help with recovering bootloader...

m_a_b · 12-27-2005, 08:30 PM

I need to recover my Grub bootloader after having to reinstall Windows XP. So far, I did the following:

Booted with Mandriva 2006 Live Cd
su
mkdir /mnt/hda3
mount /dev/hda3 /mnt/hda3
chroot /mnt/hda3
sudo /sbin/grub-install /dev/hda (this didn't work because the "grub-install" file was not found. So, I did a file search and foud it at /usr/sbin, so go to the next line)
sudo /usr/sbin/grub-install /dev/hda

After the last command, I got the following error:

/dev/ide/host0/bus0/target0/lun0/part3: Not found or not a "something" device (I can't remember what "something" was)

So, I am a

at this and don't know why it didn't work. Any suggestions?

By the way, I am using Mandrake 10.0 on hda3, a linux swap on hda7, and winxp on hda1.

TruongAn · 12-27-2005, 09:32 PM

try it that way:
run grub.
After you get a grub console type these command:

Code:

root (hd0,2)
setup hd0

m_a_b · 12-27-2005, 09:37 PM

can you tell me how to run grub? All the other stuff I did I researched and just inserted my own hda numbers

TruongAn · 12-27-2005, 09:49 PM

Type grub.
Just like you run grub-install

m_a_b · 12-27-2005, 09:58 PM

Thanks, TruongAn. It looks like it recovered it, but I haven't tested Linux. By the way, the last command should have been "setup (hd0)".

So, for those of you that are needing to restore your GRUB bootloader, here is what I did:

Code:

Booted with Mandriva 2006 Live Cd
Looked in the config panel to get the mount point of my linux distro, and opened the console for the following commands:
su
mkdir /mnt/hda3
mount /dev/hda3 /mnt/hda3
chroot /mnt/hda3
grub
root (hd0,2)
setup (hd0)

m_a_b · 12-27-2005, 10:19 PM

well, it looks like I might have spoken too soon. I tried booting into linux and it gave me the following error:

resuming from /dev/hda6
resuming from device hda6
kernel panic: Resuming Machine: Unable to find suspended-data signature (a bunch of symbols) - misspelled?

One thing that I am a little worried about is that from Windows I used Partition Magic to make another partition. Is it possible that messed it up? If so, how to I fix it? I don't think I even have a hda6 anymore.

TruongAn · 12-27-2005, 10:27 PM

You can boot into linux means grub problem was fixed.
The kernel panic is another problem
Would you mind show us your partition table.
Post the output of command fdisk -l here please

m_a_b · 12-27-2005, 10:41 PM

Code:

Disk /dev/hda: 60.0 GB, 60011642880 bytes
240 heads, 63 sectors/track, 7752 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 15120 * 512 = 7741440 bytes

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/hda1   *           1        3379    25545208+   7  HPFS/NTFS
/dev/hda2            3380        5986    19708920    f  W95 Ext'd (LBA)
/dev/hda3            5987        7348    10296720   83  Linux
/dev/hda5            3380        3386       52888+   b  W95 FAT32
/dev/hda6            3387        5850    18627808+   7  HPFS/NTFS
/dev/hda7            5851        5986     1028128+  82  Linux swap / Solaris

m_a_b · 12-27-2005, 10:43 PM

by the way, hda6 is my windows storage partition. Not sure why the linux loader would even be looking there

m_a_b · 12-27-2005, 10:52 PM

also, looking in my "menu.lst" file, it calls hd6 for resume:

Code:

timeout 10
color black/cyan yellow/cyan
default 4

title linux
kernel (hd0,2)/boot/vmlinuz root=/dev/hda3 devfs=mount resume=/dev/hda6 splash=silent vga=788
initrd (hd0,2)/boot/initrd.img

title linux-nonfb
kernel (hd0,2)/boot/vmlinuz root=/dev/hda3 devfs=mount resume=/dev/hda6
initrd (hd0,2)/boot/initrd.img

title 263-7
kernel (hd0,2)/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.3-7mdk root=/dev/hda3 devfs=mount resume=/dev/hda6 splash=silent
initrd (hd0,2)/boot/initrd-2.6.3-7mdk.img

title failsafe
kernel (hd0,2)/boot/vmlinuz root=/dev/hda3 failsafe resume=/dev/hda6 devfs=nomount
initrd (hd0,2)/boot/initrd.img

title WindowsXP
root (hd0,0)
chainloader +1

m_a_b · 12-27-2005, 11:43 PM

well, I decided to edit the menu.lst file to remove the "resume" parameter. This worked and I was able to boot into linux. However, I am not sure if I need that parameter and just need to fix the broken link or even where it came from. I don't remember putting it in there and can't figure out why it would be looking at a NTFS drive. Any thoughts?

TruongAn · 12-28-2005, 12:04 AM

The role of the parameter is depend on your distro.
I have no though.

On my FC box, the parameter is :
rhgb ro root=LABEL=/ quiet

I don't know what rhgb is.
At first it work fine.
But then I have to reinstall grub (just like your case), and I got a kernel panic: cannot mout root fs.
I try to edit the parameter and it worked after I remove the rhgb.

You and I have experienced the same problem.
I just know how to fix it, I don't know why I got it.

bruse · 01-17-2006, 06:16 AM

rhgb stands for "red hat graphical bootup" i think so.