GRUB Boot Problem: Doesn't Boot Anything

Fafnr · 10-29-2004, 09:54 AM

Hey all!

I triede searching the forum for this, but it seems there is some problem, because nothing ever happened?

Anyway, her is my problem: GRUB won't start.
I just installed SUSE on my system - with the GRUB loader that comes with it - and installation worked just fine... However, booting my system just prints GRUB to the screen and stops...
Nothing happens, not even when I press all F1 through 12...

I can edit the GRUB config file during install, but I honestly have no idea what to do, if that could solve the problem.

Windows XP Pro and the Linux install is on different harddrives...

Any idea what's causing it, and how to fix it?

My system setup is this:
Primary HD: Maxtor Diamond Max 9+ 80 gb. 12 gb for windows, 66 for stuff...
Secondary : Maxtor Diamond Max 9+ 120 gb. 7 gb for Linux, rest for backup, games and stuff...

I have a AMD64 3200+ Processor, on a Asus K8V Deluxe MB, with the newest BIOS... (About 2-3 weeks since I updated it anyway...)

One funny thing, though: Partition Magic reports my entire second harddrive (the 120 gb one...) as "Bad", Unformatted, and so on...
It works just fine in windows, though...!

I hope you can help!!

Regards,

Søren

blish_blash · 10-29-2004, 10:41 AM

I assume the following:
Grub MBR is loaded, but does not find the partition where it is installed.

suse has its first cd as a kind of rescue.
Boot from this cd (choose rescue system).

enter grub shell (by typing "grub") and do the following:

Code:

find /boot/grub/stage1

this will search where is grub installed. you will get something like (hdX,Y)

then type

Code:

root (hdX,Y)

(...ofcouse, use the same X & Y as grub found...)

Now you have to oberwrite your MBR using:

Code:

setup (hd1)

(...assuming you boot from hd0...)

The grub Manual is here

Point your BIOS to boot from second drive...

Hope that helps...

Cheers,
Ron

Fafnr · 10-29-2004, 12:41 PM

Hey...!

I tried your suggestion, and got a little bit further...!
When I did what you asked, (ran the setup thing, and switched to boot from other HD in BIOS...) GRUB loads a little bit more!

Now, it prints:
"GRUB [somthing I can't remember] 1.5
GRUB is loading, please wait..."

From which it never moves on...

I let it be for 5-10 minutes, just to see, and it didn't help...

Sooo... Thanks, good suggestion!
Got any more?

I saw in the SUSE manager thingie that it had, like, 4 options to boot from... 1 linux, 1 windows, 2 I don't know what are...
Should I perhaps remove these, and can I do so in the rescue console?

Please, don't hesitate to ask me if you need any hardware info!

And, thank you very much for taking the time to help me!!!!!
It really helps convert us windows-users.

Regards,

Søren

blish_blash · 10-29-2004, 01:05 PM

please post the result of:

fdisk -l

content of /boot/grub

Fafnr · 10-29-2004, 01:48 PM

Hey...!

Heres the results of my inquiry:

there is no folders in the /boot/ directory... Not a single one. Could this have something to do with that I am running a rescue system at the time?
I also did a "fixmbr" via the recovery-console, otherwise I couldn't write this message...

Here is the results of fdisk -l:

Disk /dev/hde : 84.9 GB
255 Heads 63 Sectors/track 9964 Cylinders
Device Boot Start End Blocks ID System
/dev/hde1 * 1 1530 12289693+ 7 NTFS
/dev/hde2 1531 9963 67738072+ f W95 Extd LBA
/dev/hde5 1531 9963 67738041 7 NTFS

Disk: /dev/hdf : 122.9 GB
16 Heads 63 Sectors / track 238216 Cylinders
/dev/hdf1 1 16 8001 11 Hidden FAT12
Partition 1 does not end on cylinder boundary
/dev/hdf2 * W95 Extd LBA
/dev/hdf5 FAT32
/dev/hdf6 LINUX
/dev/hdf7 Hidden FAT12

And thats it... (I omitted the STart - end info on the last few, cuz I didn't think it was necessary...)

Regarding that " Partition 1..."-bit: Partition magic says somthing about an error on sector 16128 on disk2...
Says the length of partition table is wrong... I dunno if I should allow it to fix it - I mean, in case I lose my data?

Thanks for helping me!

Regards,

Søren

EDIT:
Well, that info looked a LOT better when I wrote it...
I hope you can read it anyway?

blish_blash · 10-29-2004, 02:09 PM

I will get back to you tommorow
- any way - I heard something about partition magic only compatible with M$ partitions - its better I think to let it alone and do things from linux...

do you use some kind of IDE-Raid card on your system?
Did you change its configuration after linux installation?

Try to boot your system from the cd:

Boot the cd, on the grub menu press ESCAPE, manage your way to the grub shell and type:

Code:

kernel (hd1,5)/boot/vmlinuz root=/dev/hdf6 vga=0x31a splash=silent desktop resume=/dev/hdf6 showopts
initrd (hd1,5)/boot/initrd
boot

Fafnr · 10-29-2004, 02:52 PM

Hey...!

I did as you said...!
(Although, I DID write it all in one line...
Not all the stuff <execute> then boot <execute>... I hope that was right?

It printed some debug info to the screen in breckets, so I figured it was all right?

Anyway, I removed the CD, set it to boot on the other drive, but the same thing happens.

Still:
"GRUB Loading Stage 1.5 [or somthing like that

GRUB Loading, please wait..."

Still, nothing happened... Only waited maybe 3 minutes this time, though...

Anyway - enjoy your sleep, and thx for the help...!

Regards,

Søren

blish_blash · 10-29-2004, 03:03 PM

try again, and keep the lines as they are and type everything as it is...

Fafnr · 10-29-2004, 03:16 PM

Hey...!

Just did...
Exactly like printed, no changes... I had to allow for linewrap on this page, of course...

Anyway, just tried... Also tried it after reversing boot order of the harddrives...
No change at all - I stille can't boot into GRUB whatever I do.

Anyway, thx for the suggestion!

Regards,

Søren

EDIT:
Cleared up some language in this post...