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NTFS partition went "unknown"

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6 replies

by vanster169

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I have Windows XP Pro with two basic NTFS partitions, and a 3rd "HP Recovery" bootable partition. I wanted to use the remaning space (25 GB) for Linux. So I got Linux installed, but when I went back to WinXP, now my 2nd NTFS partition is gone. the MMC-disk managment tool actually shows it there, but with the message "unrecognized partition" and the only option is to delete it. Are there any tricks to recover the status wothout losing the data? I'll even whip out my old trusty Norton DIskEdit if that's what it takes.

6 replies

by 1tinker

Start>Settings>Control Panle>Administrative Tools>Computer Management>Disk Management

Select the partition and type in the name or give it a name... Now refresh..

by vanster169

The only option available when I select that section (it doesn't even see it as a partition) is DELETE.

by deadly ernest

The first answer should fix it, if it can.

Remember with Linux you usually have to load the boot info etc at the very start of the HDD. That is why when setting up most dual boot systems you load Linux first. It is possible that the Linux installation has loaded part of itself into the earlier partition to meet it requirements to be loaded near the start of the drive.

by vanster169

I don't think that's correct. I have another system with Win2K Pro, and I added Linux to it after the MS O/S was already installed. The LILO util is supposed to take care of handling the MBR requirements for MS or Linux. I tried to set this one up exactly the same way . Twice. Each time it rendered my Windows XP partition unreadable.

by deadly ernest

I have not tried to install Linux over XP, but the three Linux books I have all state that you have to have a small initial partition for Linux at the start of the drive or it has a hernia. They do also mention that you can get around this by having a LILO boot floppy handle this aspect.

I have heard that some of the latest versions of LILO can get around this by putting the relevant info into the MBR or FAT area instead of the front of the HDD, not yet seen that in print - was told by a friend who uses Linux only.

He thinks that the partition has been taken over by the Linux install as default install creates a few partitions and depending upon how you instructed it to start with it may have taken space off the NTFS partition, thus causing some misreading in the MBR by XP. He suggested you see if you can see what is in that partition from Linux, you can get some NTFS reading utils for Linux.

If you can I suggest you coppy what you can and then seek to re partition and reformat as you need.

The few dual boots i have i usually set up initial partitions with Fdisk then load the Linux first, i find it is usually quicker, easier and more stable that way. MS does NOT like having something else on top of it.

Sorry that i can't be more help.

by deadly ernest

The problem re small load is that the BIOS in most systems cannot pass the control of the HDD over to a cylinder greater than 1024. Thus the need, on large HDDs, to create a mini-partition to load the Linux start-up files.

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