My method for you would be to create the partititions for linux first, at the start of the drive.
And then install XP into the remaining free space.. then after that is installed, install your linux distribution...

Why? If you install Linux first, when you install Windows XP it will remove LILO.. meaning you will have to install Linux again or use your linux boot disk to set LILO up again...

It just means it will take longer to get your computer how you want it if you install Linux first...


Pits9, what do you mean installing XP first will set your drive with FAT? You are able to choose your filesystem during the installation....

Also, I don't understand what you mean by
... if after that you install linux it will be partitionless installation and that will cost at speed of your system
also the booting will be done through a floppy which i think you won't like. Same thing happened to me then i did as i said. Now everything is woking fine.
I think think your system has been playing you around a bit Pits9... The only time I had to use a diskette to boot my computer, was when Linux was installed after the 1024th cylinder, and the version of LILO I was using didn't support the LBA32 parameter...