FC4 Overwrites Default BIOS?

[BlueRidgeNewbie]

Hello everyone!  I am new to forum posting although I've gotten accustomed to reading them ever since I decided to convert to Linux.    

I recently installed FC4 on my Dell Inspiron 9300 laptop and upgraded from FC1 to FC4 on my Dell Optiplex GX150 desktop.  I believe FC4 must have written over my MBR or somehow dismembered my BIOS on both machines.  I was unable to boot WinXP, Win98 or FC4 on either machine.  Fortunately, I got one machine fixed before the other went on strike.

I finally managed to figure out the problem, I think, and with lots of effort, managed to flash an upgraded version of BIOS and restore each machine to bootable status.

Two questions:
1) Am I correct that FC4, or Grub, distorts the default BIOS?
2) If so, is there another contemporary distro, or boot loader, that will leave my BIOS alone?

[Ricky]

as far as I belive there is no bootloader, distro which alters the BIOS at any level...
it may be faulty stuff or something different .. like magnetic field wch caused the problm.

At least never happened with me in 100s of installations I have done

[BlueRidgeNewbie]

Ricky:

Thanks for your reply.  I have no reason to suspect a magnetic field disturbance.  I suppose your reply is good news, that neither FC4 nor Grub are to blame.  However, that still leaves me puzzled.  

Regards, Nick Stone[/quote]