I have decided to take the plunge and set a dual boot for my P.C. So I will have X.P. Home aswell as Linux(Mandrake 9.2). I realise that I am probably asking the same questions that have been asked already, if they have been already answered then just give us the link. I have looked already but I haven't found anything after half an hour of trawling the interenet for an article that explains what I need to know, (probably looking in the wrong places. Anyway here's where I am up to. Yesterday I used this link: ftp://ftp.mirror.ac.uk/sites/sunsite.uio.no/pub/unix/Linux/Mandrake/Mandrake/iso/ to download 3 ISO files along with 3 text files. I wrote: README 9.2-download.md5sums.asc README.LG To Disc 1. Then wrote: Mandrake92-cd2-ext.i586.iso[/b] To Disc 3. Finally I wrote: Mandrake92-cd3-i18n.i586.iso[/b] To Disc 3. I used Partition Magic 7.0 to create a partition suitable for Linux/Mandrake (Ext2). With Disc 1 in the machine I restarted my P.C. carefully changing my BIOS settings so that my computer is set to CD as 1st bootup device. When I saved the BIOS setting and let the machine fire up it ignored the CD (did not recognize it as a boot CD. Windows then started. I don't quite know what's gone wrong & I would appreciate a little please. I have heard so many good things of Linux I would love to join the club. Many thanks, Red. With Disc 1 in the machin Mandrake92-cd1-inst.i586.iso

Firstly, you don't need partition magic to do anything, not even partitioning. The mandrake installer does everything. If the comp does not boot with the cd then you'll have to make a boot disk. Bootdisk can be created by using the program rawrite.exe for windows, found in the dosutils directory on the mandrake cd. The instructions are also there, or you can search on google... For the long run, its better if your PC can boot cdroms. Try with a different brand of CD, or double check the bios settings.

But wait CD 1 should also be an ISO. Not just two files. Just with them two files it will not boot. Should have something *cd1.iso.

What are you using to burn the CDs? You want to burn an image (.iso) and not just copy the files onto a CD. If done correctly you should be able to see several files and folders on the CD from within windoze.

I downloaded the ISO images for Mandrake 9.2 and the install cd is not bootabel. XP boots fine. Norton Virus Scanner boots fine. I checked the ISO and it is compiled with win32 system files like Autorun ect. I use Nero to burn the image. After making a bootdisk I get the message "This does not seem to be a Mandrake Cdrom" Someone messed up somewhere. Mandrake 9.0 and 9.1 boot fine but 9.2 iso's or messed

I am having the same exact problem as he is. Someone please help.............

Will this thread go any further? I've got the same problem too. I burned the CDs with Easy CD Creator so the problem isn't Nero.