Windows wont boot

free_rider20 · 03-23-2006, 11:45 PM

Alright, I picked up a small 6 gig HD from a friend and decided I wanted to intall Linux on it so I downloaded a copy of suse. I installed suse onto the new hard drive. I temporarily took the HD out and while out, windows wouldnt boot and I got a grub error. What can I do to fix this error so that windows will boot when the HD isnt in the computer?

JoseVilla · 03-24-2006, 12:03 AM

I don't know an effective way to solve this but can explain why this problem.
You installed grub in the MBR of your HD, while installing linux. Grub is a little program that reads a file named "/boot/grub/menu.lst" and as this file is located in the HD you took out it rises this error.

nickj6282 · 03-24-2006, 12:12 AM

Two options:

1. Fix the Windows MBR. For Win2k or XP, put the Windows CD in the drive, boot to it. When it's all loaded up and ready to go, press "R" to run the recovery console. Pick your Windows install from the list, enter the administrator password, then run the "fixmbr" command in there. Then "exit" and reboot the PC. This method means you will have to re-install Grub on your MBR to get to Linux again.

2. Make a Windows boot floppy. You can use Knoppix to do this if you like. Put a blank disk in the floppy drive, and copy the following files from the root of your C:\ drive to it: boot.ini, ntdetect.com, and ntldr. Boot to this floppy and it will start Windows up.

Good luck!
-Nick

free_rider20 · 03-24-2006, 10:41 AM

Hey, thanks for for the fast response. Ill try that sometime tonight and see if it works.

syg00 · 03-24-2006, 11:58 AM

Fixmbr will fix Windows, but Suse will be unbootable.
Best bet might be to re-install the loader for Suse (hopefully grub) into the root partition, then copy the boot sector record over to the Windows C: partition.
Update boot.ini, then you can select either from your Windows boot.
Doesn't matter if the Suse disc is present or not if you select Windows.

Plenty of threads describing this here on LQ.

pixellany · 03-24-2006, 12:13 PM

Fix Windows MBR and put GRUB on a floppy for use when booting Linux. No need to be physically swapping drives....

pixellany · 03-24-2006, 12:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by syg00

Fixmbr will fix Windows, but Suse will be unbootable.
Best bet might be to re-install the loader for Suse (hopefully grub) into the root partition, then copy the boot sector record over to the Windows C: partition.
Update boot.ini, then you can select either from your Windows boot.
Doesn't matter if the Suse disc is present or not if you select Windows.

Plenty of threads describing this here on LQ.

Search here on "Saikee". In his sig there are links to all anyone would ever want to know about multi-booting. I could gush even more, but he blushes......