GRUB cannot access my MBR...??!!??

kienzli · 09-17-2008, 04:34 PM

I run XPsp3 on my laptop.

on my 100giga HDD i have partitions as follow:

hd0: ext3 for linux
hd1: swap area
hd2: windows xp
hd3: raw (encrypted)

then i tried to install ubuntu (newest version) when it told me at 94% "Grub failed.... fatal error".

i searched the forums about that problem and figured out it may be the boot virus protection on BIOS level. so i disabled that one.

second try.. failed also.

i really want to try ubuntu.. so what do i have to do?

thanks a lot for advice!

mostlyharmless · 09-17-2008, 05:15 PM

Don't have an answer for you yet, but have a few suggestions:

(1) Let everyone know what kind of laptop/harddisk/hardware as much as you know; it'll be helpful.
(2) How did you arrive at your partition scheme if you haven't had linux installed yet? Or do you have another distro on there already?
(3) Try installing grub without ubuntu to isolate the problem faster. download SuperGrub and it give it a whirl.

james2b · 09-18-2008, 01:43 AM

Most likely your partition table has been erased, which is located right next to the boot code on the master boot record. Here are the links for the fix; http://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/TestDisk , this tool can be run from either XP or from a bootable CD. I used this handy system rescue CD: http://www.osdisc.com/cgi-bin/view.c...systemrescuecd , and look here; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Partition_table

kienzli · 09-18-2008, 05:47 AM

windows still runs.

just the bootloader doesn't appear.. that's why i can't use linux...

Larry Webb · 09-18-2008, 05:56 AM

Use your ubuntu or any live cd and from terminal post us your fdisk -l. This will also tell us if ubuntu messed with your partition table.