Hello all,

I have recently installed FC3 on a 40G Drive on the primary IDE channel. On a separate Sata 74G i have XP. Upon installation of FC3 i accepted the GRUB default config. When i try to boot the XP partition it just spits out what is in the config file, like so:

rootnoverify (hd0,4)
chainloader +1

I was just messing with GRUB so the config file is now messed up but none of the options i've tried have worked, i followed the GRUB guide written here on the forums and tried some different configs with no luck.

I did the "cat (hd4,0)/[tab][tab]" and it read:
Error 17, Cannot mount selected partition
Further reading and i found this means the partition exists but the filesystem cannot be recognized by GRUB.

Is there a command i can type in the console to show my HDD setup so i can copy paste it here?

Thanks.

Current GRUB Config.

# grub.conf generated by anaconda
#
# Note that you do not have to rerun grub after making changes to this file
# NOTICE: You do not have a /boot partition. This means that
# all kernel and initrd paths are relative to /, eg.
# root (hd0,4)
# kernel /boot/vmlinuz-version ro root=/dev/hda5
# initrd /boot/initrd-version.img
#boot=/dev/hda
default=1
timeout=5
splashimage=(hd0,4)/boot/grub/splash.xpm.gz
hiddenmenu
title Fedora Core (2.6.9-1.667)
root (hd0,4)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.9-1.667 ro root=LABEL=/ rhgb quiet
initrd /boot/initrd-2.6.9-1.667.img
title Windows XP Home
rootnoverify (hd0,4)
chainloader +1

That won't work as you have it configured as Fedora and Windows both pointing to (hd0,4)

First off, I would comment out the hiddemenu part so you can see the boot menu like this....
#hiddenmenu

Now, as root user run the command: fdisk -l and post the results back here please.

Disk /dev/hda: 40.0 GB, 40020664320 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 4865 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/hda1 2 4865 39070080 f W95 Ext'd (LBA)
/dev/hda5 * 2 4865 39070048+ 83 Linux

Disk /dev/hdb: 120.0 GB, 120060444672 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 14596 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/hdb1 * 2 14596 117234337+ f W95 Ext'd (LBA)
/dev/hdb5 2 14596 117234306 7 HPFS/NTFS

Disk /dev/hdc: 80.0 GB, 80060424192 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 9733 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/hdc1 * 2 9733 78172290 f W95 Ext'd (LBA)
/dev/hdc5 2 9733 78172258+ 7 HPFS/NTFS

Disk /dev/hdf: 120.0 GB, 120060444672 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 14596 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/hdf1 * 1 14596 117242338+ 7 HPFS/NTFS

Disk /dev/hdh: 120.0 GB, 120060444672 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 14596 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/hdh1 * 1 14595 117234306 7 HPFS/NTFS

Disk /dev/sda: 74.3 GB, 74355769344 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 9039 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 1 9038 72597703+ 7 HPFS/NTFS

sda1 is the HDD with XP on it. Thanks.

Try this for the grub.conf

I tried to boot XP from the install Disc but it couldn't recognize any boot instructions. I went into the repair console of the XP install and no boot partition was found.

Somehow GRUB has messed it all up. I have uninstalled FC3 and will re-install it later when i've done some more research.

Make your next reasearch better than the previous.
Grub is *VERY* unlikely to be the cause of your problems.

Mickey mouse GUI installers demanded by users who want their distros to look like Windoze are a MUCH more likely candidate.

I don't care how it looks i need it for Uni. I didnt expect accepting GRUB defaults would not let me boot back into XP.

Neither would I.
The fault is not you - nor grub.
Blame Fedora.

My previous comment was directed at your blaming of grub, not your being the victim of Fedora.
Grub is very robust - the Fedora installer seems significantly less so.