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threatingbehaviour 06-19-2009 12:24 AM

Error: No Operating system
 
Hello I had a windows xp partition and an opensuse11.1 one. well I ran the repair because of some problems logging on and now when I go to start the computer I get the error No operating system installed I have ran every repair there is with no success (and I also thought that I had a XP backup disc, but as my luck turns out, it's nowhere to be found). Now when I go to a new install I get the following message: "Delete windows partition /dev/sda2 (my /c drive) Resize impossible due to inconsistent fs. Try checking fs under windows" Could anyone tell how this is possible, since I can't access windows now... is there a way to restore windows or is it F.U.B.A.R? thanks

colucix 06-19-2009 03:06 AM

The first thing is to check what is actually left on the machine. I suggest to boot a LiveCD: 1) Knoppix to explore the filesystem and eventually backup your files, 2) Gparted Live to explore the current partition scheme and eventually do some modification. I'm not sure, but I guess Knoppix provides Gparted so you can start from there and see what you can do.

threatingbehaviour 06-20-2009 12:48 AM

ok well could you tell me the correct command in knoppix for reseting the windows boot loader. I googled it and got this sudo install-mbr /dev/hda and it didn't work...sudo: install-mbr command not found but I checked the package manager and it was installed so am I typing in a wrong command? Thanks

arckane 06-20-2009 02:02 AM

Did you want the Windows Bootloader back, which will destroy grub, or did you want grub to load Windows?

Windows Bootloader: Boot WinXP disc, do recovery, at prompt type 'fixboot c:' and then 'fixmbr \Device\HardDisk0'

colucix 06-20-2009 02:33 AM

Before any other attempt, have you verified the integrity of the windows partition? Have you a backup of your data?

You should check the output of
Code:

fdisk -l
to see if your original partition scheme is still there. Then try to mount the windows partition and see if the directory tree is still intact. Do the same with the linux partition. If you see that all is good, try to reinstall grub. If not, maybe you have to reinstall windows, which probably means to reinstall all the system from zero, since the windows installer could destroy the linux partition.

threatingbehaviour 06-20-2009 02:39 AM

alright I ran fdisc -l and I get the error command not found message

threatingbehaviour 06-20-2009 02:43 AM

also something interesting this may help... reset bios to default now not only at the startup screen do I get "No Operating system found" I also get "PXE-E53 no bootfile name recieved"

colucix 06-20-2009 02:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by threatingbehaviour (Post 3580320)
alright I ran fdisc -l and I get the error command not found message

fdisk with a final "k". I forgot to mention you have to be root to run this command. Use either
Code:

$ sudo fdisk -l
or
Code:

$ su -
# fdisk -l


threatingbehaviour 06-20-2009 02:55 AM

oh yeah duh... well here's the output it looks to me as if the windows partition is still there.

Disk /dev/hda: 120.0 GB, 120034123776 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 14593 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0xb8f0ffa4

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/hda1 1 637 5116671 12 Compaq diagnostics
/dev/hda2 638 7583 55793745 c W95 FAT32 (LBA)
/dev/hda3 7584 7891 2474010 c W95 FAT32 (LBA)
/dev/hda4 * 9950 14593 37302930 f W95 Ext'd (LBA)
/dev/hda5 9950 10211 2104483+ 82 Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/hda6 10212 11989 14281753+ 83 Linux
/dev/hda7 11990 14593 20916598+ 83 Linux

Disk /dev/sda: 203.9 GB, 203928109056 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 24792 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x4a0f961a

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 1 24792 199141708+ 7 HPFS/NTFS


and yes it appears my tree intact. I still have all program files, pics, downloads, and everything

colucix 06-20-2009 04:40 AM

Ok. So you can proceed by re-installing grub on the Master Boot Record. First check the content of /boot/grub/menu.lst, that one of opensuse 11.1. You have to mount the linux /boot partition in read-write mode (from knoppix you can right click on the partition icon and chose "mount with write permissions" or something similar).

Then you have to determine which is the root partition (the same that contain the /boot directory) then just do (as root)
Code:

grub-install --root-directory=/mnt/hdaX /dev/hda
in particular you have to determine where knoppix mounts it. Suppose it is /dev/hda6 and knoppix mount it under /mnt/hda6... in that case the --root-directory is /mnt/hda6. I hope it is clear enough. For any doubt, post again and tell us more details (the content of the opensuse /boot/grub/menu.lst, the opensuse exact partition scheme, the kernel installed in opensuse).

threatingbehaviour 06-20-2009 09:06 PM

alright, I get the following command when I execute grub-install --root-directory=/mnt/hda6 /dev/hda and hda6 is actually my root. INSTALL_DEVICE can be a GRUB device name or a system device filename.

grub-install copies GRUB images into the DIR/boot directory specfied by
--root-directory, and uses the grub shell to install grub into the boot
sector.

Report bugs to <bug-grub@gnu.org>.
root@Microknoppix:/home/knoppix# grub-install --root-directory=/mnt/hdaX /dev/hda
mkdir: cannot create directory `/mnt/hdaX/boot': No such file or directory
root@Microknoppix:/home/knoppix# grub-install --root-directory=/mnt/hda6 /dev/hda
grub-probe: error: Cannot find a GRUB drive for /dev/hda. Check your device.map.
so what now?

threatingbehaviour 06-20-2009 11:22 PM

also my device.map file looks like this...

(hd0) /dev/disk/by-id/ata-WDC_WD1200UE-22KVT0_WD-WXE906958552
and my boot/grub/menu.lst file looks like this...

# Modified by YaST2. Last modification on Thu Jun 18 20:58:33 EDT 2009
default 0
timeout 8
gfxmenu (hd0,5)/boot/message
##YaST - activate

###Don't change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: linux###
title openSUSE 11.1
root (hd0,5)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz root=/dev/disk/by-id/ata-WDC_WD1200UE-22KVT0_WD-WXE906958552-part6 resume=/dev/disk/by-id/ata-WDC_WD1200UE-22KVT0_WD-WXE906958552-part5 splash=silent showopts vga=0x317
initrd /boot/initrd

###Don't change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: failsafe###
title Failsafe -- openSUSE 11.1
root (hd0,5)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz root=/dev/disk/by-id/ata-WDC_WD1200UE-22KVT0_WD-WXE906958552-part6 showopts ide=nodma apm=off noresume nosmp maxcpus=0 edd=off powersaved=off nohz=off highres=off processor.max_cstate=1 x11failsafe vga=0x317
initrd /boot/initrd

threatingbehaviour 06-20-2009 11:54 PM

Update
 
I'm no longer getting the "no operating system found" message I boot the computer says loading grub 1.5 please wait then it loads to a grub (version .97 I think) terminal like screen (though I think it's because grub is installed on my windows root not the linux because my /C shows grub as executiable files). Not the suse boot screen I had hoped for... so how do I get that back up and running

james2b 06-21-2009 12:44 AM

You need to edit your main Linux grub boot file so that it points to the correct drives and partition numbers. This is located in; /boot/grub/ and is called; menu.lst. So then as root user you open it with a text editor such as kwrite or kate in the KDE SUSE Linux. Then you can chainload to your other SUSE grub like this; root (hd0,5), makeactive, chainloader +1, if your SUSE Linux is installed on hda6 on hard drive 1,(grub does count from 0). You can also hit the e key at that grub screen to edit the boot commands for that one time boot.

threatingbehaviour 06-21-2009 01:07 AM

well a copy of my menu.lst file is in post #12 could you tell me exactly how I should edit it so I can have my suse and windows? thanks


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