Trying to dual-boot XP and RH9 with GRUB...GRUB stops right after BIOS
 

So yeah, I finally decided to play around with linux, so I installed it on the old family computer...it has two 4 gig HDs. hda has XP on it and hdd is all partitioned for RH. I didn't have much experience with a boot loader, so I just assumed that what the RH install told me was good...but when I restarted the computer after my first run of RH, it just sat that after the BIOS with the letters "GRUB" sitting there, taunting me. I tried giving it some time, but still nothing.

Here's what my grub.conf file says

# root (hd1,0)
# kernel /vmlinuz-version ro root=/dev/hdd2
# initrd /initrd-version.img
#boot=/dev/hda
default=1
timeout=10
splashimage=(hd1,0)/grub/splash.xpm.gz
title Red Hat Linux (2.4.20-8)
root (hd1,0)
kernel /vmlinuz-2.4.20-8 ro root=LABEL=/
initrd /initrd-2.4.20-8.img
title DOS
rootnoverify (hd0,0)
chainloader +1

If someone could please help me, it'd be much appreciated. Chances are that my mom needs to use XP (certain settings/programs on here that I didn't want to bother reinstalling, lol) soon, so I want to have the problem fixed.

P.S. I did at least make a RH boot disk, hence I'm posting from RH on the computer currently.

TIA!

How come nobody responds to my thread...:( ;)

I understand that others have similar problems, and from what I've read, I will hopefully have luck using the XP recovery console, fdisk /mbr and then try to install GRUB or LILO again? How do I do the latter part?

Hi,
If you have XP (w2k, NT) installed... don't install Grub to MBR
If you do, it messes up your system.

First off, when it gets to GRUB, is it a prompt? Try typing DOS when you get there and see what it does.

Second, am I understanding correctly that you have windows on one hard drive and Linux on the other? During the install, where did you select to have GRUB put? I have always had a dual boot system, and have always put it on the MBR without any problems at all. I compared my grub.conf file with the one you posted and don't see anything really out of the ordinary.

Third: what about your BIOS settings, where is it set to boot from?

Fourth: For a quick fix, so your mom could get back into windows, you could try the old fdisk /mbr trick explained here.

Although, with that option, you'll have to boot into Linux with your boot disk and reinstall GRUB onto the MBR later and mess with it until you can get it to work.

Anyway, there are some suggestions... :D

im dualbooted into xp pro and redhat 9 with no problems. though im new, i have had this problem. im not sure exactly what has happened, but i think a reinstall of redhat may be in order. have xp on first, and chose to check your medias. i cant tell you how many linux distros didnt install correctly because the person downloading didnt check them. if all the media is good, then reinstall and try lilo. though i had problems with it on my last install. if it doesnt, then go to grub...

Thanks guys...and yeah, it's XP on hard drive 'a' and then RH on HD 'd' (so in GRUB, 0 and 3)...it's on the MBR, and I believe the boot sequence is CD, A, C. I'll probably just fdisk /MBR for now and then boot from disk until I can find a boot loader that works.

Anybody with suggestions are still welcome. :)