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Old 08-16-2008, 11:51 AM   #1
mechmind
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GRUB install


Hello,

I installed the lastest ubuntu distro and for some reason it messed up my grub installation that I had previously had installed with fedora 8, therefore, I was not able to boot into my fedora 8 and windows paritions any longer at the point I dcided to install fedora 9, since I wanted to upgrade and figured that the install would remedy the problem with grub provided I made sure to install the distro in the right place? and I didsince my windows partition is still there and I'm able to acces all the data on that drive via the mounted windows drive in fedora 9, however, when grub boots and I select the windows parition from the menu it just sits there and doesn't boot into windows.

Here is the output:

Windows
rootnoverify (hd1,4)
chainloader +1


and here is what's in my grub.conf file:


# NOTICE: You have a /boot partition. This means that
# all kernel and initrd paths are relative to /boot/, eg.
# root (hd0,0)
# kernel /vmlinuz-version ro root=/dev/VolGroup00/LogVol00
# initrd /initrd-version.img
#boot=/dev/sda
default=0
timeout=5
splashimage=(hd0,0)/grub/splash.xpm.gz
hiddenmenu
title Fedora (2.6.25.14-108.fc9.i686)
root (hd0,0)
kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.25.14-108.fc9.i686 ro root=/dev/VolGroup00/LogVol00 rhgb quiet
initrd /initrd-2.6.25.14-108.fc9.i686.img
title Fedora (2.6.25.11-97.fc9.i686)
root (hd0,0)
kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.25.11-97.fc9.i686 ro root=/dev/VolGroup00/LogVol00 rhgb quiet
initrd /initrd-2.6.25.11-97.fc9.i686.img
title Windows
rootnoverify (hd1,4)

Here is the output of df -h command:

[root@localhost grub]# df -h
Filesystem Size Used Avail Use% Mounted on
/dev/mapper/VolGroup00-LogVol00
108G 39G 64G 38% /
/dev/sda1 190M 19M 162M 11% /boot
tmpfs 1013M 48K 1013M 1% /dev/shm
gvfs-fuse-daemon 108G 39G 64G 38% /root/.gvfs
/dev/sdb5 233G 220G 14G 95% /media/Storage
/dev/sdc1 225G 190G 36G 85% /media/HP_PAVILION
/dev/sdh1 466G 236G 231G 51% /media/LACIE

here is the fdisk output on the device which contains the windows partition:

root@localhost grub]# fdisk /dev/sdc1

The number of cylinders for this disk is set to 29271.
There is nothing wrong with that, but this is larger than 1024,
and could in certain setups cause problems with:
1) software that runs at boot time (e.g., old versions of LILO)
2) booting and partitioning software from other OSs
(e.g., DOS FDISK, OS/2 FDISK)

Command (m for help): p

Disk /dev/sdc1: 240.7 GB, 240770363904 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 29271 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x69205244

This doesn't look like a partition table
Probably you selected the wrong device.

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sdc1p1 ? 13578 119522 850995205 72 Unknown
Partition 1 does not end on cylinder boundary.
/dev/sdc1p2 ? 45382 79243 271987362 74 Unknown
Partition 2 does not end on cylinder boundary.
/dev/sdc1p3 ? 10499 10499 0 65 Novell Netware 386
Partition 3 does not end on cylinder boundary.
/dev/sdc1p4 167628 167631 25817+ 0 Empty
Partition 4 does not end on cylinder boundary.

Partition table entries are not in disk order

Here's some other info that might help. I believe when I reinstalled grub with ubuntu I may have installed it on the MBR of the device that where the windows partition is on, since when I installed fedora 8 grub was installed on the MBR of device /dev/sda1, then when I reinstalled fedora 9 I installed grub on the MBR of device /dev/sdc1, which is where windows was install and grub was not with fedora 8.

any help would be most appreciated.

thanks,
n
 
Old 08-17-2008, 05:22 AM   #2
keratos
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all that info is very good, but surely the output of fdisk tells you something about your Windows disk and the PARTITIONS , does it not. It tells me something is very wrong with your drive partition table.
 
Old 08-17-2008, 05:44 AM   #3
Larry Webb
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keratos is right we need more information, if you can get into a linux distro or use your ubuntu as a live distro go to terminal and as root give us the results of fdisk -l. This should give us the partition table and the list of all of your hds.
 
Old 08-17-2008, 05:51 AM   #4
John-in-France
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Silly thought - your first note gives the Windows boot stanza over three lines with the last line being "chainloader +1". This is as I'd expect to see it.

Your listing of Grub.conf doesn't show this line. Cut and paste slip? or...

John
 
Old 08-17-2008, 03:40 PM   #5
keratos
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oops! I think the problem was you were passing a partition ID to fdisk (i.e. /dev/sdc1) and not the physical ID (/dev/sdc)

as Larry Webb above has correctly requested, please can you post output of "fdisk -l /dev/sdN" where N = a, b, c, d etc. from /dev/sda sdb sdc and so on so we can check correct GRUB numbering in your rootnoverify (currently hd1,4). I am expecting your Windows partition to be on the SECOND disk and in the FIFTH partition (GRUB disks/partitions start at ZERO so 1,4 means 2nd drive, 5th partition)

Last edited by keratos; 08-17-2008 at 03:42 PM.
 
Old 08-17-2008, 08:46 PM   #6
mechmind
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Allo Gents,

Thanks for your feedback and sorry for the late reply on my end, I was expecting my registered email to show me that someone replied but I didn't get any? so I decided to check the forum anyway and low and behold your quick respone with help tips were there! Anyhow here is some info. I got, as requested.

Here is the output of fdisk -l:

Disk /dev/sda: 120.0 GB, 120034123776 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 14593 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x1641a117

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 1 25 200781 83 Linux
/dev/sda2 26 14593 117017460 8e Linux LVM

Disk /dev/sdb: 250.0 GB, 250059350016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 30401 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0xabdaed4d

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sdb1 * 2 30401 244188000 f W95 Ext'd (LBA)
/dev/sdb5 2 30401 244187968+ 7 HPFS/NTFS

Disk /dev/dm-0: 117.7 GB, 117708947456 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 14310 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x00000000

Disk /dev/dm-0 doesn't contain a valid partition table

Disk /dev/dm-1: 2080 MB, 2080374784 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 252 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x30307800

Disk /dev/dm-1 doesn't contain a valid partition table

Disk /dev/sdc: 250.0 GB, 250059350016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 30401 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0xcab10bee

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sdc1 * 1 29272 235127308+ 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sdc2 29274 30401 9060660 c W95 FAT32 (LBA)

Disk /dev/sdh: 500.1 GB, 500107862016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 60801 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x12345678

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sdh1 * 1 60801 488384001 c W95 FAT32 (LBA)

Disk /dev/sdj: 1006 MB, 1006108672 bytes
24 heads, 23 sectors/track, 3559 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 552 * 512 = 282624 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x04030201

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sdj1 1 3560 982404 6 FAT16


Here is the output of fdisk -l /dev/sda


[root@localhost /]# /sbin/fdisk -l /dev/sda

Disk /dev/sda: 120.0 GB, 120034123776 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 14593 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x1641a117

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 1 25 200781 83 Linux
/dev/sda2 26 14593 117017460 8e Linux LVM


Here is the output of fdisk -l /dev/sdb

Disk /dev/sdb: 250.0 GB, 250059350016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 30401 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0xabdaed4d

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sdb1 * 2 30401 244188000 f W95 Ext'd (LBA)
/dev/sdb5 2 30401 244187968+ 7 HPFS/NTFS


Here is the output of fdisk -l /dev/sdc

Disk /dev/sdc: 250.0 GB, 250059350016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 30401 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0xcab10bee

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sdc1 * 1 29272 235127308+ 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sdc2 29274 30401 9060660 c W95 FAT32 (LBA)



Here is the output of fdisk -l /dev/sdj

Disk /dev/sdj: 1006 MB, 1006108672 bytes
24 heads, 23 sectors/track, 3559 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 552 * 512 = 282624 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x04030201

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sdj1 1 3560 982404 6 FAT16



Here is the output of fdisk -l /dev/sdh

Disk /dev/sdh: 500.1 GB, 500107862016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 60801 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x12345678

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sdh1 * 1 60801 488384001 c W95 FAT32 (LBA)


Cheers,
n
 
Old 08-18-2008, 07:02 AM   #7
Larry Webb
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On your menu.lst change your windows entry to

title Windows
rootnoverify (hd2,0)
chainloader +1
 
Old 08-18-2008, 09:24 AM   #8
mechmind
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ok, I added that line to the menu.lst and its still hangs when I try booting into my windows partition using grub.

it just stits there at:

booting windows

rootnoverify (hd2,0)
chainloader +1

like i said in fedora I can access my windows partition and all the data inside of it, it just won't boot into the windows partition, well, grub won't.

n
 
Old 08-18-2008, 01:03 PM   #9
keratos
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looks to me like the NTLDR (bootstrap) is not installed in block 0 of the windows partitions.

try booting the windows CDROM to rescue mode and resintall boot loader into the partition not the DISK
 
Old 08-18-2008, 03:18 PM   #10
yancek
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Your first post had this entry for windows:

Windows
rootnoverify (hd1,4)
chainloader +1

The line above will never work because windows can't boot from a logical partition unless you have a primary partition on that drive. Below are the two partitions you have on that drive. An extended partition with one logical partition ???

/dev/sdb1 * 2 30401 244188000 f W95 Ext'd (LBA)
/dev/sdb5 2 30401 244187968+ 7 HPFS/NTFS

If windows is not on the first drive, you also need to map it. You have the following entry:

/dev/sdc1 * 1 29272 235127308+ 7 HPFS/NTFS

This is a primary partition on drive 3 so if you have a windows OS there (not just data) it's bootable and should work.

title Windows XP
rootnoverify (hd2,0)
map (hd0) (hd2)
map (hd2) (hd0)
chainloader +1

This is basically to get xp to think it's on the first drive and should work but ???

Last edited by yancek; 08-18-2008 at 03:19 PM.
 
Old 08-18-2008, 04:26 PM   #11
keratos
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Ah! I didnt spot the Ext'dtag

/dev/sdb1 * 2 30401 244188000 f W95 Ext'd (LBA)

this begs the question how on earth his windows booted off the second drive in the first place if indeed it ever did.

the only place I can see a valid bootable partition is on his master drive on secondary IDE (/dev/sdc) so I agree with yancek however I'm not sure you need the map lines because windows should be able to boot of the master drive, if it was a slave drive then YES, I think you would need the map lines.

Are you sure windows is on your slave drive on the Primary IDE connector (IDE-0) because to me and yancek it would appear windows is on your Secondary IDE channel (IDE-1) on the Master drive in the first bootable partition. In which case you need:

Windows
rootnoverify (hd2,0)
chainloader +1

which is what you have in post #8 above and that didnt work hence ...

as I stated above, the bootstraps may have become corrupted OR I am mistaken about the need for disk mapping and you should add the map lines as suggested by yancek

Last edited by keratos; 08-18-2008 at 04:29 PM.
 
Old 08-18-2008, 05:33 PM   #12
yancek
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My understanding is that windows needs to be mapped if it is not on the FIRST drive, but maybe it will work just on a master?? I just re-read the OP's first post saying he installed Grub to mbr of sdc so that makes it even more confusing??
 
Old 08-18-2008, 05:52 PM   #13
mechmind
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I added the lines and it goes a bit further now, but it still hangs, now it tells me that the hall.dll file is missing or corrupt and to copy or replace it in system32 dir. I did this, copied a hal.dll file from another XP machine but its still hanging.

by the way Windows was installed and the primary sata drive on the systems not the secondary drive. I think what went wrong was when grub was install on the MBR of the primary drive, whereas, at first it was installed on secondary drive(120gig) that happened to have fedora 8 and it was then upgraded to fedora 9.
 
Old 08-18-2008, 06:03 PM   #14
yancek
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Code:
I added the lines and it goes a bit further now
What does that mean? Which lines, the map lines?

Code:
by the way Windows was installed and the primary sata drive on the systems not the secondary drive
Don't know what the line above means. Did you mean to say "Windows was installed on the primary...?

You need to have Grub, at least the 512 byte stage1 file, installed on the mbr record of the primary drive, the drive set to boot first in BIOS.

Is the only error msg you get about a missing hal.dll file, if it is you've gone past Grub and are in the windows bootloader.
 
Old 08-18-2008, 07:01 PM   #15
mechmind
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I added the map lines to the the menu.lst file, as suggested, so this is what's in there now:

title Windows XP
rootnoverify (hd2,0)
map (hd0) (hd2)
map (hd2) (hd0)
chainloader +1

and now when I try to boot into the windows XP partition i get the error message that the hal.dll file is missing or corrupt and to try copying a hal.dll file into the WINDOWS/Systems32 directory, hence, I tried that, copying the hal.dll file into the systems32 directory and it still hangs with the error message that: "the hall.dll file is missing or corrupt and to try copying a hal.dll file into the WINDOWS/Systems32 directory".
 
  


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