How to install GRUB without Complet installation of Linux?

adnankhawer · 03-05-2008, 08:40 PM

Hello,
I have installed Linux (Red Hat 9.0) after Windows XP.
GRUB was showing.........
Red Hat Linux 9.0
Windows XP

Everything is ok but when i reinstall Windows XP the bootloader (GRUB)has been removed now i can only run Windows XP although Linux partitions are exist, Ok!

how can i bring it back without complete installation of Linux????

Thanks!

Emerson · 03-05-2008, 09:07 PM

Well, this time you have to reinstall Linux anyway.
Get a modern supported Linux.

wildar · 03-05-2008, 09:19 PM

Using the Red Hat 9.0 install disk, boot into rescue mode, use these commands and reboot

Code:

chroot /mnt/sysimage
grub-install /dev/hda

Hope this helps.

sundialsvcs · 03-06-2008, 08:09 AM

Here's a little background info ...

Grub is a "boot loader." Its purpose is to load other operating systems. It can load Linux, Unix, Windows, and even other things. Every operating-system has a boot-loader. Some are generic (like Grub), others are proprietary and specialized (like Windows'). (In fact, when you load Windows using Grub, what happens is that Grub loads Windows' boot-loader, because Windows ultimately has to be loaded by its own loader system.)

The thing that causes the boot loader to be loaded is something called the Master Boot Record, or just MBR. Nevermind exactly what that is... suffice it to say that it "points to" the boot-loader.

When you reinstalled Windows, part of the installation process was to set up Windows's loader and to cause the MBR on that disk to point to (of course...) Windows's loader. But Windows (presumably) did not wipe out Linux, nor did it wipe out Grub: it's just that the MBR doesn't point to Grub anymore.

The procedure aforementioned will cause the MBR to be changed so that it points to Grub again. (On the Microsoft support-site you will find a similar procedure, which you also should know, which will change the MBR to point to Windows's loader again.)

When you want to "dual boot" both Windows and Linux, you need to set up this procedure (well, the distro probably already did it for you), so that Grub gets control first, and will subsequently pass control to the Windows loader if you choose.

There is extensive documentation on the web about these things. Familiarize yourself with some of it before you proceed.