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mhg 11-09-2008 10:12 AM

problem installing Debian on a different hard drive
 
Hi All,

I have installed Linux dual booting with XP several times with no problems, always creating Linux partitions on the same hard drive as the XP installation. This time I tried to install Debian on a different hard drive. I created the Linux partitions manually, with a swap, root, and home partition all on the second hard drive. I have always chose the option to install grub in the MBR. This time, I do not get the grub menu during boot, it boots directly to XP.

Should I have created the partitions differently since I was using a separate hard drive?

This is the first time I have had any issues setting up a dual boot system.

Thank You.

amani 11-09-2008 10:14 AM

MBR of which hard disk?

See if it is on the other, by adjusting the boot order in bios

mhg 11-09-2008 11:53 AM

Sorry, I am in a bit over my head when discussing MBR. I have always accepted the default option when installing Debian, which is to install to the MBR. If I was given a choice of which MBR, I missed it.

Looking at BIOS settings, it shows all three hard drives in order. I did not attempt to change the order that it boots in. Is that what you are suggesting? I should set the boot order to list the hard drive that I installed Debian on first on the list?

Thanks

mhg 11-09-2008 12:03 PM

I answered my own question about changing the boot order. That did nothing but stop it from booting at all. So changed the boot order back to what it was, and can boot to XP.

Still don't know what to do to get to the grub menu.

Thanks for the help.

mhg 11-09-2008 05:19 PM

Anyone have any ideas? I can boot from a live CD and find the grub menu. It looks fine, but the system still boots to Xp without bringing up the grub window.

Thanks

Quakeboy02 11-09-2008 05:23 PM

Your problem probably lies here. If you want to see grub, then it has to be on the drive that the BIOS boots.

Quote:

This time I tried to install Debian on a different hard drive.

mhg 11-09-2008 07:49 PM

I changed the BIOS to boot from the same hard drive as the Debian installation, and it would not boot at all. Right now the BIOS is set to boot from the hard drive with XP, and it will boot, but I get no grub menu to select Debian from.

Any ideas how to fix this?

During the install, the installer gives me message that it has detected another O/S, Windows XP, and do I want to install the boot loader to the MBR. I choose "yes", which I have always done in the past. I have no idea what options I might get it was was to choose "no".

So is the installer installing the boot loader incorrectly? I don't mind re-installing Debian, but I obviously need to do something differently.

BTW, I have considered installing Debian to the same drive as XP, but partition editor will not allow me to re-size the extended partition I have there.

Thanks for any help.

Quakeboy02 11-09-2008 08:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mhg (Post 3336594)
I changed the BIOS to boot from the same hard drive as the Debian installation, and it would not boot at all. Right now the BIOS is set to boot from the hard drive with XP, and it will boot, but I get no grub menu to select Debian from.

Any ideas how to fix this?

I almost always have ideas; whether they will fix this is a different issue. ;)

OK, so next, did you install debian with the Debian hard drive NOT set as the boot drive to the BIOS? If so, then you can either use a liveCD to boot and manually figure out how to fix grub, or you can do what I always do and boot Super Grub Disk, which can be downloaded at http://www.supergrubdisk.org/index.php?pid=5 Be sure and set your Debian drive to the boot drive in BIOS before you run SGD. Then select automatic and it should fix it for you.

mhg 11-09-2008 08:49 PM

Well I [I]might[I] be getting closer.

I set the BIOS to boot to the drive with Debian. Booted to SuperGrub, did the automatic thing, got message "successful". Changed BIOS to back to normal (boot to 1st hard drive), rebooted to be greeted by "grub error 22". Booted to my XP disc, did the fixmbr thing, and I have XP back.

Funny thing was, somewhere in this mess of rebooting, I did get the grub menu, but every selection gave me the same message about not being able to find the partition.

Does the "fixmbr" wipe out the grub boot loader? Will I need to install grub?
I found this link

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Re...tallingWindows

But on this box I really don't want to lose my XP install, and don't know how much risk I might be taking with the above procedure.

Thanks!

Quakeboy02 11-09-2008 09:00 PM

Can you tell me why you thought you would be able to change the boot drive after fixing grub? This is one of those hold gun to head and pull trigger things, I think. It sounds like all you managed to do was corrupt the MBR on the Windows drive with the grub MBR.

In order to use grub, the grub MBR MUST be on the boot drive. That is not an option, it's a must. Normally in a situation like this, we put the Debian disk in drive one and the Windows disk in drive two. This allows us to put grub in control, otherwise the Windows boot loader is in control; again, not an option. Doing it this way gives us the ability to use grub to boot Debian and optionally to pass off the boot to Windows on the second drive, by telling Windows that it's actually on the first drive.

Before you get this thing so buggered up that nothing is left, I'd suggest that you physically move the Debian disk to whatever position the BIOS prefers as the boot drive and disconnect the Windows drive. Run SGD and get the grub working so that it boots Debian. Finally, hook the Windows disk back up- DO NOT swap the boot disk in BIOS - and configure grub in Debian to pass off to Windows when you want to dual boot.

Sorry if this post is a bit gruff. :(

mhg 11-09-2008 09:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Quakeboy02 (Post 3336634)
Sorry if this post is a bit gruff. :(

No worries. I will try again tomorrow evening.

Every time I set the BIOS to boot from the drive with Debian, it would hang up and not complete booting.

Just to make sure I understand: I should set my BIOS to boot from the drive with Debian - boot to SuperGrub CD - fix with automatic option - leave BIOS alone (set to boot to Debian drive) - reboot. I should see the grub menu then?

Thanks for the time.

Quakeboy02 11-09-2008 09:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mhg (Post 3336651)
Just to make sure I understand: I should set my BIOS to boot from the drive with Debian - boot to SuperGrub CD - fix with automatic option - leave BIOS alone (set to boot to Debian drive) - reboot. I should see the grub menu then?

Yup, you should see the grub menu then, and be able to boot Debian. After you get Debian working, then hook the Windows drive back up, make sure you can still boot to Debian, and then fix the menu.lst to get you to Windows for dual booting.

Quote:

Thanks for the time.
I'm disabled and on pain meds; about all I have to give these days is time. :)

mhg 11-10-2008 06:56 PM

Fixed!

I am dual-booting.

Stupid thing is I can not log in to Debian. This happened once before to me on a Debian install. Seems impossible to type the incorrect password twice.

Oh well, another project.

Thanks again for your time, much appreciated.

Quakeboy02 11-10-2008 07:02 PM

Well, glad to see that something is working. You are aware that passwords are case-sensitive, right? Perhaps you had the capslock key pressed originally? You might check this thread for your password problem.

http://www.debianadmin.com/forgot-ro...in-debian.html

mhg 11-13-2008 11:49 AM

Could not get the password thing fixed (2nd time this has happened to me on a Debian install), so wiped the Linux partitions, did the fixmbr, and installed Debian again. This time I changed the BIOS settings to boot from the drive I was installing Debian on, but only during the installation. After the installation, I have to change the BIOS boot order to point first to the one IDE drive I have in the box. The other two drives are SATA.

Funny thing is, the IDE drive does not have any O/S installed on it. I don't know enough about hardware, but I suppose it has something to do with the IDE and which drive is set to master??

At any rate, I am dual booting, and all seems fine.

Thanks for your help sorting me out.


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