Grub Problems

**Jeffrey2132** · 12-28-2005

So I just installed Ubuntu on my computer. I'm dual booting with Ubuntu and Windows 2000. When it asked if I wanted to put Grub on my machine, I accepted it and now when I boot my computer up, it says "Verifying DMI Pool" then it says "GRUB loading stage1.5........."

"GRUB loading, please wait....."
Error 18

What's going on? Do I have to reinstall both Windows and Ubuntu? I have no clue. I'm new to Linux and what-not. So I had done research and just tried putting Ubuntu on. If you need any more information, just tell me.

Thankyou,
Jeff

**Nerderello** · 12-28-2005

Error 18 means

Code:

18 : Selected cylinder exceeds maximum supported by BIOS
This error is returned when a read is attempted at a linear block
address beyond the end of the BIOS translated area. This generally
happens if your disk is larger than the BIOS can handle (512MB for
(E)IDE disks on older machines or larger than 8GB in general).

I found the above in the tutorial section of this forum (I understand that the author is a really nice guy

). http://www.linuxforums.org/forum/t93...d-edition.html

Suggest that you search on BIOS and grub , both here and at the ever popular www.google.com/linux .

have fun

Nerderello

**Jeffrey2132** · 12-29-2005

So if I have already installed Ubuntu after this 1024 Cylinder block... thing or whatever, how am I able to get GRUB to stop trying to find Linux after the block and have it only find Windows 2000? Is this even possible without reformatting?

**Nerderello** · 12-29-2005

What you need to do is either put your Windows and your Linux /boot folder inside the 1024 limit or:

Use your BIOS (access the BIOS at power up time by pressing either Del or the F2 key - depends upon the BIOS version) to ensure that LBA is enabled (I'm assuming that you have a PC built in the last few years and not something from the last century). LBA effectively does away with the 1024 limit.

Nerderello

**Jeffrey2132** · 12-29-2005

Funny story behind that one. My computer started running Windows 98 SE. It's running a Celeron processor clocking at 434 MHz. So, it pretty much sucks and is really old. It's kind of my "test" machine since right now I'm in the process of building a computer. Anyway, how would I move the /boot folder to the 1024 Cylinder thing? Would I have to do it through Knoppix or what?

**cuiq** · 12-29-2005

Well seeing as you can't get into either os because of this error. I think knoppix would be your best bet. As a matter of fact it will allow you to view your menu.lst & fstab file to determine where the problem might be.

Peace V

**Nerderello** · 12-29-2005

before you do that, see if you can get a leter version of the bios from the motherboad manufacturer.

Then , if that doesn't work, you would have to ensure that the partitions were set up so that Windows was a smidgen under the 1024 limit and then you put a small - 50 mb - partion inside the limit, and call it /boot . That way the grub files (which live in /boot/grub/ folder are accesable by the aging bios. The rest of Linux can live beyond the limit.

But like I say, see if the motherboard builder has an uptodate BIOS that you can download and flash onto your PC.

have fun

Nerderello

**Jeffrey2132** · 12-30-2005

So, you're saying I would have to make a new partition within the 1024 limit then would I move the /boot/grub folder into the new partition or would I just have to name the partition /boot?

**Nerderello** · 12-30-2005

the /boot folder needs to be within the 1024 limit. Normally this means that you need to make your windows partition so that it fits within the limit, and leaves a little room (50mb) for a linux partition (the /boot partition). This new linux partition will hold the various boot up linux files (such as kernels and such like) and the /boot/grub folder. In that folder are the stage1.5 and stage2 files that grub needs.

You can then put the "/" linux partition and the swap partition beyond the 1024 limit.

I'm just thinking that there may be another way around this. If your windows is still okay (have a look at the tutorial section for info on how to get rid of grub from the mbr and get windows booting by itself), then you may be able to boot into windows, have the windows boot loader file boot.ini then give you the option of windows or linux (really be grub). Then you install (as part of the install) grub not in the mbr but in the boot folder (ie. the first normal sector on the partition that holds the /boot folder). Then you may find that this can be anywhere on your hard disk.

The effect of the above would be that on boot up you will be preseneted with a windows boot manager menu. Taking the linux option would then take you to grub, which would give you another menu (easy to arrange for grub to automatically put you into linux).

Have a look at Nosher's post in this (near the bottom) - /forum/installation/52321-grub-nevers-starts-whats-solution.html

Nerderello

**Jeffrey2132** · 12-30-2005

Windows doesn't boot though. I think I'm going to go with the repartitioning thing and placea /boot partition within the 1024 limit, is there a walkthrough for doing this, if not, could someone help me do this and walk me through it?

I also didn't see a tutorial for removing grub from the MBR, AND, my friend gave me a link to http://ultimatebootcd.com would that help at all?

Thread Tools

Display

Grub Problems

Posting Permissions