I'm thinking out loud so give me a minute...

The "/etc/fstab" could be pointing at the CDROM for boot

If your using Grub "boot=/dev/cdrom" when it should be pointing to 
"/dev/hda/"
    I'm using Grub on my laptop so I looked at that.
If your using Lilo it could be pointing to "/dev/cdrom" when it should 
be pointing to "/dev/hda/"
    My desktop is running Lilo but it's not plugged in...

Be careful changing these settings, know where your partitions are  
point before you change anything.

Have you tried the "fdisk /mbr" thing?
If you do you will need to reinstall Linux
You could use a W95 or W98 boot CD to do it.
    Wack the partitions with Linux "cfdisk or fdisk"  first then use the 
DOS boot "fdisk /mbr"
Then reinstall Linux.
Power off between restarts.

It's a somewhat tedious process but it doesn't take all that long.

If all else fails, down load the "dban" iso for CD's. Burn a CD for dban 
and wipe the disk.
Then install Linux.



PHPTOm wrote:

>Sam,
>
>Can you think of why, after installing Mandrake and telling it to use the
>MBR, it still is looking for the suse LiveEval cd?
>
>TOm
>
>  
>
>>-----Original Message-----
>>From: tclug-list-bounces at mn-linux.org
>>[mailto:tclug-list-bounces at mn-linux.org]On Behalf Of Samuel MacDonald
>>Sent: Sunday, February 22, 2004 9:22 AM
>>To: TCLUG Mailing List
>>Subject: Re: [TCLUG] Mandrake boot issues
>>
>>
>>If you have a DOS boot diskette.
>>Boot with it, then type "fdisk /mbr" this will write an MBR to reflect
>>the DOS boot disk.
>>Install Linux and tell it to use the MBR.
>>
>>Sam.
>>
>>PHPTOm wrote:
>>
>>    
>>
>>>Responding to my own post.
>>>
>>>I used a SuSe liveEval cd I got in a magazine to install yesterday.   The
>>>"Boot failure" error I was getting was because suse needed the
>>>      
>>>
>>CD to be in
>>    
>>
>>>the drive to boot.  I assume it wrote to the MBR or something so
>>>      
>>>
>>that when I
>>    
>>
>>>installed Mandrake, I was still getting the same "Boot failure"
>>>      
>>>
>>error.  What
>>    
>>
>>>a crock.
>>>
>>>How is it that a suse install could keep control of the boot after I
>>>repartitioned and installed Mandrake?
>>>
>>>TOm
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>_______________________________________________
>>>TCLUG Mailing List - Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota
>>>http://www.mn-linux.org tclug-list at mn-linux.org
>>>https://mailman.real-time.com/mailman/listinfo/tclug-list
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>      
>>>
>>_______________________________________________
>>TCLUG Mailing List - Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota
>>http://www.mn-linux.org tclug-list at mn-linux.org
>>https://mailman.real-time.com/mailman/listinfo/tclug-list
>>
>>
>>    
>>
>
>
>
>_______________________________________________
>TCLUG Mailing List - Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota
>http://www.mn-linux.org tclug-list at mn-linux.org
>https://mailman.real-time.com/mailman/listinfo/tclug-list
>
>  
>

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