Dual Boot option is not working.

lowrida · 08-01-2005, 02:47 AM

I just recently installed Fedora 4 on my computer. When I first purchased my hard drive, I made a 30GB partition for Linux so I could get to know it, the rest of it was for Windows. When my computer starts up it automatically boots up Fedora, with no option to choose between the operating systems I want. My friend tried helping me configure the grub.conf file. When I put in the Fedora CD, I looked at my partitions and it showed this:
(* represents a drop down menu)
*Hard Drives
*/dev/hdc
/dev/hdc1
/dev/hdc3
*/dev/hdc2
/dev/hdc5
Can someone help me with my problem? If not, then how do I delete the partitions, when I put in the Windows CD nothing shows up on the scree n and I tried with Fedora, but it didn't delete them.

d0tc0mguy · 08-01-2005, 03:45 AM

dude....

can u please post ur grub.conf in the page...
may be u need to add the chainloader in it...
if possible just copy ur /boot/grub/grub.conf and post it...

dinolinux · 08-01-2005, 03:47 AM

Hello!

Could you post the grub.conf here? I think the file is not configured properly, you don't need to delete any partitions.

lowrida · 08-01-2005, 03:52 AM

Sure.

Code:

# 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 (hd0,0)
#          kernel /vmlinuz-version ro root=/dev/VolGroup00/LogVol00
#          initrd /initrd-version.img
#boot=/dev/hdc
default=0
timeout=25
splashimage=(hd0,0)/grub/splash.xpm.gz
#hiddenmenu
title Fedora Core (2.6.11-1.1369_FC4)
	root (hd0,0)
	kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.11-1.1369_FC4 ro root=/dev/VolGroup00/LogVol00 rhgb quiet
	initrd /initrd-2.6.11-1.1369_FC4.img
title Other
	rootnoverify (hd0,4)
	chainloader +1

d0tc0mguy · 08-01-2005, 03:56 AM

strange man...

the grub.conf is gud...

d0tc0mguy · 08-01-2005, 03:59 AM

just remove the # before hiddenmenu.. and reboot the computer..

lowrida · 08-01-2005, 04:18 AM

Didn't do much. All it does is make me press any key to get to the menu where to choose betwene Fedora and "other". I still get the same thing.

rootnoverify (hd0,4)
chainloader +1

and it stays like that until I reboot.

furiousV · 08-01-2005, 05:58 AM

Did you write the bootloader to the Master Boot Record on the primary drive? I had similar problems, and the only way to get both FC4 and Win XP options was to do just that.

Navyblue · 08-01-2005, 10:40 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by lowrida
Didn't do much. All it does is make me press any key to get to the menu where to choose betwene Fedora and "other". I still get the same thing.

rootnoverify (hd0,4)
chainloader +1

and it stays like that until I reboot.

I am a newbie myself so i could be wrong.

From the kind of response, it seems that either the link points to a valid partition that does not have an OS. How many partition do you have? From your partition table it seems that you only have 3 partitions and (hd0,4) would refer to the fifth partition.

Btw, why is your one and only harddisk (I suppose) at hdc? is there any other harddisk occupying hda or hdb? If yes try this:

map (hd0) (hdx)
map (hdx) (hd0)
rootnoverify (hdx,4)
chainloader +1

Replace x with "2" if you have a total of 2 harddisks at hda and hdb.
Replace x with "1" if you have a total of 1 harddisk at hda and hdb.
Assuming that the fifth partition thingie is correct.

lowrida · 08-01-2005, 02:52 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Navyblue
Btw, why is your one and only harddisk (I suppose) at hdc? is there any other harddisk occupying hda or hdb?

I'm not sure. I partitioned it when I first installed Windows, and for some reason the Windows partition was F:\ and the Linux one was C:\.

Quote:

[i[Originally posted by furiousV[/i]
Did you write the bootloader to the Master Boot Record on the primary drive? I had similar problems, and the only way to get both FC4 and Win XP options was to do just that.

How do I do that?

furiousV · 08-01-2005, 03:02 PM

You do it when installing linux. If you want to do it now, you pop in CD 1 (or your DVD) of FC and boot from it. It will ask you if you want to do a fresh install or upgrade your existing Fedore Core installation. Do the upgrade, and look around until you see somthing about your boot loader.

Just be sure you know what you are doing.

lowrida · 08-01-2005, 06:14 PM

I checked it, and the only things in it are Fedora and "Other", which is supposed to be windows. Is there a way I can change it from there? I tried and it said it didn't make any changes.

Navyblue · 08-01-2005, 11:44 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by lowrida
I'm not sure. I partitioned it when I first installed Windows, and for some reason the Windows partition was F:\ and the Linux one was C:\.

Have you tried replacing (hd0,4) to (hd0,2) or (hd0,3)? Would you mind if you can list down all your partitions and which partition is the windows and linux in.

lowrida · 08-01-2005, 11:52 PM

Code:

*Hard Drives
          */dev/hdc
                    /dev/hdc1
                    /dev/hdc3
                    */dev/hdc2
                              /dev/hdc5

HDC5 is the one with Windows.

volvogga · 08-02-2005, 12:14 AM

Your hard drive configuration there is very interesting (and confusing). I wonder if you could post the output of this:

fdisk -l /dev/hdc

I am also interested in if you know what partitions are primary and which are extended logical drives, as well as their respected mount points.

As for the windows disk not working, a friend of mine ran into that with FC3. I hope you don't have the same nightmare as him. That took a formating of the hd and a flashing of his BIOS to fix (although I think the problem was only the BIOS and the format was for good measure).