Grub error 22 every alternate boot

dms05 · 07-06-2009, 03:41 AM

I've installed Ubuntu on a dual boot system with Windows 7. Both work fine. However the boot sequence either goes straight to Grub and works or every other time issues Stage 1.5 Grub Error 22. If I power down and reboot the sequence goes without a hitch but at the next reboot I get Error 22 again. I've Googled Grub Error 22 and it seems to indicate the system is looking for a non-existent partition.

So two questions. Why is this happening? How can I stop it?

I'm using an Acer laptop with a hidden partition for the original Vista and drivers (neither of which are used). sdb1/2 is an external 500 GB WD hard disk.

fdisk -l produces:

Disk /dev/sda: 160.0 GB, 160041885696 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 19457 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0xad74b7a2

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 1 1274 10233373+ 12 Compaq diagnostics
/dev/sda2 * 1275 10383 73162752 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda3 10383 19034 69492736 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda4 19034 19458 3398656 12 Compaq diagnostics

Disk /dev/sdb: 500.1 GB, 500107862016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 60801 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x8d399bc0

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sdb1 1 2873 23077341 b W95 FAT32
/dev/sdb2 2874 60802 465307362 6 FAT16

Any suggestions?

bhaslinux · 07-06-2009, 04:51 AM

can you post us your menu.lst (in /boot/grub/ directory )

dms05 · 07-06-2009, 06:24 AM

The whole menu.lst is very long so I've not included the defaults (if I should please just say so). The references to Vista infact refer to Windows 7 which seems to be reported as Vista in menu.lst.

Edited version is:

title Ubuntu 9.04, kernel 2.6.28-13-generic
root ()/ubuntu/disks
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.28-13-generic root=UUID=704061B140617F2A loop=/ubuntu/disks/root.disk ro quiet splash
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.28-13-generic

title Ubuntu 9.04, kernel 2.6.28-13-generic (recovery mode)
root ()/ubuntu/disks
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.28-13-generic root=UUID=704061B140617F2A loop=/ubuntu/disks/root.disk ro single
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.28-13-generic

title Ubuntu 9.04, kernel 2.6.28-11-generic
root ()/ubuntu/disks
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.28-11-generic root=UUID=704061B140617F2A loop=/ubuntu/disks/root.disk ro quiet splash
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.28-11-generic

title Ubuntu 9.04, kernel 2.6.28-11-generic (recovery mode)
root ()/ubuntu/disks
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.28-11-generic root=UUID=704061B140617F2A loop=/ubuntu/disks/root.disk ro single
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.28-11-generic

title Ubuntu 9.04, memtest86+
root ()/ubuntu/disks
kernel /boot/memtest86+.bin

### END DEBIAN AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST

# This is a divider, added to separate the menu items below from the Debian
# ones.
title Other operating systems:
root

# This entry automatically added by the Debian installer for a non-linux OS
# on /dev/sda1
title Windows Vista (loader)
rootnoverify (hd0,0)
savedefault
chainloader +1

# This entry automatically added by the Debian installer for a non-linux OS
# on /dev/sda2
title Windows Vista (loader)
rootnoverify (hd0,1)
savedefault
chainloader +1

# This entry automatically added by the Debian installer for a non-linux OS
# on /dev/sda4
title Microsoft Windows XP Embedded
rootnoverify (hd0,3)
savedefault
chainloader +1

bhaslinux · 07-06-2009, 06:41 AM

can you try commenting-out the "savedefault" lines in the file.
I think this is doing something to your partitions. In real life this must not affect
you ... but just to troubleshoot ... can u comment out savedefaults

Also, if there is any such command you suspect in the start of the menu.lst whcih does
something to the partition (like hide/unhide etc., ) just comment them out too ...

dms05 · 07-06-2009, 06:53 AM

It seems most things are already commented out. Could that be the problem. The section before the menu.lst I posted above reads:

# menu.lst - See: grub(8), info grub, update-grub(8)
# grub-install(8), grub-floppy(8),
# grub-md5-crypt, /usr/share/doc/grub
# and /usr/share/doc/grub-doc/.

## default num
# Set the default entry to the entry number NUM. Numbering starts from 0, and
# the entry number 0 is the default if the command is not used.
#
# You can specify 'saved' instead of a number. In this case, the default entry
# is the entry saved with the command 'savedefault'.
# WARNING: If you are using dmraid do not use 'savedefault' or your
# array will desync and will not let you boot your system.
default 0

## timeout sec
# Set a timeout, in SEC seconds, before automatically booting the default entry
# (normally the first entry defined).
timeout 3

## hiddenmenu
# Hides the menu by default (press ESC to see the menu)
hiddenmenu

# Pretty colours
#color cyan/blue white/blue

## password ['--md5'] passwd
# If used in the first section of a menu file, disable all interactive editing
# control (menu entry editor and command-line) and entries protected by the
# command 'lock'
# e.g. password topsecret
# password --md5 $1$gLhU0/$aW78kHK1QfV3P2b2znUoe/
# password topsecret

#
# examples
#
# title Windows 95/98/NT/2000
# root (hd0,0)
# makeactive
# chainloader +1
#
# title Linux
# root (hd0,1)
# kernel /vmlinuz root=/dev/hda2 ro
#

#
# Put static boot stanzas before and/or after AUTOMAGIC KERNEL LIST

### BEGIN AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST
## lines between the AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST markers will be modified
## by the debian update-grub script except for the default options below

## DO NOT UNCOMMENT THEM, Just edit them to your needs

## ## Start Default Options ##
## default kernel options
## default kernel options for automagic boot options
## If you want special options for specific kernels use kopt_x_y_z
## where x.y.z is kernel version. Minor versions can be omitted.
## e.g. kopt=root=/dev/hda1 ro
## kopt_2_6_8=root=/dev/hdc1 ro
## kopt_2_6_8_2_686=root=/dev/hdc2 ro
# kopt=root=UUID=704061B140617F2A loop=/ubuntu/disks/root.disk ro

## default grub root device
## e.g. groot=(hd0,0)
# groot=()/ubuntu/disks

## should update-grub create alternative automagic boot options
## e.g. alternative=true
## alternative=false
# alternative=true

## should update-grub lock alternative automagic boot options
## e.g. lockalternative=true
## lockalternative=false
# lockalternative=false

## additional options to use with the default boot option, but not with the
## alternatives
## e.g. defoptions=vga=791 resume=/dev/hda5
# defoptions=quiet splash

## should update-grub lock old automagic boot options
## e.g. lockold=false
## lockold=true
# lockold=false

## Xen hypervisor options to use with the default Xen boot option
# xenhopt=

## Xen Linux kernel options to use with the default Xen boot option
# xenkopt=console=tty0

## altoption boot targets option
## multiple altoptions lines are allowed
## e.g. altoptions=(extra menu suffix) extra boot options
## altoptions=(recovery) single
# altoptions=(recovery mode) single

## controls how many kernels should be put into the menu.lst
## only counts the first occurence of a kernel, not the
## alternative kernel options
## e.g. howmany=all
## howmany=7
# howmany=all

## specify if running in Xen domU or have grub detect automatically
## update-grub will ignore non-xen kernels when running in domU and vice versa
## e.g. indomU=detect
## indomU=true
## indomU=false
# indomU=detect

## should update-grub create memtest86 boot option
## e.g. memtest86=true
## memtest86=false
# memtest86=true

## should update-grub adjust the value of the default booted system
## can be true or false
# updatedefaultentry=false

## should update-grub add savedefault to the default options
## can be true or false
# savedefault=false

## ## End Default Options ##

bhaslinux · 07-06-2009, 09:34 AM

would this help ?
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=542408

dms05 · 07-06-2009, 01:08 PM

Thanks Bahslinux for sticking with me through this. I had thought of the Windows 7 commands fixmbr/fixboot but assumed they would destroy my access to Ubuntu, so I hadn't tried.

However I did think a little more about Grub Error 22 and decided to make my Hard Disk the first item in my BIOS menu - whilst doing this I discovered I'd the boot order CD/USB HDD/HDD and changing this to HDD/CD/USB HDD seems to have solved the problem.

I don't offer any explanation other than Grub looking for a non-existent Linux partition on the USB HDD - and quite why it only looked every other boot is a mystery. But I seem to have a correctly booting laptop and both W7 and Linux are happily working on the hardware.

Later it occurred to me that on the first boot the external USB HDD probably wasn't up to speed and was ignored by the system whereas on an immediate reboot the USB drives was running correctly so was found by Grub. Switching the BIOS to boot from the first hard disk meant the USB HDD wasn't part of the Grub procedure.

So many thanks.