i386/87846: 5.4 will NOT work with any other os on disk

[Lloyd M Caldwell]

>Number:         87846
>Category:       i386
>Synopsis:       5.4 will NOT work with any other os on disk
>Confidential:   no
>Severity:       critical
>Priority:       high
>Responsible:    freebsd-i386
>State:          open
>Quarter:        
>Keywords:       
>Date-Required:
>Class:          sw-bug
>Submitter-Id:   current-users
>Arrival-Date:   Sat Oct 22 16:40:13 GMT 2005
>Closed-Date:
>Last-Modified:
>Originator:     Lloyd M Caldwell
>Release:        5.4
>Organization:
myself
>Environment:
CAN'T it won't install!
>Description:
1) system has ntfs partition (xp, sp2) install 5.4, reboot no 5.4os.  let 5.4 "overwrite" MBR destroyed ntfs partition (years of xp stuff gone!)
2) install 5.4 on empty disk, reboot runs ok, install ntfs (xp-sp2) and 5.4 is no longer found, no operating system, bios message.
           
>How-To-Repeat:
performed the install combinations on 3 different motherboard harddisk combinations, there is NO WAY to install 5.4 on a system with other partitions present.  i.e. 5.4 is WRONG in how it determines and uses disk partition geometry, HOW CAN SOMETHING SO OLD AND BASIC GET SO SCREWED UP!!!!!
>Fix:

>Release-Note:
>Audit-Trail:
>Unformatted: