No boot, no GRUB, just a non system disk error after squeeze install

[Daan]

Hi,

I just installed Debian squeeze (testing) on my new HP 6930p notebook. Everything seemed to go fine, but I did notice a question about where to install GRUB, with /dev/sda as only option. I selected that option. This question was not in the other Debian installs I have done, but apparently squeeze uses GRUB v2, and previous Debians use older versions.

Unfortunately, my new Debian system does not boot. Not even GRUB will load, or Windows. The BIOS will just try all devices, and ends with a non system disk error.

When running fdisk -l from a livecd, I see that the new Linux partition (sda5) has the boot flag (or something).

What can I do to render my system bootable?

Please help!

Daan

[yancek]

I don't use Debian and haven't used Grub2 yet but most Linux distributions I have installed ask where you want to install bootloader and usually specifically ask if you want it in the master boot record. When you had your choice, are you sure it was sda or could it have been sda1, sda5...?

I've read posts which indicate you can just edit the grub.cfg file and others saying you should not do this.?? I do know that Grub2 has changed its numbering convention and numbers physical drives from zero (0) and partitions from one (1). That would make sda5 (hd0,5).

Also does not matter if a partition is marked active for Linux only for windows.

[Daan]

Thanks yancek.

I'm pretty sure it was /dev/sda, the master boot record

I have booted from the Debian install cd in rescue mode to reinstall GRUB, and tried to install it in sda, sda5, sda. I got no errors during GRUB install, but rebooting the system still ends in a non-system disk error.

The first line of /boot/grub/grub.cnf says "DO NOT EDIT THIS". I'm not sure editing would help anyway, because it seems I do not get into GRUB in the first place.

Any ideas?

[Daan]

I managed to boot my new Linux system using the GRUB rescue cdrom from the GRUB Super Disk project. In the GRUB menu, I only had an option for Linux, not for Windows. During the Linux boot, fsck failed and I was urged to run fsck manually from a maintenance shell. I did so and rebooted (with the GRUB rescue cdrom) and now everything goes without errors.

Next thing is to get some GRUB (2 or legacy) working without the cdrom. Any suggestions on how to that?

[Daan]

After a reboot, the screen resolution changed to normal, while it was wide screen before (leaving blackness left and right).

I gave up and installed Ubuntu. It seems to work out of the box.

[rojoblandino]

Majority of the problems are solved running a live cd and then reinstalling the grub again.

It can be done with almost live-cd and somes installation disk, not all distros mount in livecd the grub tool.

then the only think to do once you can get a console working and grub tool to install the grub into mbr (hd,0)