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Article ID: 126671 - Last Review: January 19, 2007 - Revision: 1.3
Windows Overwrites Linux Boot Manager
This article was previously published under Q126671
When you install Microsoft Windows on a computer that has the Linux
operating system installed, Windows may overwrite or deactivate the
Linux boot manager (LILO, or Linux Loader). As a result, you can no longer
access the Linux operating system.
The Linux boot manager (LILO) can be installed in two ways. It can be
installed to the hard disk's Master Boot Record (MBR), or to the root
directory or superblock (in Linux terminology) of the Linux partition. A
superblock installation means that the Linux partition should be the
active partition. Windows Setup makes the primary MS-DOS partition in
which it is installed the active partition, causing LILO to be bypassed.
If LILO is installed in the MBR, it is overwritten by Windows Setup.
To correct this problem, use one of the following methods:
- If LILO was installed to the MBR, follow these steps:
- Restart the computer using a bootable Linux floppy disk.
- Run the LILOCONFIG program from the floppy drive.
- If LILO was installed to the superblock, use the FDISK command to
activate the Linux partition.
The third-party products discussed here are manufactured by vendors
independent of Microsoft; we make no warranty, implied or otherwise,
regarding these products' performance or reliability.
APPLIES TO
- Microsoft Windows 95
- Microsoft Windows 98 Standard Edition
- Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition
- Microsoft Windows 98 Second Edition
| kb3rdparty kbdiskmemory kbprb kbsetup KB126671 |
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