From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Wed Sep 14 21:05:07 2005 Return-Path: X-Original-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.FreeBSD.org (mx1.freebsd.org [216.136.204.125]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 3FDD316A41F for ; Wed, 14 Sep 2005 21:05:07 +0000 (GMT) (envelope-from gayn.winters@bristolsystems.com) Received: from bristolsystems.com (h-68-167-239-98.lsanca54.covad.net [68.167.239.98]) by mx1.FreeBSD.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id C74C443D48 for ; Wed, 14 Sep 2005 21:05:04 +0000 (GMT) (envelope-from gayn.winters@bristolsystems.com) Received: from workdog ([192.168.1.201]) by bristolsystems.com (8.11.6/8.11.6) with ESMTP id j8EL53n08640; Wed, 14 Sep 2005 14:05:04 -0700 From: "Gayn Winters" To: "'Alex Zbyslaw'" Date: Wed, 14 Sep 2005 14:03:52 -0700 Message-ID: <022e01c5b96f$f7df4480$c901a8c0@workdog> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Priority: 3 (Normal) X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook, Build 10.0.4024 In-Reply-To: <4327E663.8080109@dial.pipex.com> X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2900.2180 Importance: Normal Cc: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Subject: RE: Fixing a MBR (and more) that ??? trashed X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list Reply-To: gayn.winters@bristolsystems.com List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Wed, 14 Sep 2005 21:05:07 -0000 > -----Original Message----- > From: Alex Zbyslaw [mailto:xfb52@dial.pipex.com] > Sent: Wednesday, September 14, 2005 1:59 AM > To: gayn.winters@bristolsystems.com > Cc: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org > Subject: Re: Fixing a MBR (and more) that ??? trashed > > Gayn Winters wrote: > > >>Alex Zbyslaw [mailto:xfb52@dial.pipex.com] > >> > >>Why do you think it's not safe to add hard drives? > > > >It doesn't seem "safe" if Windows blows away the multiboot MBR that > >FreeBSD so carefully made! Windows overwriting the MBR > seems to be the reason people recommend loading Windows before loading > FreeBSD, which I do. I just never realized that this problem would come back > to bite me when I added another disk drive. > > > I know of know reason why it should. I've added disks half a dozen > times without blowing away any MBRs. Even the Windows blowing away the > MBR is an annoyance, not a disaster since it is easy to rewrite. > Whatever pickle you find yourself in seems to have to do with > more than just adding a disk or Windows killing your MBR. > > --Alex I certainly am willing to admit that I'm doing something stupid! The motherboard and its BIOS are also known to be strange. One thing to note is that if I reconfigure (fresh FBSD install), add hardware, and then boot first into FBSD, all is well EXCEPT the boot loader, whose prompt is: F1 ??? F2 FreeBSD F5 Drive 1 Default: F2 If I select F2, then I get FreeBSD. If I select F5 I get Windows! I.e. F5 gives me the same slice as does F1!!! (Drive1 is the extra IDE drive.) I can't blame Windows for this, since it never got booted. Also, if FBSD gets booted first, Windows doesn't (further) corrupt the MBR. Incidentally, rewriting the MBR with boot0cfg -B -o packet /dev/ad1 does not change anything. The F5 option is still there, and it still brings up the Windows that is on slice1. If I add a third IDE drive, the situation also remains the same. In particular, I don't get an F9 option. I'm still in a curious pickle, but at least this one isn't choking me! Thanks again for the help! -gayn