Hooray, I broke my PC

Akatosh · Sun 04/02/2007 17:43:03

So, yeah. I was running two operation systems on my laptop: Win XP SP2 and SuSE Linux. Then I tried to change something on the Linux partition and accidently killed the boot manager. Booting via the Win XP recovery console didn't work - it requested a password, but obviously not the one I set as that one didn't work. So I tried to re-install SuSE Linux, along with the boot manager. It worked fine...

...until about 30 minute ago. The installation hung. At "updating kernel dependencies", 53%. I'd rather not reboot right now, because I fear the consequences. Any idea what to do now? I wouldn't want to re-install Win XP right now, I fear the data loss. Okay, I have a quite recent backup, but still... blah. Just try SuSE Linux again, proceed to WinXP or just go mad? I could really need some help

nulluser · Sun 04/02/2007 17:50:17

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Akatosh · Sun 04/02/2007 18:05:53

Hm... still no reaction by the setup. Think I'll just try again

nulluser · Sun 04/02/2007 18:18:00

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Mr Flibble · Sun 04/02/2007 18:24:26

I remember similar problems with the Windows XP installation. It froze about half way through prompting me to just turn off the power. I was then faced with the tricky issue whereby I couldn't attempt a re-install untill the first one had been resumed and completed. Naturally when I tried to resume it, I was faced with an error I didn't have time to read and then a black screen. Fun, eh?

The Final Solution was to abandon hopes of having XP *shrugs*.

But yeah, you mentioned that tinkering with the XP was an option. I assure you. It isn't.

Inkoddi · Sun 04/02/2007 18:27:57

Couldn't you just format the entire drive and start all over again?

nulluser · Sun 04/02/2007 18:29:45

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Tuomas · Sun 04/02/2007 18:35:36

I think it's pretty common with XP, that if it's not the first program to be installed on a computer, it can have probleems with installing. I've seen this happen several times. And if it doesn't install the first time, then it won't install before you format the drive.

This was not the problem thought, right? But I think that is the problem with even installing SuSE again. My dad has SuSE and '98 on his computer, and it works better than '98 alone, he uses an emulator to run the '98 on Linux, so he never boots the '98, because it works better with the emulator, but it doesn't like the Linux if ran as default. afaik.

Akatosh · Sun 04/02/2007 18:40:03

Okay, I rebooted and am now installing Linux again. Expect for some partition shattering (30 GB - 10 GB - 15 GB - 5 GB; good thing the 30GB windows partition was left unscratched!) which I was able to fix via the installer it didn't seem to have consequences. I'm reinstalling in some kind of error-proof mode - the only thing I'll install are the basic operating system, a window manager and the boot loader. Wish me luck!

nulluser · Sun 04/02/2007 18:55:25

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Akatosh · Sun 04/02/2007 19:34:32

Okay, the "safe mode" installation did the trick. I didn't even lose a day!

dasjoe · Mon 05/02/2007 04:00:34

actually, i expected you to do a lfs or install gentoo. fair enough, this gave you more than enough troubles for a start.

now get rid of suse and install something less idiot-ish, something like debian or ubuntu, and learn some basics about your system

ubuntu would be fine for you, i guess. it's very easy, recognises most of your hardware and does basically everything for you. debian would be the next step, when you realise that ubuntu is too "easy".
ubuntu is made "for human beings", which means you don't have to configure the least bit.
that's fine, but on the other hand that may be exactly what you want to do.

Nostradamus · Mon 05/02/2007 08:47:07

You already solved your problem so I won't get into it but let me just reply to something minor - Recovery Console refers to the original administraror password that was set the time you installed it, not the current password. A lot of times that original admin password is blank. And then the command "fixboot" could have helped.

Now don't share partitions between two operating system except pure data partitions.
Do not shared partitions that have any kind of OS related programs or folders or of their affiliated programs.
Even though they are two operating systems by two differnet manufacturers, not two differnet MS opertating system, you still shouldn't share partitions between them as a safeguard. (except data partitions and unrelated programs)

Akatosh · Mon 05/02/2007 10:27:15

I have two completly seperate partitions - one NTFS with WinXP, one ReiserFS with SuSE Linux. I'd like to insall Debian instead of SuSE - I have a copy of it somewhere - but I really don't want to risk having to go through this again.

And I tried the blank password, along with my user account password, the bios password and every other password I could think of, multiple times. I wanted to do that fixboot, but of course, that's not possible without recovery console access.

Nostradamus · Mon 05/02/2007 14:13:46

Then you must have forgot\misplaced your original administrator password, the one set at installation. And if someone else installed your windows for you you have no way of knowing your original admin password. Just wanted you to know that because that's what Recovery Console requires.

Akatosh · Mon 05/02/2007 14:52:42

*sigh* I will never ever buy a Fujitsu Siemens laptop with Win XP pre-installed again.