Windows Does Not Boot with the Boot Manager LILO
Support knowledgebase (fhassel_windows_not_booting)
Applies to
SuSE Linux: Version 8.0
Symptom
After having installed SuSE Linux 8.0, your Windows operating system
does not boot with the boot manager LILO.
Your Linux system, however, boots correctly. Linux and Windows are
located on different hard disks.
Cause
The cause is an incorrect entry in LILO's configuration file.
Solution
Change LILO's configuration manually. First, open a shell as root
by performing the following steps:
- Press the key combination ALT+F2 in KDE.
- Enter "xterm" in the entry field.
- Click on "Run".
- Enter the command "su -" in the displayed window.
- Enter your root password at the prompt.
Execute fdisk -l to obtain an overview of how your system is partitioned.
The output may be similar to:
Disk /dev/hda: 64 heads, 63 sectors, 1023 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 4032 * 512 bytes
Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/hda1 * 1 1023 2062336+ 6 FAT16
Disk /dev/hdb: 255 heads, 63 sectors, 1655 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 bytes
Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/hdb1 * 1 2 16033+ 83 Linux
/dev/hdb2 3 19 136552+ 82 Linux swap
/dev/hdb3 20 1655 13141170 83 Linux
In this example, Windows resides on the first partition of the first
hard disk, referred to as /dev/hda1.
Start YaST2 and open the dialog
System -> Boot loader configuration.
- Select Change current configuration and confirm
with Next.
- Select where to install the boot loader.
- Skip the dialog Global LILO properties by
clicking Next.
- In the next dialog, select the entry windows
and click Edit.
- Select the label of your Windows partition as Boot
partition from the list (in our example
/dev/hda1) and confirm with Next.
- This returns you to the dialog about the configuration of
LILO's sections. Click Next.
- Click End to complete the configuration and
confirm with Yes.
Exit YaST2. You should now be able to boot Windows without any problem.
Manual Procedure
If you prefer to edit LILO's configuration file
manually, proceed as follows:
Open the file /etc/lilo.conf with a text editor of your
choice.
Search for the boot entry for Windows. It might be something like:
other = /dev/hdb1
label = windows
Change the device entry. According to our example, it would be:
other = /dev/hda1
label = windows
If you boot LILO from a floppy disk, check the variable "boot="
(which can be found at the beginning of the file). To boot from a
floppy disk, the variable must be set to
boot=/dev/fd0.
Save the changes
and exit the editor (key combination CTRL-X in pico). Now
execute the command lilo
in the shell to update the boot manager with the new settings.
If you boot from a floppy, the LILO boot floppy disk has to be
inserted in the drive for rewriting purposes.
Restart your computer. Booting Windows should no longer pose a problem.
Keywords: WINDOWS, LILO, BOOT, BOOT MANAGER, BOOTMANAGER
Categories:
LILO
SDB-fhassel_windows_not_booting, Copyright SuSE Linux AG, Nürnberg, Germany
- Version: 19. Apr 2002
SuSE Linux AG - Last generated: 15. Mai 2002 by glazzar (sdb_gen 1.40.0)