Fouled Linux Install, Won't boot into windows!

sxa · 12-07-2003, 03:19 PM

This damn GRUB, excuse my language, but it has messed things up before. This time it was on an install of Fedora, the install crashed due to the install CD lacking a package. I tried booting back into windows, but GRUB comes up and it just sits there and does nothing. Can anybody help me?

randomblast · 12-07-2003, 03:28 PM

yes, you are only loading the GRUB stage1, which is the first 512 bytes of GRUB that goes in the MBR, you need to get a working linux install with the rest of GRUB installed to /boot/grub.
this has happened because the fedora install wiped your existing linux install before installing itself, it then installed half a system but didn't install the bootloader beccause it does that at the end of the install.

sxa · 12-07-2003, 03:45 PM

Then I shall put Red Hat 9 back on there.. and go from there..

fancypiper · 12-07-2003, 04:06 PM

You can remove grub or lilo from the mbr by booting with a Windows 98 boot floppy (at the prompt, type fdisk /mbr), or by using the Windows XP Recovery Console or the Windows 2000 Recovery Console

sxa · 12-07-2003, 07:51 PM

What I did was put Red Hat 9 back on, then I was able to boot into windows, I re-burnt those ISOs on CD and am now reinstalling Fedora, its on its second CD says it has 10minutes left and it is working great..

ac1980 · 12-08-2003, 05:58 AM

tip: copy /boot/grub dir including all stages 1.5-2 on a floppy and install grub onto it witt
root(fd0)
setup(fd0)

You'll have a self-contained universal boot system on a floppy, capable of booting almost everything on any x86 machine, just needs the right commands.
Ok, it's not user-friendly, but i say you won't miss it until you need it!

sxa · 12-29-2003, 05:55 PM

Everything is fixed now.. and I won't have to worry about that problem intill I make my next upgrade in linux.. and I figure that will be a long ways away..