GRUB is messing with my system...

[hans030390]

So, I formatted the partition with Kororaa on it...but now when I start the computer, GRUB tries to load stuff, but it can't. Vista is on my D: partition, but it can't recognize that. I tried to run my XP recovery (on another partition) by pressing f8 when everything is loading up...but then it goes back to GRUB saying "Please wait..." and it does nothing.

I put in my Vista install dvd, but all of mine are corrupt (when you try to install it). I went to the recovery part of it, and it says something about fixing the Vista thing and letting it boot, but when I click on "repair and restart" it does nothing. I can't find where to load the drivers either in the recovery thing...

Buh, how am I supposed to get into Xp or Vista now?

 

[thehstrybean]

Stick in your XP disk, let it load setup, press "R" for the Recover Console, log into your main partition, and type "fixmbr"...That should repair the master boot record...

 

[P0ldy]

You don't need two different threads on this.

 

[hans030390]

i dont have an XP cd. all i have is a recovery thing (pressing f8 when my compy starts up) that reinstalls XP on the C drive...but I can't get into it. Instead of it loading up, it goes into GRUB saying "please wait" (which then it does nothing).

Can I do this on my Vista install dvd?

 

[hans030390]

Originally posted by: P0ldy
You don't need two different threads on this.

Yeah, well it's kinda a separate question...

Anyways, I used the command thing with my Vista dvd to try things like fixmbr and such, but nothing would start up. Am I doing it wrong? everything I tried it would say it couldnt find anything or it wasnt a command...

 

[drag]

Originally posted by: hans030390
i dont have an XP cd. all i have is a recovery thing (pressing f8 when my compy starts up) that reinstalls XP on the C drive...but I can't get into it. Instead of it loading up, it goes into GRUB saying "please wait" (which then it does nothing).

Can I do this on my Vista install dvd?

It's a crime (sometimes virtually a crime, sometimes not) that people will sell you a computer with XP on it without a proper set of XP disks.

I googled around for your problem with grub. Usually when grub fails it presents are error directly after the 'please wait' stuff. This error is critical for troubleshooting. Otherwise the only time I found were it didn't produce a error code was when somebody had accidently setup 'raid0' support in their bios for windows fakeraid stuff.

If you have Linux live cdrom you can get back into your system and reinstall grub from a chroot environment.

For example if your using Knoppix..
(copy and pasted from http://greenfly.org/talks/knoppix/rescue.html)
* Knoppix defaults to nodev. Mount explicitly:
knoppix@tty1[knoppix]$ sudo mount -o dev /mnt/hda1
* Make changes in /etc/lilo.conf or /boot/grub/menu.lst
* Restore lilo:
knoppix@tty1[knoppix]$ sudo chroot /mnt/hda1 lilo
* Restore grub:
knoppix@tty1[knoppix]$ sudo chroot /mnt/hda1 grub-install /dev/hda

That guy has lots of good tips.

/mnt/hda1 would be the mount point that Knoppix automaticly sets up for your drive. This is assuming that /dev/hda1 is your partition with Linux installed on it.

edit:
/dev/hda represents your harddrive. /dev/hda1 represents the first partition on your harddrive.
/dev/hda, /dev/hdb, /dev/hdc, /dev/hdd, all represent regular IDE devices. Your cdroms your drives and whatnot.

SATA drives will most of the time show up as /dev/sda (and sdb, and sdc, etc) since they use the scsi-based libata drivers, but not always. Especially when your using legacy 'PATA' emulation from your bios for better windows compatability.

Knoppix tries it's best to setup /mnt/ directories for mountpoints as it detects these things.

 

[imported_LoKe]

Originally posted by: drag

Originally posted by: hans030390
i dont have an XP cd. all i have is a recovery thing (pressing f8 when my compy starts up) that reinstalls XP on the C drive...but I can't get into it. Instead of it loading up, it goes into GRUB saying "please wait" (which then it does nothing).

Can I do this on my Vista install dvd?

It's a crime (sometimes virtually a crime, sometimes not) that people will sell you a computer with XP on it without a proper set of XP disks.

I believe Dell no longer includes the OS disc unless you pay extra for it.

 

[thehstrybean]

Originally posted by: LoKe

Originally posted by: drag

Originally posted by: hans030390
i dont have an XP cd. all i have is a recovery thing (pressing f8 when my compy starts up) that reinstalls XP on the C drive...but I can't get into it. Instead of it loading up, it goes into GRUB saying "please wait" (which then it does nothing).

Can I do this on my Vista install dvd?

It's a crime (sometimes virtually a crime, sometimes not) that people will sell you a computer with XP on it without a proper set of XP disks.

I believe Dell no longer includes the OS disc unless you pay extra for it.

I don't think you have to pay extra, it's just an option...but now they have the ghost image on a seperate partiition, so all you have to do is hit ctrl+alt+f11

 

[imported_LoKe]

Originally posted by: thehstrybean

Originally posted by: LoKe

Originally posted by: drag

Originally posted by: hans030390
i dont have an XP cd. all i have is a recovery thing (pressing f8 when my compy starts up) that reinstalls XP on the C drive...but I can't get into it. Instead of it loading up, it goes into GRUB saying "please wait" (which then it does nothing).

Can I do this on my Vista install dvd?

It's a crime (sometimes virtually a crime, sometimes not) that people will sell you a computer with XP on it without a proper set of XP disks.

I believe Dell no longer includes the OS disc unless you pay extra for it.

I don't think you have to pay extra, it's just an option...but now they have the ghost image on a seperate partiition, so all you have to do is hit ctrl+alt+f11

Learn something new every day. Thanks. =]

 

[hans030390]

Originally posted by: drag

Originally posted by: hans030390
i dont have an XP cd. all i have is a recovery thing (pressing f8 when my compy starts up) that reinstalls XP on the C drive...but I can't get into it. Instead of it loading up, it goes into GRUB saying "please wait" (which then it does nothing).

Can I do this on my Vista install dvd?

It's a crime (sometimes virtually a crime, sometimes not) that people will sell you a computer with XP on it without a proper set of XP disks.

I googled around for your problem with grub. Usually when grub fails it presents are error directly after the 'please wait' stuff. This error is critical for troubleshooting. Otherwise the only time I found were it didn't produce a error code was when somebody had accidently setup 'raid0' support in their bios for windows fakeraid stuff.

If you have Linux live cdrom you can get back into your system and reinstall grub from a chroot environment.

For example if your using Knoppix..
(copy and pasted from http://greenfly.org/talks/knoppix/rescue.html)
* Knoppix defaults to nodev. Mount explicitly:
knoppix@tty1[knoppix]$ sudo mount -o dev /mnt/hda1
* Make changes in /etc/lilo.conf or /boot/grub/menu.lst
* Restore lilo:
knoppix@tty1[knoppix]$ sudo chroot /mnt/hda1 lilo
* Restore grub:
knoppix@tty1[knoppix]$ sudo chroot /mnt/hda1 grub-install /dev/hda

That guy has lots of good tips.

/mnt/hda1 would be the mount point that Knoppix automaticly sets up for your drive. This is assuming that /dev/hda1 is your partition with Linux installed on it.

edit:
/dev/hda represents your harddrive. /dev/hda1 represents the first partition on your harddrive.
/dev/hda, /dev/hdb, /dev/hdc, /dev/hdd, all represent regular IDE devices. Your cdroms your drives and whatnot.

SATA drives will most of the time show up as /dev/sda (and sdb, and sdc, etc) since they use the scsi-based libata drivers, but not always. Especially when your using legacy 'PATA' emulation from your bios for better windows compatability.

Knoppix tries it's best to setup /mnt/ directories for mountpoints as it detects these things.

Ok, I'm just reinstalling Kororaa, which should fix the grub problem. I'll see if that lets me get into my XP recovery thing (since it wont be erroring in grub)...

But what should I do then if it doesnt work? Some people recommend getting an XP boot cd to install from, and from that I could run something like fixmbr in the command window to fix the boot thing (and get it back to windows)...thats an exe file though.

Any iso I could burn to a cd that would let me restore my MBR thing?

 

[imported_LoKe]

Text

 

[hans030390]

I have grub working again, but I reinstalled Kororaa. I also added a boot entry to grub that leads directly to my restore section of my hard drive. Usually it just lets me format the C: partition and then use Windows like normal, the D: partition being untouched...

But now it says it has to format everything...

My D: partition is sitting there, and it has very very important files on it...

I dont know what to do now...is there any way to copy some files from that partition onto a dvd from linux? It's an NTFS partition...

If only I can save those files...but that stupid recovery thing wants to format it, but I really need to get into XP.

 

[imported_LoKe]

Text

But I'm sure someone can help you fix the problem, I'm just giving you your solution for the worst case scenario.

 

[hans030390]

I dont understand linux enough to know how I would even do that...bleh.

I just want to take some files from an ntfs partition and put them on a DVD or something...even a few cds maybe...

Just something to make formatting my D: partition not horrible...unless there are alternatives?

 

[drag]

He should-a backed up in the first place.

The first thing you should do now is get those important files copied off your computer and put some were safe.. AND you verify that they are fine.

Then worry about getting everything working.

If you need to burn a DVD Kororaa is suppose to be Gentoo so there should be a lot of documentation on how to get all that working and what programs to use. Gentoo has some very good stuff on their website AND ESPECIALLY their forums are very helpfull. I bet there are a few threads already going on dual booting with Vista.

 

[hans030390]

I dont know how to get to the files to put them on a DVD...they're NTFS...I dont know how to get linux to at least be able to get into that partition and copy the files...I'm sure there's a way...right?

 

[drag]

Yes there is a way.

http://gentoo-wiki.com/HOWTO_Mount_Windows_partitions_(DOS,_FAT,_NTFS)
http://gentoo-wiki.com/HOWTO_Create_a_DVD:Burn

All sorts of different ways. Dozens.

Look for help in the gentoo forums. I have no interest in Gentoo myself and I have less of a interest in running Vista in dual boot. Most people here would have no experiance with dual booting or rescueing Vista bootloaders. Gentoo users tend to be early adopters of software and a few have to have tried getting vista installed. Also they will help you get your bootloader configured so that you can boot up XP.

 

[imported_LoKe]

Get to the terminal, type:

sudo fdisk -l

And look for your NTFS partition. Once you've found it:

Type these three lines one at a time:

sudo mkdir /media/windows
sudo cp /etc/fstab /etc/fstab_backup
sudo gedit /etc/fstab

Add this line to the end of the file, make sure to change hda1 to the name of the partition you got in step 1.

/dev/hda1 /media/windows ntfs nls=utf8,umask=0222 0 0

Now you should have a filesystem named "windows". Burn your DVD.

 

[hans030390]

Thank you very much...I got my files onto a DVD. Hopefully it turns out OK. Is it natural is Linux can't open it (Something about permissions that I cant change)? It knows it's there, and it knows it has stuff burned on it. I burned it with GnomeBaker at 1x...it was about 3.8gb of data (a lot of it was pictures).

Now to just recover XP...that is unless my DVD wont work, so I'll wait for some sort of answer.

UPDATE: So I tried to go to the recovery part for XP...and it said I had a system error...BSOD...woo. So now I'm reinstalling Kororaa, because I tried to install Vista from a DVD after that error, and I got rid of it...but the DVD crapped out (expected)...bleh.
There's got to be some sort of cd I could burn and boot with (in iso form, because I can't do anything else with linux) that would let me fix my boot loader...

 

[SleepWalkerX]

Please be very careful when playing with newer distros like Kororaa that haven't been around long enough to work out all the bugs. Make sure to backup any important data you have on your hard drive!!

Are you using Kororaa just because its easy to setup xgl? I can recommend a different distro that's a breeze to get xgl up and running and is much safer to play with.

 

[imported_LoKe]

Yeah, I'm really confused as to why you'd even bother messing with Kororaa. You'd have better luck with Ubuntu, or, if you're really lookign for some easy XGL; Suse10.