Partion/Grub problems new laptop

[daka]

Hi

New Toshiba L300 came with Vista. I still have a few (probably silly) reasons to keep the windows op sys. So I tried. Much drama, re-installing, now Vista doesn't boot. I am tempted to go all Linux!

One problem is that when I try to install XP it says that it can't find a hard drive and I can't install. Somehow the partitions now seem to be mounted on /dev/sda ! I thought I remember partitions mounted on hda not sda. Would Toshiba have done that or could I have accidentally done it somehow? (How do I reverse it if I did it accidentally) It looks like Toshiba and Microsoft set up a weird partitioning system off the bat, not permitting much manipulation without paying a price.

(I just checked my other laptop and it is set up as /dev/hda). How do I sort this problem out?... trying to..a) keeping Vista b) install XP c) clear the hard drive and start from scratch with Linux.

General advice appreciated

Here is some more info:

daka@daka-TB:~$ sudo fdisk -l
[sudo] password for daka:

Disk /dev/sda: 250.0 GB, 250059350016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 30401 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0xe4122adb

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 15494 30401 119748510 83 Linux
/dev/sda2 * 1 4017 32266521 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda3 4018 15372 91209037+ 5 Extended
/dev/sda4 15373 15493 971932+ 82 Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sda5 14986 15372 3108546 82 Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sda6 * 6030 14654 69280281 83 Linux
/dev/sda7 14655 14985 2658726 82 Linux swap / Solaris

Partition table entries are not in disk order

Disk /dev/sdb: 8589 MB, 8589934592 bytes
64 heads, 32 sectors/track, 8192 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 2048 * 512 = 1048576 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x69737369

This doesn't look like a partition table
Probably you selected the wrong device.

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sdb1 ? 912975 995343 84344761 69 Unknown
Partition 1 does not end on cylinder boundary.
/dev/sdb2 ? 830821 1743849 934940732+ 73 Unknown
Partition 2 does not end on cylinder boundary.
/dev/sdb3 ? 2 2 0 74 Unknown
Partition 3 does not end on cylinder boundary.
/dev/sdb4 1409025 1409050 26207+ 0 Empty
Partition 4 does not end on cylinder boundary.

Partition table entries are not in disk order
daka@daka-TB:~$

sdb2 was an external!

Daka

[Husse]

First off - all hard disks (in fact all drives I think) are now sdx, and if they are hdx something is (more or less) seriously wrong
This is after the introduction of the new driver for disks - and my memory fails me, I saw the name a few days ago.....
Second Toshiba and Microsoft has made a treaty to make it very hard to install anything but Vista
On some laptops the BIOS overwrites MBR if it finds that it is not for Vista - I think that you could get past this by using VIsta's bootloader
to boot Mint
Sorry have to reboot, getting problems with my mouse almost impossible to do anything

[daka]

Hi Husse

Thanks for confirming my suspicion about Toshiba and Microsoft making life difficult for us!

On some laptops the BIOS overwrites MBR if it finds that it is not for Vista

That explains the hard time I was having!!!!!!!... Mystery solved!

I figured today that new laptops have sdX drives.... I thought i had really messed things up big time.

I erased Vista. I have had enough of Microsoft!

My laptop is still infected a bit with their incestuous little virus partioning/boot system. I maybe need to completely erase the hard drive. Any suggestions how to best clean it up to start from scratch?

I am having a nightmare trying to install various distros .... All Ubuntu 8.04 and Mint Elyssa simply refuse to install, going into that busybox/initramfs business. Daryna installs without that drama!!!....any idea why?? Also Debian Sarge was possible without the busybox/initramfs business.... useful to install to grab control of the Grub configuration.

I am happy for now, with my stable laptop with Daryna functioning nicely. I still have some sound issues and the wifi to sort out.

Thanks for your help.

[Husse]

My laptop is still infected a bit with their incestuous little virus partioning/boot system. I maybe need to completely erase the hard drive.

Comes from the BIOS - would not help to wipe the drive and I doubt there is some setting in the BIOS for it - but check!

[awshidahak]

Second Toshiba and Microsoft has made a treaty to make it very hard to install anything but Vista
On some laptops the BIOS overwrites MBR if it finds that it is not for Vista - I think that you could get past this by using VIsta's bootloader
to boot Mint

thank you for the warning, i won't be buying toshiba (i hate vista).