WinXP restore after linux install?

[taylor65]

Anybody run the Windows XP restore partition after installing linux? Does it erase the linux partition? I'm looking for ways around the dual boot issue, and since I haven't done anything with Windows XP yet, it wouldn't bother me to restore it to it's original state, but I was wondering what would happen to my linux partition.

Thanks,
Tim

[Jumping]

So you want to restore your windows and remove linux? Or you want to remove the windows and just keep linux?

If I understand you correctly your pc has a restore partion that you can use to put it back to the state it was when you purchased your machine, this usually is done by an imaging software like Norton ghost and it would most likely remove your linux partion and put your partion table to the state it was when purchased.

[taylor65]

I just want to know what will happen before I do it. One of the options I have for fixing the XP-FC2 dual boot problem is to restore XP and then re-install FC2 and make sure I do the extra steps at installation to bypass the HD geometry from changing.

[Jumping]

Is it a reload cd you have with Windows XP or a proper normal Windows XP disk?

If its a reload disk the chance that it will repartion the hard drive is pretty high. But it might also just a fresh install and format your Windows partion, which should keep your Linux partion untouched. I'm not sure if it would be able to remove your linux bootloader or not.

[taylor65]

I have no CDs - only a partition on the hard drive that says it will restore my PC to it's original state. I'm just not sure what it will do with the linux partition and if it will overwrite the mbr.

[Jumping]

If you don't have anything to lose on the linux partion why not run it and test?

If you don't want to lose anything in Windows I would recommend you to get Windows XP cd and do a repair install. As this should keep your files intact if you do it the right way.

[gablaxian]

From what I can see, You have to use a completely different method in order for windows to overwrite the MBR, so it shouldn't be able to do it through the system restore. Windows also shouldn't be allowed to alter partitions via that method either.

Although, if the last system restore state you have is before you partitioned, assuming you used Partition Magic or something, then I don't know what could happen. Windows will probably try to access data from the other partition if there was info on there before, as I doubt Windows will like the fact you altered something without its permission. ;)

Which is why I format the HDD if i'm partitioning...

[crackers]

I did this after leaving a DOS partition empty on an IBM ThinkPad 41 and it re-installed itself on the DOS partition and left the Linux partitions alone - but I wouldn't trust it to be repeatable, much less on a different system.