Grub help

[creolesoul]

Hey guys. I tried to be Billy Badass by dualbooting XP w/ Ubuntu 6.06, but after installing Ubuntu on my 2nd hard drive (the 250 gig) and rebooting, I kept getting a GRUB Error 22 message and the computer would just hang. I deleted the ext3 and linux swap partitions I used for Ubuntu, but GRUB is still the bootloader and now I can't get XP to load.

Below is the fdisk -l output:

Disk /dev/hda: 80.0 GB, 80060424192 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 9733 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/hda1 1 5 40131 de Dell Utility
/dev/hda2 6 6450 51769462+ 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/hda3 * 6451 9129 21519067+ c W95 FAT32 (LBA)
/dev/hda4 9257 9725 3767242+ db CP/M / CTOS / ...

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

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/hdd1 1 27361 219777201 7 HPFS/NTFS

Any insight?

[kage]

Grub is installed into the MBR of your hard drive. Deleting the linux partitions will not remove it. The only way to remove it is to either fill your MBR with 0's (erasing it completely) or install a new MBR record.

One thing you did do with deleting your linux partition was erase the grub configuration file, which is stored in /boot/grub of your linux slice.

If you boot up your windows installation disk, choose the repair console, and log into your windows partition, running 'FIXBOOT' and then 'FIXMBR' should put your windows bootloader back on the disk.

[creolesoul]

Thanks for the fast response!

I tried using the install disk, but the GRUB bootloader message still came up. Should I set the boot order to start w/ the CD first, or the HD?

[kage]

Your bios should boot the cdrom first, before booting your hard drive.

[creolesoul]

No dice. No matter what I set it to, the Grub bootloader comes up and gives me the Error 21 message, then hangs.

Is setting up the bootloader to chainload Windows out of the question?

Would reinstalling Ubuntu in its own partition give me access to the GRUB?

[creolesoul]

ok, I reinstalled Ubuntu. Here are the results from the fdisk -l:

root@ubuntu:~# fdisk -l

Disk /dev/hda: 80.0 GB, 80060424192 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 9733 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/hda1 1 5 40131 de Dell Utility
/dev/hda2 6 6450 51769462+ 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/hda3 * 6451 9129 21519067+ c W95 FAT32 (LBA)
/dev/hda4 9257 9725 3767242+ db CP/M / CTOS / ...

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

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/hdd1 1 27361 219777201 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/hdd2 * 27362 30273 23390640 83 Linux
/dev/hdd3 30274 30401 1028160 5 Extended
/dev/hdd5 30274 30401 1028128+ 82 Linux swap / Solaris

I'm still getting an Error 21 message. Would I be able to fix GRUB now to boot Ubuntu?

[kage]

Post your /boot/grub/menu.lst grub configuration file.

[creolesoul]

Here ya go:

# menu.lst - See: grub(8), info grub, update-grub(8)
# grub-install(8), grub-floppy(8),
# grub-md5-crypt, /usr/share/doc/grub
# and /usr/share/doc/grub-doc/.

## default num
# Set the default entry to the entry number NUM. Numbering starts from 0, and
# the entry number 0 is the default if the command is not used.
#
# You can specify 'saved' instead of a number. In this case, the default entry
# is the entry saved with the command 'savedefault'.
# WARNING: If you are using dmraid do not change this entry to 'saved' or your
# array will desync and will not let you boot your system.
default 0

## timeout sec
# Set a timeout, in SEC seconds, before automatically booting the default entry
# (normally the first entry defined).
timeout 10

## hiddenmenu
# Hides the menu by default (press ESC to see the menu)
#hiddenmenu

# Pretty colours
#color cyan/blue white/blue

## password ['--md5'] passwd
# If used in the first section of a menu file, disable all interactive editing
# control (menu entry editor and command-line) and entries protected by the
# command 'lock'
# e.g. password topsecret
# password --md5 $1$gLhU0/$aW78kHK1QfV3P2b2znUoe/
# password topsecret

#
# examples
#
# title Windows 95/98/NT/2000
# root (hd0,0)
# makeactive
# chainloader +1
#
# title Linux
# root (hd0,1)
# kernel /vmlinuz root=/dev/hda2 ro
#

#
# Put static boot stanzas before and/or after AUTOMAGIC KERNEL LIST

### BEGIN AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST
## lines between the AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST markers will be modified
## by the debian update-grub script except for the default options below

## DO NOT UNCOMMENT THEM, Just edit them to your needs

## ## Start Default Options ##
## default kernel options
## default kernel options for automagic boot options
## If you want special options for specific kernels use kopt_x_y_z
## where x.y.z is kernel version. Minor versions can be omitted.
## e.g. kopt=root=/dev/hda1 ro
## kopt_2_6_8=root=/dev/hdc1 ro
## kopt_2_6_8_2_686=root=/dev/hdc2 ro
# kopt=root=/dev/hdd2 ro

## default grub root device
## e.g. groot=(hd0,0)
# groot=(hd1,1)

## should update-grub create alternative automagic boot options
## e.g. alternative=true
## alternative=false
# alternative=true

## should update-grub lock alternative automagic boot options
## e.g. lockalternative=true
## lockalternative=false
# lockalternative=false

## additional options to use with the default boot option, but not with the
## alternatives
## e.g. defoptions=vga=791 resume=/dev/hda5
# defoptions=quiet splash

## altoption boot targets option
## multiple altoptions lines are allowed
## e.g. altoptions=(extra menu suffix) extra boot options
## altoptions=(recovery mode) single
# altoptions=(recovery mode) single

## controls how many kernels should be put into the menu.lst
## only counts the first occurence of a kernel, not the
## alternative kernel options
## e.g. howmany=all
## howmany=7
# howmany=all

## should update-grub create memtest86 boot option
## e.g. memtest86=true
## memtest86=false
# memtest86=true

## should update-grub adjust the value of the default booted system
## can be true or false
# updatedefaultentry=false

## ## End Default Options ##

title Ubuntu, kernel 2.6.15-23-386
root (hd1,1)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.15-23-386 root=/dev/hdd2 ro quiet splash
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.15-23-386
savedefault
boot

title Ubuntu, kernel 2.6.15-23-386 (recovery mode)
root (hd1,1)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.15-23-386 root=/dev/hdd2 ro single
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.15-23-386
boot

title Ubuntu, memtest86+
root (hd1,1)
kernel /boot/memtest86+.bin
boot

### END DEBIAN AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST

# This is a divider, added to separate the menu items below from the Debian
# ones.
title Other operating systems:
root


# This entry automatically added by the Debian installer for a non-linux OS
# on /dev/hda3
title Microsoft Windows XP Professional
root (hd0,2)
savedefault
makeactive
chainloader +1

[kage]

Is your windows installation on hda2, hda3, or hdd1?

[creolesoul]

hda3 (long story)

[kage]

Would you mind telling the long story? It could be helpful.

[creolesoul]

lol

Long story short: Last year I tried to dual boot XP Pro (on a new partition, D: ) w/ XP Home (residing on C: ), but wound up screwing up my C: Drive. PRo installed fine, so I kept it. I've just been too lazy to reinstall it on C:, so it resides on D:.

So as you can see, I have something of a history of screwing up dual boots. LOL

[kage]

When grub loads, select windows and press 'e' to edit this line. At the 'root' line, press 'e' to edit it, and change hd(0,2) to hd(0). Then press 'enter', and then 'b' to boot this configuration. See what happens. If that does not work, also try using 'hd(0,3)'.

[creolesoul]

I should be doing all of this while logged into the live cd?

[kage]

No, you do it after the grub bootloader has loaded, but before you try booting windows/linux.