By gf, on September 26th, 2009
Linux uses one partition for its root file system and it also needs a dedicated swap partition for its swap file . Since Linux Fdisk is more complex than DOS Fdisk it can be very challenging to use. Also older Computer hardware BIOS can only accesses the first 1024 cylinders of the disk, which can limit your partitions to 8GB. You can also make DOS partitions with the DOS Fdisk utility or Linux partitions with the Linux Fdisk.
Partitioning
When I setup partitions for either a Linux or Windows operating systems I use GParted. GParted, Partition Magic clone, is a free Open Source utility that works well on any computer system. You can also run it, which I prefer, from a LiveCD, such as, INSERT. INSERT, from Inside Security, is a free LiveCD based on Knoppix. Knoppix is another LiveCD that has many useful computer maintenance tools. INSERT also has many other free and valuable tools, such as, Partimage, which is a clone of North Ghost. If you want some addition information on GParted you should check out the my YouTube video GParted.
Fdisk MBR
The Fdisk MBR website has additional articles on this subject you might find useful.
By gf, on September 23rd, 2009
The FIXMBR command no longer uses DOS and the fdisk utility is no longer available in Windows XP. However, there is this new FIXMBR command function that can be used in the Recovery Console where you can also find other important maintenance tools. You can start the Recovery Console from an original Windows XP install CD or you can also install it to the hard drive so that you can access it during startup. To install it to the hard drive type the following at the command prompt: X:\i386\winnt32.exe /cmdcons (X is the letter of the CDROM drive where the Windows XP install disk is.) When you startup the Recovery Console you will need the administrator’s password access the drive.
There are several familiar DOS commands that can be listed by typing HELP at the prompt, such as, attrib, del, more, delete, mkdir, dir, format, cd, help, chdir, rd, chkdsk, cls, exit, rename, copy, md, and rmdir. These commands can be used to repair and modify all files and folders on your hard drive. The Windows XP FIXMBR command and Recovery Console has proven to be a very helpful maintenance tool.
I also have a YouTube video on FIXMBR that you might want to checkout.
Fdisk MBR
The Fdisk MBR website has some additional articles you might find useful.
By gf, on September 9th, 2009
An MBR (master boot record), or also referred to as the first partition sector, is a 512-byte boot sector that is the first sector (LBA Sector 0) of a partitioned hard drive. Consequently the master boot record becomes a target for boot-sector infecting viruses. In addition to the bootstrap code and a partition table the master boot record also contains a Windows signature. Fdisk has an undocumented parameter called /mbr that causes it to write the master boot record to the hard disk without altering the partition table information. Warning: Writing the master boot record to the hard disk in this manner can make certain hard disks partitioned with multi-boot utilities unusable. This first sector of the hard disk is called the master boot record (or sometimes the partition table or master boot block). This program is written to the disk by the fdisk /mbr command and is usually called the MBR. During normal operations, Fdisk writes this information to the disk only if there is no master boot record. During the installation of Microsoft MS-DOS, setup replaces the MBR on the hard disk with code to display a message MS-DOS.
Master Boot Code
Master Boot Code: The master boot record contains the small initial boot program that BIOS loads and executes to start the boot process. The MBR also contains the Master Partition Table. This small table contains the descriptions of the partitions that are contained on the hard disk. Due to the great importance of the information stored in the master boot record and if it were ever become damaged in some way the hard disk will no longer be accessible and serious data loss would result. Repairing the master boot record on your Windows XP system is accomplished using the fixmbr command, available in Recovery Console. This is necessary when the master boot record has become corrupt due to a virus or some other kind of damage. The MBR is created when you create the first partition on the hard disk which the most important data information on the disk.
Computer Startup
During the computer startup and when the hard drive is accessed the MBR points to the system partition’s starting location on the disk, and loads a copy of its Partition Boot Sector into memory. The MBR then transfers execution to executable code in the Partition Boot Sector. Special Note: Although there is a Master Boot Record on every hard disk, the executable code in the sector is used only if the disk is connected to an x86-based computer and the disk contains the system partition. The partition table is located in the master boot record on the disk.
Computer Boot Information
Master Boot Record has important computer boot information that contains all required information on how to boot the disk and load the operating system. MBR record is very important data for your computer and without this information, your computer will not be able to get to the starting point to load the operating system. The MBR is located in the Boot Sector of a hard drive. MBR is a hidden area on your hard drive that contains all information about disk partitions (sometimes also called volumes or logical drives).
Fdisk MBR
The Fdisk MBR website has additional articles that you might find useful.
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