hello,
I partitioned my hard drive for Mandrake Linux 7.1 installation using Partition Magic.
Now I have 6.5GB for WIN98, 32.5GB for Linux and some for Linux swap space.

I ran fdisk and made the Linux partition as active and tried to install Linux there. But during the hard drive detection stage, it asked me the question "Do you have any SCSI interfaces" and the computer froze.

Now when I restarted my computer, since the active partition is where Linux was supposed to be installed, WIN98 wouldn't come up either. I can never get a dos-prompt to change the active partition.

Can somebody tell me how to make WIN98 partion active and also why Linux installation is causing a freeze up of my computer??

I have custom windows installation made by HP(when no true " windows98" cd is included). All I have is a recovery disk.

Could this be the problem, why my computer freezes during Linux installation.

I would say it has something to do with Partition magic.

Don't you have a Windows boot diskette?

Get to a DOS command prompt as type "fdisk /mbr"
You may beable to get to a command prompt by inserting the Windoze install disk and pounding on Ctrl+Break while setup starts.

Where is LM7.1 install freezing? At which prompt?

I'm using Mandrake's version of Linux 7.1
I don't see any prompt where it hangs.

After loading the Installation CD,
1. Choose language - English US
2. Choose class (Automated, Custom, Expert)
Custom needs to be chosen for dual-boot
3. Choose Normal, Development, Server
I choose Development
4. Entering hard drive detection stage
(Asks the question "Are there any SCSI interfaces" Yes/No)

I'm unable to respond to this question (my answer would be "NO"). This is when my computer freezes.

Sure you do: you were prompted for SCSI interfaces.

Not true. I don't think I have ever used Automated, but Expert also asks where you want to install LiLo and which OS (DOS and Windoze are auto detected, usually) to include.

You should try again with Expert and Normal, then you can choose all the dev libs and tools that you want to install.

Sounds like Mandrake is not picking up your IDE controller properly, (it is IDE right?) or some bad data on your CD. You should try to get LMdk7.2 and use it intead. 7.2 is much more stable, and more fully supported then 7.1. You'll have a much better time updating with 7.2.

I'll try that.
Thank You so much for your help.
YOU MADE MY DAY!!!

Have you tried booting to floppy and wiping out the linux partition to get your windows 98 and computer back to where it was? That way you can start over, with at least knowing your data from 98 is still ok?

Also when learing linux or any other os, I would recommend getting a new hard dirve to "expermint" with until you know exactly what the results you are going to get!

Here is what I recommend. TRASH THE WHOLE THING AND START FROM SCRATCH! It will save time and fustration.

*****Colonel Panic*****

Agree with Panic
I have been in a similar situation, where I had such a mess, it was better and less frustrating just to start over. Besides, I had a little more experience the second time around.

Question: Can partition magic wipe your linux partition? I use System Commander, and this is an option there.

Question: Does your Mandrake 7.1 have any kind of an automatic Hard Disk set up? If yes, it might be worth the effort to try that.

I am running Red Hat, and I erased all the Linux stuff from my hard drive, but left the empty partitions there and let RHL figure out where to put the swap, boot and root partitions and how big to make them.

Once you zero out your Linux stuff and do "fdisk /mbr", chances are you will have access to your Windows vfat stuff.

By the way, my suggestion is to boot linux from a floppy. If you are a Newbie, like me, you can really get screwed up and confused when linux messes with your MBR.


Hope this helps.

I don't know if this works in mandrake but it does work in redhat.

While you are installing you can switch to different prompts by typing <ALT>-F2, <ALT>-F3 or <ALT>-F4. This will take you too text mode. Although this would be a very difficult way to install, it can be very useful for recovering error messages that may say why you are having a problem.

Partition magic is ok but you don't need it, you can just use lilo to do the same thing.