Not able to boot distro in 2nd HDD

kaseleh · 04-09-2011, 08:38 AM

Hello,

I am not able to boot distros installed in my /dev/sda HDD.
I was using the linux distros in sda for a long time now. But, suddenly it has stopped booting. So, temporarily i have install a new one on sdb so that the problem can be fixed.

That HDD is also not showing up in my BIOS boot priority list.

Please help.

Code:

 fdisk -l

Disk /dev/sda: 40.0 GB, 40020664320 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 4865 cylinders, total 78165360 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x5454455

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sda1              63    31888079    15944008+   7  HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda2        61433854    78043135     8304641    5  Extended
/dev/sda3   *    42456960    61432559     9487800   83  Linux
/dev/sda4        31889408    42436607     5273600    6  FAT16
/dev/sda5        77723648    78043135      159744   82  Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sda6        61433856    77721599     8143872   83  Linux

Partition table entries are not in disk order

Disk /dev/sdb: 80.0 GB, 80026361856 bytes
240 heads, 63 sectors/track, 10337 cylinders, total 156301488 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x454545545

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sdb1           15181    50682239    25333529+   f  W95 Ext'd (LBA)
/dev/sdb2   *    50682240   156295439    52806600    7  HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sdb5           15183    14348879     7166848+   7  HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sdb6        14348943    25613279     5632168+  83  Linux
/dev/sdb7        25613343    50682239    12534448+   7  HPFS/NTFS

business_kid · 04-09-2011, 09:21 AM

Quote:

That HDD is also not showing up in my BIOS boot priority list.

Please Elaborate. Does it show as detected? Is it in the boot order? What are you using to boot - grub or lilo? What is your boot command? What goes wrong?

ronlau9 · 04-09-2011, 09:33 AM

It is not showing up in the boot priority list according to you
Try to reload the standard settings and look if it come back .
If it does come back , check you're CMOS battery

kaseleh · 04-09-2011, 09:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by business_kid

Please Elaborate. Does it show as detected? Is it in the boot order? What are you using to boot - grub or lilo? What is your boot command? What goes wrong?

Yes, it is detected. I can see it listed at Primary Master in BIOS setup.
However, in the boot priority list, it is absent.

I am using GNU GRUB 0.97.

Code:

title Linux
	root		(hd1,6)
	kernel		/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.24-28-generic root=UUID=87678768534-2345-8756-3465-4565465677788 ro quiet splash
	initrd		/boot/initrd.img-2.6.24-28-generic
	quiet

title	Linux
	root		(hd1,2)
	kernel		/vmlinuz root=/dev/sda3 ro
	initrd		/boot/initrd.img-2.6.32-5-686
	quiet

Both of above give:

Code:

Error 21: Disk does not exists

yancek · 04-09-2011, 11:27 AM

Boot Linux, open a terminal and as root type: grub You should get the grub prompt (grub>) where you type: geometry (hd0) hit the enter key to get output and repeat with: geometry (hd1) to get output. You can then compare these to your fdisk output so you can tell if Grub sees sda as (hd0) or (hd1).

Your menu.lst output shows an entry for a Linux system on (hd1,6) which should be sdb7 and your fdisk output shows that as an ntfs partition.
Your second entry shows a Linux entry for (hd1,2) which should be sdb3 and you do not have an sdb3 partition.

When you installed your second drive, what did you put on it and how did you do it?

kaseleh · 04-09-2011, 11:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ronlau9

It is not showing up in the boot priority list according to you
Try to reload the standard settings and look if it come back .
If it does come back , check you're CMOS battery

Thanks. After Reloading the standard settings, i can see both PM & PS in the boot priority list and can boot linux on both HDD.

However, my WinXP doesnt boot, says HAL.dll is corrupted.

Also, i have changed my CMOS battery less than a month ago.
Can there be any other reason for this issue?

business_kid · 04-09-2011, 11:35 AM

http://wiki.linuxquestions.org/wiki/GRUB
Look for error 21

I would also worry about the partition table on sda. I got errors from one m/b with 2 disks attached to the same ide cable, but it ran on one.

Getting into grub and typing

Code:

root (hd0,3)

might also help to narrow it down.

kaseleh · 04-10-2011, 10:31 AM

the menu.lst is corrected.
The not able to boot from sda situation still arises up from time to time. After 'reloading standard settings' things start working.
My CMOS battery is just one month old. What might be the issue?

Also, the 'Hal.dll is corrupt' error is not letting me boot my winXP.

mryuck · 04-10-2011, 11:21 AM

hal.dll will need to be restored using the recovery console.
You should have no trouble finding step by step instructions.

ronlau9 · 04-10-2011, 01:57 PM

[QUOTE=kaseleh;4320032]
My CMOS battery is just one month old. What might be the issue?
/QUOTE]

It is possible that you buy a new battery that is not of a good quality .
It happens to me once .
Also check the cable that connects you're drive with you're MOBO

business_kid · 04-11-2011, 02:53 AM

OT: on the hal.dll error: Check for a windoze xp rescue disk. These use the files on your drive to boot a basic windoze system to recover what you have.