Date: Wed, 15 Feb 2012 09:01:18 -0000 From: "Dave" <dave@g8kbv.demon.co.uk> To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Subject: Re: fixit disc for 7.3 #1? Message-ID: <4F3B745E.21736.25D537@dave.g8kbv.demon.co.uk> In-Reply-To: <4F3B11FB.80900@thought.org> References: <20120215000838.GA26583@thought.org>, <4F3B0D00.4050605@herveybayaustralia.com.au>, <4F3B11FB.80900@thought.org>
next in thread | previous in thread | raw e-mail | index | archive | help
On 14 Feb 2012 at 18:01, Gary Kline wrote:
> On 02/14/2012 05:40 PM, Da Rock wrote:
> > On 02/15/12 10:08, Gary Kline wrote:
> >> guys,
> >>
> >> is there still a way of fixing something i did to my existing
> >> installation? it does nothing but continually cycle e and try to
> >> reboot into the old release i had from feb 2011. i thought editing
> >> out /etc/fstab would do it. but nope, it throws me into the lowest
> >> level manual config and then hangs. i cannot even install release
> >> 9.0 which is the only other path. either some stable distro of
> >> debian, or getting past release8 and going to 9.
> >>
> >> first, tho, i need to get rid of this [[messed up]] 7.3.
> >>
> >> let me share a story from when i was visiting a favorite cousin who
> >> put up about half of NASA's huge antennas. long retired, he lives
> >> out where not even god could find him. he wanted to see proof of
> >> my beloved freebsd. so, using a new set of discs that i bought, i
> >> started the installation. { FWIW, --this was in july, 2000. } I
> >> happened to mention that freebsd had trouble configuring the
> >> printers. or that that could get hairy. he stopped what he was
> >> doing and asked me to get back to his windows toys and games. i
> >> had a floppy w ith the mystery file "MBR" that removed that single
> >> file.
> >>
> >> my hunch is that since i never mess with anything but freebsd, i
> >> left it configure itself by default and that the same thing that
> >> stalled me for ten minutes back in 2000, might be what's stopping
> >> me from installing anything over my 7.3 in 2012.
> >>
> >> any wizards how how to fix this?
> > Are you sure you can't backup your important files and start again?
> > You might have a good deal of trouble jumping by 2 major releases at
> > the best of times.
> >
> > Also, 9.0 is significantly different in many ways to 7.x in dir
> > structure _and_ filesystems, to just mention a few. I new (clean)
> > install would be _highly_ recommended ;)
> > _______________________________________________
>
> i have a working copy on 7.3 #4 on my Server. the server in a 2009
> dell; the one that is busted and that i want to upgrade ---to either
> debian-6-iso or freebsd9-iso is my old 2003 dell. two different
> computers. the thing with the old dell is that nothing can boot off
> 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)...
The old tool you're thinking of for DOS/Windows was "FixMBR".
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.
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.
Want to link to this message? Use this URL: <https://mail-archive.FreeBSD.org/cgi/mid.cgi?4F3B745E.21736.25D537>