Mario Carrion
Since I wake up until now I've been fixing my laptop. Why? Because of MS Windows, I used to have all the hard drive set for using Linux only, but now due to I may need to do something for work I will need dual booting, after resizing the disk with parted with a Knoppix CD I restart the computer and begin usual MS Windows installing, I left the computer for eating when I returned I read something like
Can't boot, hal.dll file missing, try reinstalling the file.
I didn't know what happend because I leave.... however I didn't care about the message, It is a Microsoft-based product so reinstall should do the trick.
Whatever, then something else: my current linux partitions: two ext3 (home and root), and swap, and the fourth ntfs for MS Windows. When I reach the "Selection partition for installing" screen in the WinXP CD, something caught my attention, an error message telling
Can't delete partition nor format
What the hell!... I restart again... for normal booting... but something else happend
Couldn't find any bootable device press F2 or F12 for set up
What the hell!! The first thing that came to my mind: My HD is fucked up..
I googled for a while for the solution, and.. it worked, at least the installing is still in process... Some pain still in the way.
BTW. Dell has nice Service Manuals with images and everything.
UPDATE. 23:53. Works and runs