Can't boot from Partition Magic 8.0 CD?

[Nolonemo]

I just got Symantec's Partition Magic 8. From the manual, it sounds like I should be able to boot from the install CD into some sort of DOS version of the program. Since I prefer to handle partition stuff outside of the Windows environment, this is what I would like to be able to do.

However, if I try to boot from the install CD, after a couple messages about loading some flavor of dos, the screen hangs at a blinking cursor.

Anyone know what's going on. (BTW, the manual doesn't refer to creating a bootable CD from inside the installed program, so I assume the reference to booting from CD in the manual has to refer to the install CD).

Thanks

[K0LO]

If you're booting the PartitionMagic CD from a USB CD drive, then the DOS version on the disk doesn't load the proper CDROM driver for USB devices. It will only work if you boot from an internal IDE bus CD-ROM.

You will need to do one of two things to work around this:

1. Look at the config.sys and autoexec.bat files on the CD to determine how to load the CDROM drivers in DOS. There are some helpful comments in the files. Then modify the files and burn a new CD.

2. Or, create a set of Rescue Disk floppies using the Windows version of PartitionMagic. If you don't have a floppy drive to boot from then you can create a bootable USB key with DOS on it and copy the PartitionMagic files from the floppies to the USB key.

I did the latter after finding an original set of DOS 6.22 floppies in my junkbox, but then I must have spent a day taking a trip down memory lane and rediscovering all of the wonders of DOS that I hadn't thought about in many years. What a hoot!

[Nolonemo]

Thanks, but I am trying to boot from an internal IDE drive. The usb key idea is good, I can do that if all else fails.

[GomJabbar]

Which model of ThinkPad are you doing this on? Are you using a commercial pressed CD, or a burned copy. I have seen burned copies not work on older hardware, where the commercial pressed CD would work. Either one would work on new hardware. Note that I am writing in general terms here, and nothing specific to Partition Magic.

[Nolonemo]

Pressed CD. Same problem on much newer desktop and T23.

[GomJabbar]

Defective CD perhaps?

[tyanlion]

My experience with partition magic has never been good. last time i used it it messed up my partition table real badly and the hd got corrupted quite badly. sure it does its job but somehow it doesn't do it properly. Now I never ever use it.