[linux-laptop] Dual boot & "Invalid partition table"

[drumkid at gmail.com]

I have problems trying to setup a dual boot configuration on my Thinkpad 
R52. With the purchase came M$Windows XP preinstalled (no backup disks). 
Trying to install Fedora Core 4 in a dual boot configuration, I have followd 
the procedure to leave the NT bootloader in the MBR (/dev/sda1) and install 
grub in /dev/sda3; both are primary partitions (XP). I've copied (dd 
-if=...) the linux /boot directory as linux.bin to C:\ and added a "Linux" 
boot option in the boot.ini file. When only /dev/sda1 is made bootable (i.e. 
toggling the boot flag with fdisk), XP starts up fine, however, when both 
/dev/sda1 and /dev/sda3 are made bootable (in analogue with what I've done 
with a fine working desktop system), then after the BIOS check the system 
responds with "Invalid partition table", and no OS can be booted.

Some further details that 'could' matter (perhaps?):
1) all partitions are primary partitions;
2) the logical partition numbers do not correspond with the physical disk 
layout (logially: 1,2,3,4 = physically: 1,3,4,2);
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