Desperate! Error 17 with dualboot vista + linux. Can't boot either.

Kaidao · 07-24-2007, 04:04 AM

Hey guys. So I have a really big problem. I just installed Ubuntu on a Asus G1 laptop following a how to tutorial. The installation was all fine but when I rebooted, and then started to boot Vista, it says VIRUS, then the blue screen came up. I thought it was just a boot error so I decided to restart system. When I did, after the Asus logo, it says Error 17 Please Wait... And then nothing. I still have the Ubuntu boot cd, but I really need help. I can't access my computer at all! Please, any help would be GREATLY appreciated.

-Kai

pixellany · 07-24-2007, 05:35 AM

Error 17 means that GRUB can't find it's configuration file. When installing Ubuntu, what option did you select for installing the boot loader (GRUB)? e.g. did you put it on the MBR? Or maybe on the boot sector of the Ubuntu partition?

Do you have a Windows CD?

Kaidao · 07-24-2007, 08:20 AM

Shoot...I'm really not sure. I just installed in a unused drive and then it restarted by itself. Is there any way to fix this? Oh yeah, I don't have a windows installer with me right now.

Kaidao · 07-24-2007, 09:41 AM

Please...anyone with any help? My machine is completely unusable right now, except with the Linux bootdisk. Is there any way to solve this problem?

pixellany · 07-24-2007, 02:38 PM

Is your Ubuntu disk a "live CD"---i.e. does it boot up a run from the CD? If so, we can do some trouble-shooting from there. Get into a terminal and do "fdisk -l" and post the results here.

If you want to go the next step, we need to see the GRUB config file. Like so:
Looking at the fdisk output, determine the Linux partition (probably hda2 or sda2)

Code:

cd /mnt
mkdir mylinux
mount /dev/hda2 mylinux   ###or maybe sda2--or whatever you determined from fdisk
cd mylinux
ls
###You should now be looking at the top-level directory structure--ie (bin, sbin, etc, boot, home, root, and several more
cd boot/grub
more menu.lst

Now you are looking at the GRUB config file. There should be entries for Ubuntu and for Windows (the ones without "#" at the beginning) Post the relevant entries.

You can also simply re-install Ubuntu and be sure that you know where GRUB gets installed. (In a system with one hard-drive, it must go in the MBR or on a floppy)

Kaidao · 07-24-2007, 10:50 PM

Umm..I'm not sure what you mean by relevant entries, but these are the ones that I think are..important. Tell me if I need to include anything else

default 4
timeout 10
#hiddenmenu

"examples

title Windows 95/98/NT/2000
root (hd0,0)
makeactive
chainloader +1

title Linux
root (hd0,1)
kernel /vmlinuz root=/dev/hda2 ro"

crashdump = 0
groot = (hd0,3)
alternative = true
lockalternative = false
defoptions = quiet splash
lockold = false
xenhopt =
xenkopt = console = tty0
altoptions=(recovery mode) single
howmany=all
memtest86 = true
updatedefaultentry = false

(the last part in the file)

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

-Kai