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Will Windoze-95 install overwrite MBR?? (fwd)



from: T. Bird
email: micros50 computer net

My currentpartition table for the hard drive," /dev/hda" on my Linux box 
looks as follows:

--------
Disk /dev/hda: 64 heads, 63 sectors, 1023 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 4032 * 512 bytes

   Device Boot   Begin    Start      End   Blocks   Id  System
/dev/hda1   *        1        1      549  1106752+   6  DOS 16-bit >=32M
/dev/hda2          550      550     1023   955584    5  Extended
/dev/hda5          550      550      560    22144+   4  DOS 16-bit <32M
/dev/hda6          561      561      576    32224+  82  Linux swap
/dev/hda7          577      577      592    32224+  83  Linux native
/dev/hda8   *      593      593      796   411232+  83  Linux native
/dev/hda9          797      797      847   102784+  83  Linux native
/dev/hda10         848      848     1000   308416+  83  Linux native
/dev/hda11        1001     1001     1023    46336+  83  Linux native

Disk /dev/hdc: 64 heads, 63 sectors, 1023 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 4032 * 512 bytes

   Device Boot   Begin    Start      End   Blocks   Id  System
---------------------
Up untill about an hour ago the first partition "/dev/hda1" contained windoze
95. Just a short while ago, while logged in as root, I quite accidentally 
erased all the windoze95 files on that partition, all thats left on that 
partition are a few empty directories. (Don't even ask me how I did this). 
All other partitions were untouched and, the first partition "/dev/hda1"
still exists as a valid DOS partition, it just no longer has any files on it.

Now, here's what I've got to do. Since there are still a few windoze programs
that a few people occsisionally still run around here, not me of course, 
I need to enable this machine the option to be booted in Windoze or Linux
using LILO, as people were able to do before I wiped out all the Windoze
files. Therefore I have to re-install Windoze in that partition "/dev/hda1".
Being that /dev/hda1 was not backed up on tape or anything my only option
is to re-install Windoze on /dev/hda1/ using the origional Windoze installation
CD ROM, which I have here at my disposal.

Now, here's my question. Reinstalling Windoze is easy of course, any idiot can
do it. My main concern and question is, when I  reinstall Windoze-95 on 
/dev/hda1/ is there a danger that it may overwrite the MBR (Master Boot Record)
and thus I will have problems accessing Linux via the current LILO prompt
at boot time? Does Windoze-95 have a tendency to do this or is it just a 
problem with OS/2 and Windoze-NT? Origionally Windoze 95 was installed on 
/dev/hda1/ and Linux was installed afterward and LILO configured during the
installation process. Now by reinstalling Windoze 95 I am essentially doing 
opposite. Can I just go ahead and do this and expect no problems or is there 
anything I  should watch out for?? Other than the possibility of the Windoze-95re-install process overwriting the MBR I can't think of any other 
possibilities.

Any  help, comments, etc. would be appreciated.

/T. Bird
/ micros50 computer net









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