In any case, my Linux installation is working quite well now. The problem is that the previous WinXP one is not, and I bloody well need that half of the system in very short order. When I installed Mandrake Linux, I specified Windows as the default boot system in the bootloader, which is supposed to be in the MBR. However, when I try to boot WinXP, all that happens is a black screen with the cursor blinking in the upper left corner and no activity whatsoever on the hard drive.
I suspect the problem might have something to do with my deletion of the last Windows partition (to get some more needed space) when I installed Mandrake. I guess it could have messed up with the partitioning tables or something, but afaik this is not something that should be happening. Or is it that because I had to specify primary and extended partition originally when installing windows and now the extended partition having been modified by other software (the Linux partitioning tool) , the Windows bootup procedures no longer recognize the system?
If anyone has any useful advice for me, it would be greatly appreciated. Will tampering with the bootloader and/or partition tables with the tools in Mandrake help, or am I looking at a need to make a recovery boot for Linux, reinstalling XP and then restoring the Linux bootloader?
It's a real bitch especially since I need to use the XP part of my system to do some Windows specific school assignments that simply can't be done on Linux. Data recovery is no problem, but all the other hassle coupled with a lot of deadlines is.
Edi
