[plug] lilo and Win95

[Shackleton, Kevin]

(sorry - this is a little long, but it is probably of general interest)

> From: 	Greg Raftery[SMTP:ghost at space.net.au]
> 
> From memory, you can install win95 without overwriting the MBR. At the
> dos
> prompt type :
> 
> setup /IR
> 
> and voila! LILO lives.
> 
> 
The Microsoft Technet list the i-switches as follows:
/id - If you do not want Setup to check for the minimum disk space
      required to install Windows 95, use this switch.
 
/it - If you do not want Setup to check for the presence of "dirty" or
      "deadly" terminate-and-stay-resident programs (TSRs) that are
known
      to cause problems with Windows 95 Setup, use this switch.
 
/ih - This switch causes Setup to run ScanDisk in the foreground.
 
/iq - If you use the /is switch to bypass ScanDisk or ScanDisk fails,
      Setup checks your drive for cross-linked files. Use the /iq switch
      to prevent Setup from doing this.
 
/is - This switch causes Setup to not run ScanDisk.
 

Setup /? does not mention /it or /ih, but adds /im (skip memory check)
and /in (no network).

Microsoft have this to say about LILO and MBR:
PSS ID Number: Q126671
Article last modified on 06-23-1998
 
95 98
 
WINDOWS
 
======================================================================
---------------------------------------------------------------------
The information in this article applies to:
 
 - Microsoft Windows 95
 - Microsoft Windows 98
---------------------------------------------------------------------
 
SYMPTOMS
========
 
When you install Microsoft Windows on a computer that has the Linux
operating system installed, Windows may overwrite or deactivate the
Linux boot manager (LILO, or Linux Loader). As a result, you can no
longer
access the Linux operating system.
 
CAUSE
=====
 
The Linux boot manager (LILO) can be installed in two ways. It can be
installed to the hard disk's Master Boot Record (MBR), or to the root
directory or superblock (in Linux terminology) of the Linux partition. A
superblock installation means that the Linux partition should be the
active partition. Windows Setup makes the primary MS-DOS partition in
which it is installed the active partition, causing LILO to be bypassed.
 
If LILO is installed in the MBR, it is overwritten by Windows Setup.
 
RESOLUTION
==========
 
To correct this problem, use one of the following methods:
 
 - If LILO was installed to the MBR, follow these steps:
 
   1. Restart the computer using a bootable Linux floppy disk.
 
   2. Run the LILOCONFIG program from the floppy drive.
 
 - If LILO was installed to the superblock, use the FDISK command to
   activate the Linux partition.
 
MORE INFORMATION
================
 
The third-party products discussed here are manufactured by vendors
independent of Microsoft; we make no warranty, implied or otherwise,
regarding these products' performance or reliability.
 

I tried starting Win95 Setup using an arbitrary switch "/xx" and you get
an error.  But it seems you don't get an error if you use an arbitrary
letter after /i.

So I'll give the suggested /ir a go and see if it works, also see if
MS's suggestion works as a fallback!

K.