[tlug] Re: several messages

[Curt Sampson <cjs@example.com>]

On Thu, 27 Sep 2007, David Riggs wrote:

> I tried to increase the NTFS partition on my dual-boot R50e Thinkpad (Debian 
> Sarge). I got into trouble messing around and now I get GRUB Error 22 
> immediately.
> ...
>
> With QTParted I see my old Linux partitions OK and also the IBM_Preload 
> (gigantic) partition. But I also see many 0.03 mb partitions scattered 
> around, including at the start of the disk.

Well, you're seeing something you're not understanding there (or QTPartd
is spewing nonsense). There ought to be a DOS partition table with
between one and four primary and extended partitions, and any extended
partitions may have further DOS partitions inside them. I think that
Linux still doesn't use any of its own partition schemes like the BSDs,
so you shouldn't see anything else, right?

Anyway, the first step is to read up on DOS and Linux partitioning so
that you can get a better understanding of what you're seeing. (Well,
the first thing actually might be to do an image backup of that disk, so
you can restore it again if you trash it by accident.)

> does not have a CD write drive), and the restore system built into the 
> machine (which reload a fresh WinXP from the IBM_Restore partition) needs to 
> boot up from the disk to work.
>
> I guess I can do an install-mbr from Knoppix and hopefully access the IBM 
> recovery stuff?

I'm not very familiar with Linux recovery tools, but you ought to be
able to use some sort of FDISK-type tool to install a simple DOS-type
boot block (bypassing grub entirely) in order to boot your recovery
partition.

Though have you checked that the BIOS doesn't have support for booting
the recovery partition itself, without using the disk-based boot block?
I'd think that sort of thing would be essential to anybody who's screwed
up his Windows partition and has no way of booting another partition.

cjs
--
Curt Sampson       <cjs@example.com>        +81 90 7737 2974
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