & XP on the same partition.

In doing so, you 'displaced' the XP mbr with the beginning of grub.
Now, if you reinstall XP, it will take over the mbr.

Here's an old article about saving the mbr and replacing it after the XP
install http://www.stoltenow.com/archives/2...ng_wi.html
Reinstalling Windows In A Dual Boot System

Presumably your grub is legacy grub as opposed to 'grub2'.

Here's an ub article with some information on the subject which has the
advantage of having links which discuss both restoring strategies grub
vs grub2. http://peek.snipr.com/10709i Recovering GRUB after
reinstalling Windows

That article does it another way than the first article.


Mike Easter

On 08/04/2010 05:33 AM, VMunich wrote:

Hi everyone,

yes I know, my question is not 100% related to Mandriva, still the
question may be relevant for many of us.

On my laptop I installed (years ago) Mandriva and windowsXP (Windows
on the first partition sda1 of my HD).

I need to reinstall Windows and I seem to remember that the install
process of WinXP does ignore the other partitions present on the HD...
means that my Mandriva partitions would be deleted during the
install...

Has anybody a clue ?

Thanks !
Vincent

As others have pointed out XP will overwrite the boot-loader
putting its singular MBR there.
The Mandriva install disk(s) offer a specific repair facility
for this, just explore the alternatives at boot of the DVD/CD you
installed from.
Pick the "Rescue System" and you will find a specific
tool to restore the boot-loader

later
bliss

On 08/04/2010 02:33 PM, VMunich wrote:

Hi everyone,

yes I know, my question is not 100% related to Mandriva, still the
question may be relevant for many of us.

On my laptop I installed (years ago) Mandriva and windowsXP (Windows
on the first partition sda1 of my HD).

I need to reinstall Windows and I seem to remember that the install
process of WinXP does ignore the other partitions present on the HD...
means that my Mandriva partitions would be deleted during the
install...

Has anybody a clue ?

Thanks !
Vincent

XP can only install on MS compatible file systems. As long
as you do not have valuable data on a FAT or NTFS partition
XP can only install on those partitions.

Make sure you do NOT delete an partition or format an
"unknown" partition as FAT or NTFS.

The XP installation will overwrite the MBR and destroy the
GRUB boot loader in this process.

If you have a Floppy drive (and a floppy - they will be hard
to get in the nearby future), you can use a simple
work-around. Just insert a floppy and go to the MCC. Select
boot->"set up boot system". Select as boot device
/dev/fd0. Now click "Next" and select the present hard drive
you are booting from. Keep clicking "next" until you are
done. Now shut down the computer, remove the floppy disk and
re-install XP.

Installing XP has removed GRUB, but after installing XP just
re-insert the floppy you made before and boot from it. You
can now boot Mandriva and re-install GRUB (using the same
procedure as above, but now select /dev/sda -or what you was
using- as boot device).

Simple and effective...

On Wednesday 04 August 2010 14:33 in alt.os.linux.mandriva, somebody
identifying as VMunich wrote...

yes I know, my question is not 100% related to Mandriva, still the
question may be relevant for many of us.

On my laptop I installed (years ago) Mandriva and windowsXP (Windows
on the first partition sda1 of my HD).

I need to reinstall Windows and I seem to remember that the install
process of WinXP does ignore the other partitions present on the HD...
means that my Mandriva partitions would be deleted during the
install...

This may or may not happen, depending on the version and category of
your Microsoft Windows license. Some versions of Windows are known to
blank the entire partition table and create one big Windows partition,
spanning the whole hard disk. Other versions of Windows will look for
an installable partition if it exists, or suggest that you create one
first, using the installer's own partitioning tools. In your case, it
is quite possible that it recognizes the first primary partition as
being a Windows partition, and that it allows you to re-use it.

What *will* however happen with the utmost certainty, is that the GRUB
bootloader will be erased from the MBR in favor of the DOS-style legacy
bootloader which looks for the active primary partition and then loads
that one's boot sector into memory.

Therefore, it is best to have a live/rescue CD handy, so that you can
boot up from it after installing Windows and restore your GRUB
bootloader to the MBR.

*Aragorn*
(registered GNU/Linux user #223157)