[SOLVED] Can't boot Windows 7 after Slackware install

J1NKL3 · 03-14-2012, 01:42 PM

I (probably stupidly) didn't install lilo in a Windows 7 boot manager friendly way and now when I try to boot Windows it tries to boot to recovery. Any pointers on fixing this?

sjampoo · 03-14-2012, 02:42 PM

Pointer -> Win7 DVD, and have it automagically restore the MBR.
You won't be able to boot into slackware afterwards, but you can boot into in with a SlackDVD, install lilo to the root partition, and add 'linux' to the win7 bootmenu using the 512bytes method discribed here ( http://alien.slackbook.org/blog/addi...ws7-boot-menu/ )

goodluck!

J1NKL3 · 03-14-2012, 02:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sjampoo

Pointer -> Win7 DVD, and have it automagically restore the MBR.
You won't be able to boot into slackware afterwards, but you can boot into in with a SlackDVD, install lilo to the root partition, and add 'linux' to the win7 bootmenu using the 512bytes method discribed here ( http://alien.slackbook.org/blog/addi...ws7-boot-menu/ )

goodluck!

Problem is I don't have a Win7 DVD... probably should have thought about that before I went ahead with the install. Was hoping not to have to run to Staples and buy DVDs... slack install was the last one on the spindle

Guess I don't get to be that lazy today haha

sjampoo · 03-14-2012, 02:47 PM

PS: I used a different how-to found on the interwebs, to add slackware(linux) to the win7 bootmenu on my ThinkPad, where Win7 is pre-installed and I have no recovery disks.
I would like to note this one 'thing': the 512 bytes you copy to 'linux.bin' so you can boot with the Win7 bootmanager: These 512 bytes change when you change something in lilo.conf and run lilo again!
(I altered the lilo - splashscreen delay, added compact and ran lilo, and promptly couldn't boot into slackware again,. I was puzzled, but sorted thing out in the end by making a new copy of those 512 bytes)

sjampoo · 03-14-2012, 02:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by J1NKL3

Problem is I don't have a Win7 DVD... probably should have thought about that before I went ahead with the install. Was hoping not to have to run to Staples and buy DVDs... slack install was the last one on the spindle

Guess I don't get to be that lazy today haha

Doesn't Win7 repair the bootmanager in 'restore'/'recovery' mode? I guess ( if you have another computer /w internet at hand ) that a usb-stick could be transformed in a win7 rescue apparatus.

vdemuth · 03-14-2012, 02:54 PM

I have Win7 booting from Lilo without any issues. Can you c&p your /etc/lilo.conf here.

J1NKL3 · 03-14-2012, 03:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vdemuth

I have Win7 booting from Lilo without any issues. Can you c&p your /etc/lilo.conf here.

Code:

# LILO configuration file
# generated by 'liloconfig'
#
# Start LILO global section
# Append any additional kernel parameters:
append=" vt.default_utf8=0"
boot = /dev/sda

# Boot BMP Image.
# Bitmap in BMP format: 640x480x8
  bitmap = /boot/slack.bmp
# Menu colors (foreground, background, shadow, highlighted
# foreground, highlighted background, highlighted shadow):
  bmp-colors = 255,0,255,0,255,0
# Location of the option table: location x, location y, number of
# columns, lines per column (max 15), "spill" (this is how many
# entries must be in the first column before the next begins to
# be used.  We don't specify it here, as there's just one column.
  bmp-table = 60,6,1,16
# Timer location x, timer location y, foreground color,
# background color, shadow color.
  bmp-timer = 65,27,0,255

# Standard menu.
# Or, you can comment out the bitmap menu above and 
# use a boot message with the standard menu:
#message = /boot/boot_message.txt

# Wait until the timeout to boot (if commented out, boot the
# first entry immediately):
prompt
# Timeout before the first entry boots.
# This is given in tenths of a second, so 600 for every minute:
timeout = 1200
# Override dangerous defaults that rewrite the partition table:
change-rules
  reset
# VESA framebuffer console @ 1024x768x256
vga = 773
# Normal VGA console
#vga = normal
# Ask for video mode at boot (time out to normal in 30s)
#vga = ask
# VESA framebuffer console @ 1024x768x64k
#vga=791
# VESA framebuffer console @ 1024x768x32k
#vga=790
# VESA framebuffer console @ 1024x768x256
#vga=773
# VESA framebuffer console @ 800x600x64k
#vga=788
# VESA framebuffer console @ 800x600x32k
#vga=787
# VESA framebuffer console @ 800x600x256
#vga=771
# VESA framebuffer console @ 640x480x64k
#vga=785
# VESA framebuffer console @ 640x480x32k
#vga=784
# VESA framebuffer console @ 640x480x256
#vga=769
# End LILO global section
# Windows bootable partition config begins
other = /dev/sda1
  label = Windows
  table = /dev/sda
# Windows bootable partition config ends
# Linux bootable partition config begins
image = /boot/vmlinuz
  root = /dev/root
  label = Linux
  read-only
# Linux bootable partition config ends

kr4ey · 03-14-2012, 04:29 PM

You can make a recovery disk in Windows 7. Here is a tutorial. http://forums.techarena.in/guides-tutorials/1114725.htm

syg00 · 03-14-2012, 05:25 PM

Not much help if the OP can't get to Windoze.
Often the booting to recovery is just a matter of pointing to the vendor OEM partition. Try seeing if you have 2 partitions with boot code in it - or just try sda2.

Of course, if Windoze actually tries to boot and goes to recovery mode, that's a whole different matter.

J1NKL3 · 03-14-2012, 05:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by syg00

Not much help if the OP can't get to Windoze.
Often the booting to recovery is just a matter of pointing to the vendor OEM partition. Try seeing if you have 2 partitions with boot code in it - or just try sda2.

Of course, if Windoze actually tries to boot and goes to recovery mode, that's a whole different matter.

I'm pretty sure it's supposed to be sda2 but when I switch it to that it gives me a Windows Boot Manager error

Attempting to make a Win7 USB recovery right now... if that doesn't work I guess time to buy more DVDs and pray haha... Just need Windows for Football Manager

syg00 · 03-14-2012, 08:55 PM

Ugh. That sounds like you might have started the (OEM) Recovery. This generally replaces the whole kit and kaboodle if allowed to procede to completion.

I'd reckon sda2 is correct, but you might actually need to recover it from the USB. M$ofts' technet site has some good doco on what's available from the recovery centre.

J1NKL3 · 03-15-2012, 01:32 AM

Managed to get Windows booting again with a bootable USB... now to get linux booting without the rescue dvd with sjampoo's post... thanks guys!

syg00 · 03-15-2012, 01:35 AM

I would suggest you go get EasyBCD (freebie) if you want to use the Win7 loader to chainload to Slack. Much simpler.

Daedra · 03-15-2012, 02:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by syg00

I would suggest you go get EasyBCD (freebie) if you want to use the Win7 loader to chainload to Slack. Much simpler.

+1 on this. This is what I do and I now prefer it, keeps the windows boot manager in tact and you can simply chainload lilo if you installed it to your root block.

Martinus2u · 03-15-2012, 04:13 PM

what's all this hooha about? As already noted by J1NKL3, simply add the following stanza to lilo.conf and call lilo (assuming your Windows partition is /dev/sda1).

other = /dev/sda1
label = Windows
table = /dev/sda