On Wed, Feb 15, 2012 at 09:01:18AM -0000, Dave wrote:
[[ useless junk ]]
> > it. it keep cycling, trying to boot a 7.3 #1.
> >
> > i just remembered that the floppy disk was a DOS file with a secret
> > command :A:\MBR that got rid of that boot track.
> >
> > it's looking more and more hopeless.
> >
> > ....
> >
> > wasn't/isn't there some kind of "fixit" CD?
> >
> > gary
>
> Sounds like you need to get into the Dell's BIOS, and alter the boot
> order, so as it looks first at CD and Floppy drives, before the hard
> disk. Dell's can be funny things at times though, especially if it's
> been setup for a headless boot (server mode)...
this us a case when what i tried was worse than dumb and
dumber; it was beyond idiocy.
to try and keep my dell from booting infinitely, i when into
/etc/fstab and commented out all the file system entries.
STILL, FBSD starts to boot. it blows up only when it tried
to mount the first slice. my original theory was that
without any of the Devices in /etc/fstab mounted, the boot
would simply ==quit==; this would when i would have a chance
to mount one of my iso CD files.
>
> The old tool you're thinking of for DOS/Windows was "FixMBR".
>
was this on an old dos floppy? pretty sure i had the old
5.25[?]-inch floppy; it was a micro$oft disc and the file
that got rid of my incomplete freebsd was never advertised.
but it did the trick and my cousin got back to
reinstalling whatever he had.
fast forward 11.5 years and i'm here with an old dell that
is sitting here, cabled up with no plac e to go.
> I thihk like 'Da Rock' has suggested, you best pull the affected hard
> disk, and either put it in a USB caddy, then mount it as an external
> drive on a working system, if it's not badly mullered somehow, or install
> it as an extra drive in such a similar system, and get stuff off it like
> that, is probably the best way.
yes, i think you nailed it. the facts are that the guy who
helped me last sunday was somebody i did not know before.
so now i'll have to email and see if he'll have the time and
energy to come back in the next few weeks and drop in an
empty disc. used/refurb; it's a dontcare.
>
> Then, flatten it and do a clean install of whatever, with it fitted back
> into it's original home.
>
> Unless someone else comes up with a better plan.
>
> Regards.
>
> Dave B.
well, you've confirmed my own thinking. i think this drive
is the only one in the 2003 computer. that was the last
year that dell built things rights, IMHO. The opticals
are packaged neatly; a couple of plugs and a heavy strap.
Seriously well engineered from a hardware design
standpoint. that's the only reason i didn't have the box
hauled away last april.
.....
thanks,
gary
>
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--
Gary Kline kl...@thought.org http://www.thought.org Public Service Unix
Voice By Computer (for Universal Access): http:/www.thought.org/vbc
The 8.57a release of Jottings: http://jottings.thought.org
Twenty-five years of service to the Unix community.
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