Grub error 15, after an XP disk defrag..

Jayla · 12-11-2008, 05:06 PM

Hi Guys,

I've been stuck with this issue all evening, I've done some searching on the net for solutions but none have worked so I'd really appreciate some help from the LQ community.

Right, I have a dual boot Ubuntu Hardy and XP machine

I ran a disk defragment tool on XP last night (the default windows one) and it seems to have screwed up by boot facility, as when I switch on my machine I'm given the "grub error 15"

I have run the following commands (as found during my searching for a solution)

Code:

ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ sudo grub
Probing devices to guess BIOS drives. This may take a long time.

       [ Minimal BASH-like line editing is supported.   For
         the   first   word,  TAB  lists  possible  command
         completions.  Anywhere else TAB lists the possible
         completions of a device/filename. ]
grub> find /boot/grub/stage2
find /boot/grub/stage2
 (hd2,5)
grub> root (hd2,5)
root (hd2,5)
grub> setup (hd0)
setup (hd0)
 Checking if "/boot/grub/stage1" exists... yes
 Checking if "/boot/grub/stage2" exists... yes
 Checking if "/boot/grub/e2fs_stage1_5" exists... yes
 Running "embed /boot/grub/e2fs_stage1_5 (hd0)"...  16 sectors are embedded.
succeeded
 Running "install /boot/grub/stage1 d (hd0) (hd0)1+16 p (hd2,5)/boot/grub/stage2 /boot/grub/menu.lst"... succeeded
Done.
grub>

I have also updated the menu.lst so that groot is hd2,5. Then I restarted but still got the same error

My configurations are as follows..

sudo fdisk -lu

Code:

ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ sudo fdisk -lu

Disk /dev/sda: 10.0 GB, 10005037056 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 1216 cylinders, total 19541088 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0xb8762f5c

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sda1              63    19535039     9767488+  83  Linux

Disk /dev/sdb: 8606 MB, 8606545920 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 1046 cylinders, total 16809660 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x1cac05ef

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sdb1              63    16803989     8401963+  83  Linux

Disk /dev/sdc: 200.0 GB, 200049647616 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 24321 cylinders, total 390721968 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x25ae25ae

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sdc1              63    10233404     5116671   12  Compaq diagnostics
/dev/sdc2   *    10233405   148167494    68967045    c  W95 FAT32 (LBA)
/dev/sdc3       148167495   202579649    27206077+   c  W95 FAT32 (LBA)
/dev/sdc4       202579650   390716864    94068607+   f  W95 Ext'd (LBA)
/dev/sdc5       202579776   204539579      979902   82  Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sdc6       204539643   292431194    43945776   83  Linux
/dev/sdc7       292431258   390716864    49142803+  83  Linux

Disk /dev/sdd: 81.9 GB, 81964302336 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 9964 cylinders, total 160086528 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x3ce33ce2

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sdd1              63   160071659    80035798+  83  Linux
ubuntu@ubuntu:~$

sudo cat /media/disk/boot/grub/menu.lst (using live CD at the moment)

Code:

default 0
timeout 10

title Ubuntu 8.04, kernel 2.6.24-17-generic
root (hd0,6)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.24-17-generic root=UUID=6b495ada-5909-4638-99c3-3ee289092c6a ro quiet splash
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.24-17-generic

title Ubuntu 8.04, kernel 2.6.24-17-generic (recovery mode)
root (hd0,6)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.24-17-generic root=UUID=6b495ada-5909-4638-99c3-3ee289092c6a ro single
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.24-17-generic

title Ubuntu 8.04, memtest86+
root (hd0,6)
kernel /boot/memtest86+.bin

title Other operating systems:

title Windows NT/2000/XP
root (hd0,0)
chainloader +1
savedefault
makeactive

title Windows Vista/Longhorn (loader)
root (hd0,1)
chainloader +1
savedefault
makeactive
### BEGIN AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST
## lines between the AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST markers will be modified
## by the debian update-grub script except for the default options below

## DO NOT UNCOMMENT THEM, Just edit them to your needs

## ## Start Default Options ##
## default kernel options
## default kernel options for automagic boot options
## If you want special options for specific kernels use kopt_x_y_z
## where x.y.z is kernel version. Minor versions can be omitted.
## e.g. kopt=root=/dev/hda1 ro
##      kopt_2_6_8=root=/dev/hdc1 ro
##      kopt_2_6_8_2_686=root=/dev/hdc2 ro
# kopt=root=UUID=6b495ada-5909-4638-99c3-3ee289092c6a ro

## Setup crashdump menu entries
## e.g. crashdump=1
# crashdump=0

## default grub root device
## e.g. groot=(hd0,0)
# groot=(hd2,5)

## should update-grub create alternative automagic boot options
## e.g. alternative=true
##      alternative=false
# alternative=true

## should update-grub lock alternative automagic boot options
## e.g. lockalternative=true
##      lockalternative=false
# lockalternative=false

## additional options to use with the default boot option, but not with the
## alternatives
## e.g. defoptions=vga=791 resume=/dev/hda5
# defoptions=quiet splash

## should update-grub lock old automagic boot options
## e.g. lockold=false
##      lockold=true
# lockold=false

## Xen hypervisor options to use with the default Xen boot option
# xenhopt=

## Xen Linux kernel options to use with the default Xen boot option
# xenkopt=console=tty0

## altoption boot targets option
## multiple altoptions lines are allowed
## e.g. altoptions=(extra menu suffix) extra boot options
##      altoptions=(recovery) single
# altoptions=(recovery mode) single

## controls how many kernels should be put into the menu.lst
## only counts the first occurence of a kernel, not the
## alternative kernel options
## e.g. howmany=all
##      howmany=7
# howmany=all

## should update-grub create memtest86 boot option
## e.g. memtest86=true
##      memtest86=false
# memtest86=true

## should update-grub adjust the value of the default booted system
## can be true or false
# updatedefaultentry=false

## should update-grub add savedefault to the default options
## can be true or false
# savedefault=false

Is there something blatantly obvious that I'm missing?

Please help

Kind regards

billymayday · 12-11-2008, 05:17 PM

Error 15 is file not found. From the grub menu (ie break the boot process), what does

find vmlinuz-2.6.24-17-generic

or find /boot

show?

Edit - perhaps the UUID got stuffed. Try and entry like

kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.24-17-generic root=/dev/sdc6 ro quiet splash

Jayla · 12-11-2008, 05:41 PM

Hi Billy,

I've tried those two commands, via "sudo grub" whilst booted into a live CD and get the following

Code:

grub> find /boot
find /boot

Error 15: File not found
grub> find vmlinuz-2.6.24-17-generic
find vmlinuz-2.6.24-17-generic

Error 15: File not found
grub>

Also, referring to your last statement,

I could replace the UUID with /dev/sdc6, but I don't think that'll solve anything, since I can't access the GRUB menu to start with, I just don't get the option to select what OS I want it just gives me the error 15 straight out

Thanks

yancek · 12-11-2008, 06:24 PM

vmlinuz files are usually in the boot directory but sometimes in root so the grub find would be: grub> find /boot/vmlinuz, or find /vmlinuz. This should show (hd2,5) also.

Don't use Ubuntu but it is my understanding that the groot entry is used for kernel updates?? http://users.bigpond.net.au/hermanzone/p15.htm#groot

Your grub find commands show (hd2,5) so why not put that in the entries for Ubuntu root? Your current Ubuntu entries are (hd0,6) and your windows is xp (hd0,0) and vista (hd0,1) and your only windows partitions are on sdc or (hd2)? If the groot is used for more than updates, you should not need these root entries in each title, right?

This is the only thing I can see.

CJS · 12-11-2008, 08:16 PM

Are you getting the Grub error 15 before seeing a Grub menu? If so, it's because you currently have Grub installed to the MBR of sda, and Grub is pointing to (hd2) for its boot files; on start up, (hd2) is simply the 3rd drive in the BIOS boot order, not necessarily sdc. The easiest way to fix your problem I think is if you install Grub to the MBR of your sdc drive, and then change your BIOS to boot the sdc drive:

Code:

sudo grub
grub> root (hd2,5)
grub> setup (hd2)
grub> quit

Then your entries in your menu.lst should be correct in that they use (hd0), which is the first boot drive, so that will be sdc if you change your BIOS to boot sdc first. How about giving that a shot and let me know how it goes.

Jayla · 12-12-2008, 03:11 AM

Thanks for the help guys, I'm not at home now but will try this evening and post my results so this could help others in the future.

Still amazed by XP disk defrag...it was only sposed to fix C:\ drive and not touch anything else....