Can't boot windows xp after installing fedora 10.
 

Hello everyone,
I am a newbie who recently started using Linux. I was using windows xp in my laptop. Since I got interest in Linux, I installed Fedora 10 in another new partition. After installing it, when I try to log into windows, there is an error popping out "BOOTMGR MISSING. PRESS CTRL+ALT+DEL TO RESTART". I tried using windows XP cd to boot. But it's not working. :-( I can still access files which I stored in windows. But I cant get into WINDOWS... Any solution??? Pls help me out friends. :-(
Regards,
Vignesh.

Welcome to LQ!!

Since you apparently can boot into Fedora, open a terminal, enter "su" to become root, and enter "fdisk -l" (ell, not one). Post the results here.

The Fedora installer should have recognized the Windows install and automatically configured the bootloader. When it starts up, are you given an option for Windows?

Hello my friend,
Thank you for your reply. Here is the output I got after entering "fdisk -l".

Disk /dev/sda: 160.0 GB, 160041885696 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 19457 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x10000000

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 11 1316 10485760 7 HPFS/NTFS
Partition 1 does not end on cylinder boundary.
/dev/sda2 1316 9148 62914560 7 HPFS/NTFS
Partition 2 does not end on cylinder boundary.
/dev/sda3 9148 19458 82807808 f W95 Ext'd (LBA)
Partition 3 does not end on cylinder boundary.
/dev/sda5 9149 14452 42597376 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda6 * 19131 19458 2620416 c W95 FAT32 (LBA)
/dev/sda7 14453 14477 200781 83 Linux
/dev/sda8 14478 19130 37375191 8e Linux LVM

Partition table entries are not in disk order





Is there any problem with the output which I got? :-(
Thank you for the reply.
Regards,
Vignesh.

First did you use windows all ready for sometime ?
If so did you defrag the drive befor partitioning ?
How did you try to start windows via the option Others mentioned in the GRUB menu ?

I am guessing that Windows is on the first partition---you can confirm this by looking at it with Linux and seeing if you see the normal Windows directories.

To boot Windows, you need to add this to your GRUB configuration file (/boot/grub/menu.lst)

Hello mate,
I did the steps which you have mentioned. I have added Windows in GRUB list. But still I am not able to log into windows mate. :-( Any other suggestions? I have tried to boot using windows xp cd so that I can atleast repair it. But it doesn't boot. :-(


And to ronlau9 reply: I was not able to log into windows after I installed fedora 10. I didn't do de fragmentation before installing linux. And I did the steps what pixellany has mentioned. But it still doesn't work. Any other solution mate? :-(

That's awesome news, man -- your computer is working correctly!

vigneshke:

Q=":-( Any other suggestions? I have tried to boot using windows xp cd so that I can atleast repair it. But it doesn't boot. :-("

The instruction by Pixellany above should have "given you the option" to boot into your Xp. Try to recheck, redo, and edit your /boot/grub/menu.lst and somewhere after 'defaults' at the bottom add the lines given by Pixellany above. See to it that you copy it point-by-point.

Can you post here your menu.lst entries? at least the uncommented lines at the bottom of the list?

Just for a try, if kernel (hd0,0) doesn't work, try (hd0,1) or (hd0,5).

this is what my part of /boot/grug/grub.conf looks like

it happens with some computers,that when linux is installed windows xp cd doesn't boot.it considers the linux partitions as dos partitions.
use partition manager to delete the linux partitions,format windows and recover it and then install linux again.
you can bakup ur xp if you wish to, by booting into linux.
hope this will help you...

Hello friends,
Thank you very much for your replies. Here is what I have in the GRUB list.


# grub.conf generated by anaconda
#
# Note that you do not have to rerun grub after making changes to this file
# NOTICE: You have a /boot partition. This means that
# all kernel and initrd paths are relative to /boot/, eg.
# root (hd0,6)
# kernel /vmlinuz-version ro root=/dev/VolGroup00/LogVol00
# initrd /initrd-version.img
#boot=/dev/sda
default=0
timeout=5
splashimage=(hd0,6)/grub/splash.xpm.gz
hiddenmenu
title Fedora (2.6.27.21-170.2.56.fc10.i686)
root (hd0,6)
kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.27.21-170.2.56.fc10.i686 ro root=UUID=688a95b8-5948-4cbb-b710-bd1481a2083c rhgb quiet
initrd /initrd-2.6.27.21-170.2.56.fc10.i686.img
title Other
rootnoverify (hd0,0)
chainloader +1
title WindowsXP
root (hd0,0)
makeactive
chainloader +1
boot












Have tried all the possible ways. Still can't boot into windows. :-( Has anyone here experienced the same problem what I am facing now?


Regards,
Vignesh.

I take 3 lines out of you're menu.lst it might help
If windows is already running for somwetime it always better to defrag
first , because you find a windows data all over the HD

i would guess that seeing as windows xp was not defraged before you shrunk it ( sometimes even if you do ) windows can get messed up .
Reinstall xp
you might want to 100% reformat the drive and partition it 50% / 50% ntfs and ext3
then reinstall xp and then fedora .

Hello mate,
Well... I installed Linux in different partition. That partition doesn't have Windows XP in it. And I have tried editing the GRUB list as well. Nothing works mate!!! :-( And on top of that, I think my computer contains some bugs. When I do something, the computer restarts without any reason!!! And after it restarts, there is an error message popping out saying that there is a bug in my computer. Now I think I have made a wrong decision in installing linux. I know I am dumb in linux. But since I wanted to explore something, I started using it. I don't know what to do mate... :-(
Regards,
Vignesh.

Is fedoras boot loder can be instll at root prtiton?u can instll some like gag(graphcl lodr)it s eazy 2 set

As I stated before always defrag windows first before installing Linux
AS a windows user you should know that a windows file is scatter over the hard drive.
Beside that repartitioning is always tricky so you make it double tricky
And yes yoo can install linux boot loader in the root partition and alter windows boot.ini to boot linux

Hello mate,
I have tried installing GAG and booting from there. Unfortunately, nothing works. The screen freezes up after installing GAG. Its not allowing me to log into Linux itself. Somehow I used Fedora 10 cd to Rescue the system again. Now, GAG shows that there is Windows XP installed in the computer. But it doesn't boot from there. I thought of having dual operating system. But unfortunately Fedora 10 has become my primary OS (which is good). Azureus crashes while I am downloading something (which is not good). That is why I want to use windows again for downloads. Any ideas??? :-(
Regards,
Vignesh.

If u can log into linux,may be ur linux lodr s not on root prtitn,n then if u can log n ur windows may be ts lodr was erased whn u instlng fedora.or all the problm s ur partiton,pleas chck ur prtton,try make ur windws partton actv.

songahige please do not post in "texting speak "
If you can log into Linux , maybe your Linux bootloader is not on the root partition

Dont frgt 2 bckup ur data.thx vv,sory i jst log n 4rm my cllphon now ^_^

songahige some people that READ this forum USE GOOGLE to translate the pages and "text speak" WILL NOT TRANSLATE !!!

In your menu.lst, you have hiddenmenu enabled.

From the Grub manual
Try commenting out hiddenmenu(add a hash at the begining) in menu.lst and see if you get the grub menu where you can select Windows.

Hello mate,
I tried the step which you suggested me to do. But it still doesn't work. Is there any Boot file in Windows that I can edit and make windows xp work again?
Regards,
Vignesh.

1. Restart your computer with the Windows XP Setup disk in the CDROM drive.
2. If you are prompted to press a key to start the computer from CDROM, do so quickly. Otherwise it may try to boot from the hard drive.
3. After a few minutes, you'll see a prompt to press the R key to start the Recovery Console.
4. When Recovery Console starts, it will prompt you to enter a number corresponding to the Windows XP installation that you need to repair. In most cases, you'll enter "1" (which will be the only choice). If you press ENTER without typing a number, Recovery Console will quit and restart your computer.
5. Enter your Administrator password. If you don't enter the correct password, you cannot continue.
6. At the Recovery Console command prompt, type fixmbr and then verify that you want to proceed.

Hello mate,
Thanks for the reply. I tried this step long time back. But it still doesn't work mate. :-( When I boot my computer from the Windows XP cd, I cant see anything after that. The computer stops responding. Works fine when I boot from Vista DVD. What should I be doing now mate? :-(
Regards,
Vignesh.

I'm not sure after reading through your posts exactly what your setup is??
You refer to being able to boot Fedora and NOT xp. You have three windows (ntfs) partitions - sda1, sda2 and sda5. What's on them? Was xp installed on sda1? Are the other two partitions data partitions? In your last post, refer to being able to boot with the vista DVD, do you have vista installed or can you just boot using the CD? (never used it so...?)

boot.ini would be the file to edit in xp, google for how-to's.

but I don't know if it will work again.

That is very odd.

Here is an MS doc to run the fixmbr from the Vista DVD.

Hello yancek,
Thanks for your reply. I tried to copy the boot file from windows xp and pasted it in GRUB (in Linux). I know this sounds weird, but trust me. I didn't get the "BOOTMGR IS MISSING" error message. Instead I got something else. Here it the boot configuration for windows XP.


[boot loader]

timeout=30

default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS

[operating systems]

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect





And here is my GRUB configuration for linux.



# grub.conf generated by anaconda
#
# Note that you do not have to rerun grub after making changes to this file
# NOTICE: You have a /boot partition. This means that
# all kernel and initrd paths are relative to /boot/, eg.
# root (hd0,6)
# kernel /vmlinuz-version ro root=/dev/VolGroup00/LogVol00
# initrd /initrd-version.img
#boot=/dev/sda
default=0
timeout=5
splashimage=(hd0,6)/grub/splash.xpm.gz
hiddenmenu
title Fedora (2.6.27.21-170.2.56.fc10.i686)
root (hd0,6)
kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.27.21-170.2.56.fc10.i686 ro root=UUID=688a95b8-5948-4cbb-b710-bd1481a2083c
initrd /initrd-2.6.27.21-170.2.56.fc10.i686.img
title Windows XP
rootnoverify (hd0,0)
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect
boot







Wat should I be doing now mate? Any suggestions???


Regards,
Vignesh.

The first part of your last post shows the 'boot.ini' file for xp which is sort of the equivalent of the menu.lst file in Grub. Your boot.ini shows 'partition(2)' which means windows sees itself on the second partition? Copying the boot.ini file from xp to the Grub /boot/grub/menu.lst file won't do anything. You might try changing your Grub entry in menu.lst to:

rootnoverify (hd0,1)
chainloader +1

Hello yancek,
First of all, Heaps to thanks to you. I did exactly what you told me to do. I edited the GRUB file and there you go... Windows XP is booting now. But I still have a problem. After I boot, I am able to see a blue screen with Windows XP logo on it (just before the log in screen). And it freezes there. :-( So 75% of the problem has been solved. Now just 25% of the problem is irritating me man. But I should thank you once again for the solution you gave me. Any suggestion on how to log into Windows and start using it?
Kindest Regards,
Vignesh.

Before you get the blue screen when booting xp, do you see anything else happening? any error messages? Does it seem like it is booting or after you select xp you get the blue screen? Do you see any messages before it freezes? I don't expect I'll be able to help much as I've never used xp though I've used w2k which has same bootloader.

Hello mate,
Well... I am able to boot Windows XP now. But what happens is after I boot and see the start up screen, the computer freezes up. I don't see any error messages during the boot. NONE!!! The computer freezes up just before it takes me to the "LOG IN" screen. I tried to boot using Windows XP cd now. Nothing works. :-( Ur previous step was successful mate. We are almost there. But 20% to 25% left. :-( I can't use Windows Advanced Menu option also (by pressing F8 key during the boot). Any suggestions mate?
Regards,
Vignesh.

Hello yancek,
You there? Expecting a reply from you mate.

I googled 'xp freezes on boot' and got a lot of hits so this seems a common problem. Solutions suggested were usually checking hardware. You might check your connections, re-seat RAM chips, etc. but if Fedora is booting I don't think this will help. Another possibility may be bad power supply or overheating processor but once again, if Fedora boots/runs alright this is not likely to be the problem.

Haven't used windows for quite some time so you might go to some windows forums and try for help. Good Luck.

I've successfully dual booted a few machines Windows/Linux. It was pretty simple really. Install Windows (if not already there), install Linux, modify boot loader. I've never had problems where Windows would crash as a cause of Linux installation.