your devices are set up correct
I had the same problem when I was setting up my dual boot system, it just means that it can't find the files to boot into Windows... You have 2 FAT32 partition, and that's why GRUB thinks they are both windows partitions...
To be honest I don't know what I did against the command.com not found error, but I think that the problem doesn't lies with GRUB, but with some kind of setting...

Well, I shall post my menu.lst maybe that will be some kind of help to you:
Devices.map just lets the bootloader know what drives are available to boot from (I guess at least).
As you can see I have a multiboot with XP, 98 and Suse My Grub files are installed on hda4 (hd0,3 in Grub terms), and this partition is my shared data partition... This way I didn't get in any problems with the hiding/unhiding settings (When it was installed on my Linux partition, when I booted in XP, after a restart grub wouldn't load anymore because the Linux partition was hidden :P).
Furthermore, all the complex hiding/unhiding was just to make sure that I still had my own drives in XP and 98, so I didn't had any weird drives in these OS'es...
If you have any questions regarding my meny.lst please feel free to ask

Sorry been concentrating on a report. Just sent it but I have a pair of black eyes and it is 3am in the morning.

Ok I still don't know your problem but there is a inconsistency here in that your hda1 has been shown to be hidden of type 1b.

I gave you the instruction before to delete one booting choice and concentratin on the other.

so delte the following

###Don't change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: windows 1###

title windows 1
root (hd0,0)
chainloader +1

###Don't change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: windows 2###

title windows 2
root (hd0,1)
chainloader +1

and add the following


unhide (hd0,0)
unhide (hd0,1)
root (hd0,0)
makeactive
chainloader +1

in /boot/grub/menu.lst.

My guess is somehow you got one of the FAT32 partition hda1 hidden by mistake, possibly by installing a previous distro. It appear Suse is not hiding it and you can't boot Windows. Thus it makes me think your XP may be using hda1 for booting but couldn't find it. XP can dual boot and prefers the bootloader in the first primary partition or hda1 in your case.

Liquid_T's menu.lst is another case of hiding and unhiding to keep Windows happy.

Let us know how you get on. You are definitely near to the break through point.

i deleted both of them, but i am left with no windows boot options at all.
did u mean to delete ONE of them or both?


###Don't change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: windows 1###

title windows 1
root (hd0,0)
chainloader +1

###Don't change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: windows 2###

title windows 2
root (hd0,1)
chainloader +1

Sorry, woke up this morning suddenly remembering I didn't leave the title line in

Just add

title This is my Windows the dude forget to tell me to add the title line

Anything after the title line will be displayed on the screen as the booting choice, # is for explanation. Got it?

i tried the below code, i think its would have fixed it,
but...
before i started talking to you
i was so desperate, i had insert a windows recoverry cd
but the cd could not run because of the suse modified partition
but i think windows did make some changes
ands that the reason (i think), when use the code u suggested, it comes up withe a list options

1. boot to windows xp
2-4 where all recovery options with different partians

after chosing option 1. it tells me recovery not compelte and stoped there




the below is the code i used
# Modified by YaST2. Last modification on Sun Sep 4 03:59:31 EST 2005

color white/blue black/light-gray
default 3
timeout 8
gfxmenu (hd0,3)/boot/message




###Don't change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: windows###
title Microsoft Windows XP
unhide (hd0,0)
unhide (hd0,1)
root (hd0,0)
makeactive
chainloader +1


###Don't change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: failsafe###
title Failsafe -- SUSE LINUX 9.3
kernel (hd0,3)/boot/vmlinuz root=/dev/hda4 showopts ide=nodma apm=off acpi=off vga=normal noresume selinux=0 barrier=off nosmp noapic maxcpus=0 3
initrd (hd0,3)/boot/initrd

###Don't change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: linux###
title SUSE LINUX 9.3
kernel (hd0,3)/boot/vmlinuz root=/dev/hda4 vga=0x317 selinux=0 splash=silent apm=off acpi=off mce=off barrier=off ide=nodma idewait=50 i8042.nomux psmouse.proto=bare showopts
initrd (hd0,3)/boot/initrd

###Don't change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: xen###
title XEN
kernel (hd0,3)/boot/xen.gz dom0_mem=327680
module (hd0,3)/boot/vmlinuz-xen root=/dev/hda4 vga=0x317 selinux=0 splash=silent apm=off acpi=off mce=off barrier=off ide=nodma idewait=50 i8042.nomux psmouse.proto=bare showopts
module (hd0,3)/boot/initrd-xen

OK you can try the XP installation CD as often as you want. The operation has nothing to do with Suse. It is just a matter of you choosing what boot manager should occupy the first 512 bytes of the hard disk.

The first 512 bytes of the first bootable hdd is called MBR which the BIOS always reads and boots. Whoever gets there first has the control of the PC.

When you install Suse you let Grub in and XP's orginal MBR was overwritten. Doing a fixmbr with the installation CD just put XP's boot code back to overwrite Grub. I do them regularly because I run over 40 systems in the box, no need to panic.

Before you restoring the Windows MBR perhaps you could do a small investigation and report the content content of the hda1 and hda2. I am increasing leaning to the theory that you could have a hidden partition for backup purpose, as you have so far unable to describe what they are.

You can do this by Suse (time to see the power of Linux!). Newer Suse could have mount the two partitions for you to view but I am assuming yours doesn't. So you need to make directories for mounting and then mount them manually. So in Suse and as a super user type

mkdir /mnt/hda1
mkdir /mnt/hda2
mount /dev/hda1 /mnt/hda1
mount /dev/hda2 /mnt/hda2

You can then go to the desktop, click home and go all the way to the root directory / to find out /mnt. The two partitions hda1 and hda2 should be inside there. Just use the desktop to view the content of the two partitions. With FAT32 type you can edit them, see photos and play mp3 just as can in XP.

I need you to confirm whether both directories have Windows inside or not. Suse can read system files hidden by XP. The one to look for is boot.ini. In it you can actually edit the line timeout statement to lengthen the time you can see the bootup screen (the one you reported a Window98 image). You can have an idea of the files and directories names to know if any one is a valid bootable system.

So get you Windows up and running first, kown it is in perfect order and put revert back to your current position by using Yast from Suse's installation CD,

A Linux boot loader doesn't fix a foreign system. It only boots it. So it is essential to start with a bootable XP. You will have a lot of faith in Suse once you know how to restore the MBR for both of systems.

i did the following then when to home, but when i try to enter root, it was locked

Password:
linux:~ # mkdir /mnt/hda1
linux:~ # mkdir /mnt/hda2
linux:~ # mount /dev/hda1 /mnt/hda1
linux:~ # mount /dev/hda2 /mnt/hda2
mount: /dev/hda2 already mounted or /mnt/hda2 busy
mount: according to mtab, /dev/hda2 is mounted on /windows/D
linux:~ #

its there a way to open it in a root shell using comments?
i still dont know how to use suse as a super user

In terminal mode you just type

su

Suse then asks for a password for the root user. You type it in. If Suse accepts it your command prompt will change slightly. Thereafter you are as a good as the root user in that terminal but can still operate as non-root user at the desktop.

Just tried it once again in my Suse 10. Don't see any problem.

My Suse 10 also boots to normal user only but permits me to change session and log on to as root too. You should be able to do the same. I just right click anywhere in the desktop and click "switch user" to go in formally as root if I need to. Suse responds with a RED screen to warn the user to be extra careful as damage to the system files can render the Suse unbootable.

the problem is i go to yast after i goin as a root user,
i cant see files in root,

Don't be silly.

Just double click either trash or my computer and you can see a few direction arrows in the Konquerer window. Keep clicking the up arrow will lead to to the root / of the Linux filing system. There you will find /boot for booting data, /mnt/ for mounting and so on. Most people use /home to store personal data but I also keep mine ouside. Don't worry if you don'y know what they are for but do be aware where to find them.

Any user having access to the desktop can see all the files. Non-root users will see the system files showing a lock icon. That is all. It is Linux's way to protect the system files. XP just hide them. It will make sense to you gradually.

Yast is just a configurator, similar to Control Panel in XP.

hey i was able to do find this information using root shell

i typed "dir /root"

linux:~ # /root
-bash: /root: is a directory
linux:~ # dir /root
total 53
drwx------ 14 root root 824 Sep 4 23:46 .
drwxr-xr-x 22 root root 512 Sep 5 2005 ..
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 26 Sep 4 20:45 .DCOPserver_linux_:0 -> /root/.DCOPrver_linux__0
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 52 Sep 4 20:45 .DCOPserver_linux__0
-rw------- 1 root root 1124 Sep 4 20:45 .ICEauthority
-rw------- 1 root root 0 Sep 4 23:44 .Xauthority
-rw------- 1 root root 675 Sep 4 12:48 .bash_history
drwx------ 2 root root 72 Sep 2 18:26 .chewing
-rw------- 1 root root 24 Sep 4 23:24 .dmrc
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 1124 Feb 29 2000 .exrc
drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 48 Sep 3 02:00 .fvwm
drwx------ 2 root root 48 Sep 3 01:52 .gnome
drwx------ 3 root root 280 Sep 3 13:25 .gnupg
drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 80 Sep 2 16:10 .gstreamer-0.8
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 1952 Sep 3 13:58 .gtk_qt_engine_rc
drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 80 Sep 3 02:00 .kbd
drwx------ 3 root root 168 Sep 3 02:15 .kde
drwxr-xr-x 3 root root 112 Sep 3 02:20 .mcop
-rw------- 1 root root 31 Sep 4 22:08 .mcoprc
drwx------ 3 root root 72 Sep 2 16:13 .mozilla
drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 104 Sep 3 13:25 .qt
drwx------ 4 root root 128 Sep 2 18:57 .scim
-rw------- 1 root root 50 Sep 4 23:46 .xauth0v94YB
-rw------- 1 root root 50 Sep 4 22:04 .xauthMk7Ozf
-rw------- 1 root root 50 Sep 4 20:44 .xauthinnnu7
-rw------- 1 root root 917 Sep 4 23:43 .xsession-errors
-rw------- 1 root root 23 Sep 4 23:32 .xsession-errors-:1
drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 48 Mar 24 07:34 bin
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 1367 Sep 4 08:24 menu.lst
linux:~ #

I never touch /root or had a need to go there.

For booting all you need is /boot/grub directory, particularly the file memnu.lst because that is what Grub goes to get instructions to work.

You can see all the files in terminal mode but it is more exciting and easier to see and work with them in the desktop.

i cant see them in a desktop, thats why i had to use root shell

what should i do now?

i misunderstood
i can see media:/hda4/boot/grub