linux mint failed install; ended in grub rescue
 

After running from a DVD, decided to install as a separate boot partition (from my windows, so I could go back to it if needed). When the process said to be sure I had internet access, I had no info how to do that (my system uses a wireless connection, which apparently had not been detected) and there was no info as to how to proceed. After trying to figure it out, I decided to deal with it later and proceeded. I left it for a while, and when I came back found the following:

error: no such device: 4c2a9c39-1855-4fcc-866d-ddc3a3db6a58.
Entering rescue mode...
grub rescue>

I did enough research to know that there is a whole world out there that I know nothing about, and I've been stuck ever since. Please help me to:

1. Save my Windows installation & data files which are extensive.
2. get back on track to install Linux Mint (or is it actually petra?) as originally planned.

Thanks to anyone who can help relieve an intolerable situation (I am using my wife's laptop and have no internet access of my own).

The simplest way to determine if you have an internet connection from the Mint DVD is to click on the firefox icon and see if you can get to a website. If you can, your internet is connected.

The Mint installation gives several options for install and you don't indicate which you selected. To get some information that would be useful for someone to help you, I would suggest that you boot the Mint DVD and if you can connect to the internet, go to the site below and read the instructions for the bootinfoscript, download it and run it as instructed and post the output here, a results.txt file which will give enough information for someone to hopefully assist you.

http://sourceforge.net/projects/bootinfoscript/

If you don't have an internet connection, booting the Mint DVD and opening a terminal and entering the following commnand would provide some info: sudo fdisk -l(Lower Case Letter L in the command)

Re: Linux failure; GRUB rescue
 

Yancek,
Thank very much for your response. However, I currently have only a command terminal, which I was wary of disturbing before ascertaining that my files, et al, were safe. Also, I have only the live dvd of Mint which did not give any further info about the install.

I will try to boot the mint DVD again to see if it will give me access to the internet while in "compatiibilty" mode and report back, but I did not remember having internet access before when experimenting with Linux. If not, I will try another means to follow your directions.

Oops. I guess this was not a good idea. Now Mint is asking me to choose between Mint drive space and a petra one. I'm going to stop doing anything more until I get a confirmation from you that I'm on the right track. Not at all convinced that I am.
Larry

I'm not sure what that means. Do you mean you installed (or tried to install) Mint on a separate partition from window?
Or did you create a separate boot partition as well as a root filesystem partition for Mint?

That means it is looking for a specific partition with the uuid number listed above, the long series of numbers/letters. You can find this with: sudo blkid, that is the command you run in the terminal - icon should be in the lower left of the Desktop.

If you had another operating system on the computer at the installation of Mint, you should have seen three options for installation in the "Installation type" window: Install Alongside, Erase and use entire disk, and Something Else.

If you can't access the internet, run the two commands I suggested, the blkid and fdisk -l and post the output.

Re: Linux failure; GRUB rescue
 

Yancek,
Thanks again. I will try to not make assumptions in terminology about what I was trying to do. Ie, I only have the Mint menu terminology about what I was trying to do. Which is the first option of the three you mention ("Install Alongside". BTW which number in my earlier email did you mean in re the uuid to be found with sudo & blkid)? And I don't have an icon, nor even a desktop. Just the terminal prompt "GRUB rescue>". I did try to re-boot to see if Mint would allow me internet access, but as I suspected it didn't; I actually ended up at the same place. But perhaps you are now telling me to run sudo and blkid as cmds in that environment. (I'll try that now and report below.)

And most disappointing: After re-booting the Linux Mint DVD, I could find no trace of my Windows & associated data files as I did before the failed install & crash, leaving only a small hope....

Larry

At the grub rescue what is the output of ls and set

That would be this one: error: no such device: 4c2a9c39-1855-4fcc-866d-ddc3a3db6a58.

I meant for you to run the commands suggested from the Mint DVD which I thought you could still boot since you say you installed from that medium?? The fdisk command will show if you still have a windows partition.