help! dual boot related, cannot boot windows any more, ubuntu is ok

parv · 04-08-2007, 10:20 PM

I have XP and ubuntu 6.10 installed in two separate
SATA drives. I could boot XP and Ubuntu individually
with one of the data/power cables plugged out.
XP has been running on one of the HDs for some time. Ubuntu was installed recently. During installation,
the HD has XP was not powered on. That was because I had problem installing any distro of linux. So I did not want to mess up with XP. Later, I wanted to use dual boot by modifying menu.lst.

title XP
root (hd1,0)
makeactive
chainloader +1

and this is what I got by running fdisk -l:
Disk /dev/sda: 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/sda1 * 1 29654 238195723+ 83 Linux
/dev/sda2 29655 30401 6000277+ 5 Extended
/dev/sda5 29655 30401 6000246 82 Linux swap / Solaris

Disk /dev/sdb: 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/sdb1 * 1 30400 244187968+ 7 HPFS/NTFS

The problem now is that I could not boot XP at all.
I took off the HD containing ubuntu, but still could not boot XP.

So, what am I doing wrong? How to first bring XP back and then modify grub such that I can dual boot my computer? Note, I could not boot this computer by using CD/DVD now since my drive is IDE, have got to
use SATA DVD to boot it. Can read IDE drive though.

Many thanks.

Quakeboy02 · 04-08-2007, 10:24 PM

Look at the bottom of the page for a list of threads similar to this one.

parv · 04-08-2007, 10:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Quakeboy02

Look at the bottom of the page for a list of threads similar to this one.

Actually, I have read the following links before
posting my question. But did not find information
directly helping me to at least bring windows back
to work.

Quakeboy02 · 04-08-2007, 10:42 PM

Chances are that the best way to do this is to leave ubuntu as your first drive and doze as your second. Have you tried using the following? This assumes that ubuntu is sda and doze is sdb.

Code:

title XP
rootnoverify (hd1,0)
map (hd0) (hd1)
map (hd1) (hd0)
makeactive
chainloader +1

If this doesn't work, please post the contents of /boot/grub/devices.map. It should look like this. In fact, if it doesn't work, please also post the entire contents of menu.lst, as well.

Code:

(hd0)   /dev/sda
(hd1)   /dev/sdb

parv · 04-08-2007, 10:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Quakeboy02

Chances are that the best way to do this is to leave ubuntu as your first drive and doze as your second. Have you tried using the following? This assumes that ubuntu is sda and doze is sdb.

Code:

title XP
rootnoverify (hd1,0)
map (hd0) (hd1)
map (hd1) (hd0)
makeactive
chainloader +1

If this doesn't work, please post the contents of /boot/grub/devices.map. It should look like this. In fact, if it doesn't work, please also post the entire contents of menu.lst, as well.

Code:

(hd0)   /dev/sda
(hd1)   /dev/sdb

I believe ubuntu is on my first drive and xp is on
the second. the menu.lst and device.map are exactly
as you suggested. But during boot, I could see doze
was trying to boot, the startup image showed up.
Then the screen went black, the HD had noise for a
little longer but nothing happen eventually.
So my guess is, is it possible that my previous
setup in menu.lst for doze messed up the bootloader
of doze? The reason I guess this way is even I try
to boot doze HD as the only drive, the same thing would happen.

parv · 04-08-2007, 11:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by parv

I believe ubuntu is on my first drive and xp is on
the second. the menu.lst and device.map are exactly
as you suggested. But during boot, I could see doze
was trying to boot, the startup image showed up.
Then the screen went black, the HD had noise for a
little longer but nothing happen eventually.
So my guess is, is it possible that my previous
setup in menu.lst for doze messed up the bootloader
of doze? The reason I guess this way is even I try
to boot doze HD as the only drive, the same thing would happen.

I guess this might be helpful. So I am
attaching the content of boot.ini in doze drive.

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect

Quakeboy02 · 04-08-2007, 11:15 PM

Are you using root or rootnoverify? Your post didn't indicate that you were remapping your drives. Are you? Can you please post the exact contents of the files I requested?

parv · 04-08-2007, 11:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Quakeboy02

Are you using root or rootnoverify? Your post didn't indicate that you were remapping your drives. Are you? Can you please post the exact contents of the files I requested?

I tried both root and rootnoverity in fact.

This is the content of device.map

Code:

(hd0)   /dev/sda
(hd1)   /dev/sdb

And this is the content of menu.lst

Code:

default         0

splashimage=(hd0,0)/boot/grub/Ubuntusplash.xpm.gz
timeout         8

hiddenmenu

disable all interactive editing

title           Ubuntu, kernel 2.6.17-11-generic
root            (hd0,0)
kernel          /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.17-11-generic root=/dev/sda1 ro quiet splash
initrd          /boot/initrd.img-2.6.17-11-generic
quiet
savedefault
boot

title           Windows XP
rootnoverify    (hd1,0)
map (hd0) (hd1)
map (hd1) (hd0)
makeactive
chainloader      +1

Quakeboy02 · 04-08-2007, 11:30 PM

Your menu.lst seems awfully sparse. Did you filter out the comment lines "#" before posting, or did you remove them from the file, or are there just none?

Have you tried adding the word "boot" after the chainloader statement?

parv · 04-08-2007, 11:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Quakeboy02

Your menu.lst seems awfully sparse. Did you filter out the comment lines "#" before posting, or did you remove them from the file, or are there just none?

Have you tried adding the word "boot" after the chainloader statement?

This is the entire menu.lst

Code:

# 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

splashimage=(hd0,0)/boot/grub/Ubuntusplash.xpm.gz
## timeout sec
# Set a timeout, in SEC seconds, before automatically booting the default entry
# (normally the first entry defined).
timeout         8

## 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=UUID=f88c0856-22e1-47a6-ba30-6a2d5a77f3ca ro
# kopt_2_6=root=/dev/sda1 ro

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

## 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

## should update-grub lock old automagic boot options
## e.g. lockold=false
##      lockold=true
# lockold=false

## altoption boot targets option
## multiple altoptions lines are allowed
## e.g. altoptions=(extra menu suffix) extra boot options
##      altoptions=(recovery) 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 2.6.17-11-generic
root            (hd0,0)
kernel          /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.17-11-generic root=/dev/sda1 ro quiet splash
initrd          /boot/initrd.img-2.6.17-11-generic
quiet
savedefault
boot

title           Ubuntu, kernel 2.6.17-11-generic (recovery mode)
root            (hd0,0)
kernel          /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.17-11-generic root=/dev/sda1 ro single
initrd          /boot/initrd.img-2.6.17-11-generic
boot

title           Ubuntu, kernel 2.6.17-10-generic
root            (hd0,0)
kernel          /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.17-10-generic root=/dev/sda1 ro quiet splash
initrd          /boot/initrd.img-2.6.17-10-generic
quiet
savedefault
boot

title           Ubuntu, kernel 2.6.17-10-generic (recovery mode)
root            (hd0,0)
kernel          /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.17-10-generic root=/dev/sda1 ro single
initrd          /boot/initrd.img-2.6.17-10-generic
boot

title           Ubuntu, memtest86+
root            (hd0,0)
kernel          /boot/memtest86+.bin
quiet
boot

title           Windows XP
rootnoverify    (hd1,0)
map (hd0) (hd1)
map (hd1) (hd0)
makeactive
chainloader      +1
boot
#

### END DEBIAN AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST

Quakeboy02 · 04-09-2007, 12:04 AM

About the only thing left is that your windows installation is borked. When you disconnected the ubuntu drive earlier, you did remember to swap the SATA cable on the controller, didn't you?

I can't think of anything else to try. Sorry I couldn't help.

parv · 04-09-2007, 12:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Quakeboy02

About the only thing left is that your windows installation is borked. When you disconnected the ubuntu drive earlier, you did remember to swap the SATA cable on the controller, didn't you?

I can't think of anything else to try. Sorry I couldn't help.

I cannot remember exactly if I swapped the cable right after
disconnecting the ubuntu drive to boot XP. Probably I did that
only after found I could not boot it. Would this be a big problem?
As I said, I indeed can mount sdb1 and see what I have one that drive. If that's the case, do I need to reinstall it or simply
fix doze installation?

Many thanks for all your replies! Have a good night.

Quakeboy02 · 04-09-2007, 12:29 AM

You might try this: Disconnect the ubuntu drive. Move the cable over to the SDA position. Put in your Windows CD and run a repair install after first verifying that windows doesn't boot with the cable switched.

I think I'm headed for bed. It's about 1:30 here and, well I don't have to get up early, but I'd like to read a bit before I head for bed.

parv · 04-09-2007, 12:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Quakeboy02

You might try this: Disconnect the ubuntu drive. Move the cable over to the SDA position. Put in your Windows CD and run a repair install after first verifying that windows doesn't boot with the cable switched.

I think I'm headed for bed. It's about 1:30 here and, well I don't have to get up early, but I'd like to read a bit before I head for bed.

I will try that tomorrow.
Thanks so much. Have a good sleep.

parv · 04-09-2007, 05:03 PM

problem solved.
turned out that XP was not broke.
Instead, the problem was due to video card.
Installed the latest nvidia driver, set up
bios not to use on-board card and now
everything is OK.