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Re: [LUG] DMI Error dual boot

 

On Mon, 2009-07-06 at 16:53 +0100, kevin wrote:
> I had a very nice setup with this pc with Grub and Dual boot but WinXp
> had a problem with some MAlware or other and one error was it would not
> allow you to go into safe mode by pressing F8
> 
> So I put a line in the boot.ini for safe mode
> 
> After not recovering from this error after some months the user ( My
> Father ) says Linux is interfering with Windows and can he have just a
> windows boot back.
>        This is him Emailing me from Linux as windows is now useless as it
> takes forever to boot up he has to manually run Explorer.exe from Task
> mangler to see his desktop and Word now takes forever to load and even
> longer to shutdown.
> 
> So each OS is on it's own disk.
> 
> He just presses Esc on boot for the boot menu if Linux is to be run 
> 
> I suppose It's my fault for not properly converting him in the first
> place.....
> 
> 
> On Mon, 2009-07-06 at 16:33 +0100, Gordon Henderson wrote:
> > On Mon, 6 Jul 2009, kevin wrote:
> > 
> > > HI all,
> > >
> > >   I am having trouble with a Foxconn board athlon 64 bios with Dual boot
> > > Linux and Xp.
> > >
> > > I have a Sata disk with Xp on and an IDE with Fedora 11 on
> > >
> > > If I remove either of the Disks the system boots up fine.
> > > With both disks in the system does
> > > "Varifying DMI data"........
> > >
> > > and just stops.
> > 
> > Can you intercept the BIOS at (or before) that point?
> > 
> > If so, then see if it has a clear function - forgotten what it's called, 
> > but some BIOSes have a clear facility to make it re-probe all hardware.
> > 
> > > I have got a MBR on each disk (XP  user wont use grub), and Linux is
> > > selected from the BIOS boot menu.
> > 
> > Seems tedious - to have to change BIOS every time you want to boot the 
> > other OS - Can't you get grub to auto-boot something, but if you push a 
> > key then give yo a menu so you can select linux? It's do-able in Lilo and 
> > how I treat my laptop (which auto-boots into XP for historical reasons, 
> > but I push shift and select what I want... one drive though)
> > 
> > > Sometimes it works first boot,  sometimes it takes three or four boots
> > > to start up either OS
> > > any Ideas?
> > 
> > I'd get the 2-disk thing sorted first of all...
> > 
> > Gordon
> > 
> Regards
> 
> Kevin Lucas
> Minions Post Master(Sub) reprieved (possibly!)
> Po House, Minions,
> Liskeard Cornwall 
> PL14 5LE
> 01579363386
> 
> 
I have got around this one by setting the "fastboot" option in the BIOS
so the system does not look for any Disks but uses the list provided.

The only downside is the Bootmenu using "Esc" shows up for just 3 secs
now, you need to be quick off the mark to boot Linux. 
Once he gets fed up with this I can reinstall Grub on the IDE disk.


Regards

Kevin Lucas
Minions Post Master(Sub) reprieved (possibly!)
Po House, Minions,
Liskeard Cornwall 
PL14 5LE
01579363386


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