How to restore Grub while having linux 7.2 and windows XP?

i suggest that it will be a better idea to use lilo, as it is easier to configure.

If you can't boot to linux without grub loader nor your bootdisk(if not already created) then i guess u have to resetup your linux

login to linuxbox as root and run grub-install

but how to login to linuxboot as when booted XP starts without any dual boot option

Did you create a boot disk? if not, then i am afraid that you will never boot into linux. I think the only solution will be a re-installation.

Or better yet, go out to Tom Oehser's pages and get a copy of Tom's boot disk. Write it to a floppy, boot from the floppy, and then go into your Linux space.

Try using your install cdrom disk. At the prompt, enter
linux root=/dev/hd?? . Replace the two ?? with the root ' / ' partition's letter and number. Log in as root and run grub-install /dev/hda. I'm assuming that you want to install grub in the mbr of /dev/hda ( primary master drive ).

What distribution do you use?

im using Redhat linux 7.2 Gnome.

Did you get grub restored?

Is there no program out there to restore an existing grub partition from Windows? IE: If someone installed a new version of Windows, which overwrote their grub?

Thanks.

Not from Windoze. Remember, the folks in Redmond, WA, USA, will only be happy when every PC in the world has nothing but their product .

What you can try is to boot your Linux install CD and at the first prompt select or type in "rescue". That will usually bring up options that can be used to restore your Linux installation including your Lilo or Grub boot manager.

Thanks for the quick reply! I did indeed find out about the intall-cd ->linux rescue->shell->chroot->grub-install bit. I think it would have been a real benefit for Redhat to have included that as one of the install options ("Bootloader recovery" if it detects an existing linux partition, and an unsupported bootloader) to ease pain of newbies (especially since they want converts that potentially have never seen a command prompt).

Truth is, if you haven't done it before, the Redhat install makes it very hard to do it...it lets you select JUST the bootloader to be installed(select upgrade as install type and don't install any packages), then right after it says "file copy complete" it shows a dialog to the effect: "No kernel modules modified not installing bootloader" heheh.

That final check should really have just been removed, and let the bootloader install!!!.

Many people wanting to just switch from windows to linux (redhat being one of the more popular distributions) will probably get stuck at the "what happened to my linux boot option?" problem, after having installed windows over top of it. They will then stick the Redhat CD in, and do one of two things...

1: linux rescue - this is going to have a high dead end rate. Many wont know what to do, and just give up and assume linux sux.

2: reinstall - after the first couple of times I imagine most people will get tired and give up. Err... look at Windows users!


I know I sound stupid, but I am still upset it took me almost 2hrs to figure it out LOL!