grub stage 1.5 error
 

ok i am running ubuntu gusty 7.10, and i want to get rid of the linux program because it does not work anymore, i need to find a way to get rid of the grub error but i still want to be able to run windows, i am also running 2 hdds, please help! the error after grub stage 1.5 is 21

IF i get a new hard drive and reinstall windows would the error be gone?

Grub error 21:Selected disk does not exist. This error is returned if the device part of a device- or full file name refers to a disk or BIOS device that is not present or not recognized by the BIOS in the system.

http://www.gnu.org/software/grub/manual/grub.html

Grub numbers hard drives by relative number. Have you recently removed a hard drive or rearranged your hard drives? Whatever happened, you need to go into Ubuntu's file called /boot/grub/menu.lst and fix the hard drive addresses in Grub.

If you reinstall Windows then Windows will install its own bootloader instead of Grub and the problem will be fixed in the sense that you will then be able to boot into Windows but you won't be able to boot into Ubuntu.

--------------------
Steve Stites

thanks i did remove a hdd, and the error was 17 i think but i will try that, o wait but my ubuntu does not work any more so should i reinstall it

You don't have to reinstall Ubuntu. You can use the installation CD in rescue mode or use a Live CD. Chroot to your Ubuntu installation and from there you can repair your grub configuration.

Reinstalling Ubuntu would fix the problem but there are simpler ways to solve the problem. You can fix the problem by making changes in the file /boot/grub/menu.lst. The first thing to do is to find out what your hard drive addresses are.

Boot the Ubuntu install CD and go into recovery mode or rescue mode. Then issue the command:

fdisk -l

That will list all of your hard drives and their partitions. Please post that list here.

---------------------
Steve Stites

ok well i will do that later

how do you get rid of linux without getting the grub error?

All you need to do is re-install the M$oft boot-loader to the MBR; boot the Windoze install CD/DVD
- if XP (or Win2K), get into recovery console and run fixmbr
- if Vista, use bootrec.exe from "repair your computer". See the M$oft support site for an article on this.

we do not know your setup.

You mention you have 2 drives and you wanted to get rid of a linux program....you mention you removed a drive.

I am guessing drive 0 had windows on it and second had linux?

But both drives have their own mbr...and it is bios boot order searching for a bootable partition that determines what happens next.

so put all drives back in before you follow syg00 advice please...and with no change to bios boot order.....to ensure what was previously the troublesome mbr bootloader thingee..is the one overwritten.

if you leave one drive out....you may find it already has the ntldr bootloader but you have not told us what was what.

so if you are still having troubles please advise what is on each drive and what is the bios boot order.

2) linux live cds are very good at checking your partitions and whether or not a partition has a bootable flag on it.

if you like to play with linux...I suggest you play with a live cd first pls

my hdd 0 is xp and hdd 1 is ubuntu, and my boot order is cd drive, hdd 0, hdd 1, dvd drive if that helps any

good thanks for that.

now do you want to dual boot, or get rid of linux?

dual boot....read my signature....its best to use a live cd to edit the hd1 drives /boot/grub/menu.lst because I have little faith in automatic tools designed by humans.

to get rid of linux you just re-install your xp bootloader links as per syg00 post

ok thanks i fixed grub and i am dual booting now, and i am happy with it.
but can i remove the extra boot files, like on the boot list like liunx, linux recovery,linux memory test, windows xp, windows xp recovery

It's just a text file - easy to edit. Then you can delete the associated files.
A word of caution however - I find it always pays to have two kernels; the immediate previous one (hopefully known to work), and the latest update. That recovery entry is the only way to see the messages if you get an error that stops boot - don't remove it.