Linux newbie needs help! GRUB error 18 while booting- cannot start computer

[weirrdo7]

Hello,
I just recently installed Debian Linux on my the second of my two hard drives, which is is the slave serial port. Windows XP Pro is installed on the first hard drive (master). At the end of the Debian installation, I chose to have GRUB overwrite the MBR and when I took the CD out and rebooted I got the following message:

Grub Loading Stage 1.5

GRUB loading please wait.....
Error 18

Please help, I cannot start my computer on either Debian or XP Pro; I am using a Knoppix LiveCD right now.

Thank you for looking

[aliov]

Boot from Knoppix

post the output of fdisk -l and mount your debian partition to do

let's say your debain is installed in /dev/hdb1 and the filesystem is ext3 so make a directory called whatever you want let's say debian

mount -t ext3 /dev/hdb1 debian and the then post this file menu.lst wish is inside your debian partition in boot/grub .

once you did it'll be easy for me and for others to give you the solution

Regards.

[devils casper]

Grub Loading Stage 1.5

GRUB loading please wait.....
Error 18

Linux is installed in Slave Disk and GRUB is in MBR of Primary Disk. Most of the time GRUB doesn't work properly if you install it in MBR of Harddisk which doesn't have Linux Installed.

First of all, remove GRUB from MBR of Primary Disk. Boot up from WIndows Installation CD, select repair and execute fixmbr.
fixmbr command will remove GRUB and Windows will boot up on reboot.

Is it possible for you to SWAP Harddisks? Can you plug-in Slave disk having Debian installed as Primary?

[aliov]

Well , I hate any solution related to windws$ ,

Because :
1)- i hate MS product
2)- i have no idea about how this OS works

Regards.

[devils casper]

Well , I hate any solution related to windws$ ,

Because :
1)- i hate MS product
2)- i have no idea about how this OS works

if one is dual booting Linux and Windows then there is no way to avoid Windows related solution and Windows commands.

[weirrdo7]

Boot from Knoppix

post the output of fdisk -l and mount your debian partition to do

let's say your debain is installed in /dev/hdb1 and the filesystem is ext3 so make a directory called whatever you want let's say debian

mount -t ext3 /dev/hdb1 debian and the then post this file menu.lst wish is inside your debian partition in boot/grub .

once you did it'll be easy for me and for others to give you the solution

Regards.

I cannot understand what you are saying because I am such a noob at this. I went to GParted on Knoppix and I cant find anything except the partitions on both hard drives along with their formatting:

/dev/cloop0
/dev/cloop1
/dev/cloop2
/dev/cloop3
/dev/cloop4
/dev/cloop5
/dev/cloop6
/dev/cloop7
/dev/hda1----->mountpoint:/media/hda1---->NTFS
/dev/hdb1(boot flag)---->mountpoint:/media/hdb1--->ext3
/dev/hdb2----->Extended
/dev/hdb5-->Linux Swap

[aliov]

have a look to this site Error 18 - Ubuntu Forums
it's related to your bios , and as devil_casper said if grub is installed in MBR and linux it's in another partition most probably it'll fail ! so you can swap the hard disks or you can play with the boot priority of your bios to do this .

But if you decide to swap your disk post here to tell you how you can correct the grub configuration to boot Debian and your second OS.

Regards.

[weirrdo7]

But if you decide to swap your disk post here to tell you how you can correct the grub configuration to boot Debian and your second OS.

I'm willing to swap the disks manually, but Ive already tried booting from the slave disk from the BIOS without success. I was also wondering if I could fix the mbr with my MS-DOS emergency startup disk because I dont have the XP restore CD.

Thanks

[devils casper]

boot up from MS-DOS startup disk and execute 'fdisk /mbr' command. it will remove GRUB. in case it doesn't work, download SuperGRUB CD .iso image, burn it to CD and boot from it. select Fix Windows option from its Menu.


Plug-in Slave disk as Primary and re-install GRUB using SuperGRUB CD.

[weirrdo7]

Thanks devils_casper

I booted the CD and and it fixed the MBR, but when I load the Windows partition it says NTLDR missing, any suggestions?

Thanks