[PenguinXtra]

So this Super Grub disk has not worked out how I would like. None of the options have worked yet. I have tried

Fix Boot of Gnu/Linux (GRUB)
Boot Gnu/Linux
Boot Gnu/Linux Directly
Boot Gnu/Linux (Advanced)

All options either cause a reboot that goes into a broken GRUB screen or they give Error 13: Invalid or unsupported executable format.

I tried booting my primary NTFS partition(the Vista x64 part) and freaking Windows XP boots!!!! Even though I explicitly specified it to be installed on a FAT32 partition separate of Vista! I want to f'ing kill Microsoft right now I am so angry, but anyways.

Can you shed some light onto what I might do to fix this GRUB problem?

EDIT: Ok so I looked around abit more on this XP install, and it appears that I didn't clober the Vista partition. I guess it just clobered the Vista boot record to boot into XP instead. I still have my primary NTFS partition (C as well as the FAT32 part (D: ???). Im getting way over my head here and I almost don't want to touch anything.

[PenguinXtra]

Ok on second look I noticed that it actually booted the Windows XP install on the FAT32 Partition, so I don't believe its clobered my Vista install. It just choose to boot XP after selecting to boot the NTFS partition. I still cannot seem to get Linux to boot directly however, It will just restart the PC and go into the broken GRUB screen. If I try to boot Linux from the broken grub screen I get

Error 15: File not found

If I try to directly boot from the Linux partition in boot options, I get

Error 13: Invalid or unsupported executable format

Any ideas?

[Jonathan183]

Thats odd ... SuperGrub has always sort things in the past for me ... I expected direct boot and fix grub options to work. Can you boot from Ubuntu live CD and post the output of

sudo fdisk -l

[yancek]

Vista doesn't work if older version of windows are installed. Vista uses a different bootloader, see: Windows Vista no longer starts after you install an earlier version of the Windows operating system in a dual-boot configuration

When you installed XP it wrote over your previous mbr. That's why XP boots when you select Vista. Your Vista is still there. Read the above link to start. Not sure why SuperGrub didn't work, you may need to install Grub to the mbr again but I would read the above link so you have an understanding of the xp/vista problem.

[PenguinXtra]

Ok so a fdisk -l shows

Disk /dev/sda: 160.0 GB, 160041885696 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 19457 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x10000000

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 1 14381 115515351 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda2 14382 14443 498015 82 Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sda3 * 14444 15773 10683225 83 Linux
/dev/sda4 15774 19457 29591730 c W95 FAT32 (LBA)

Sorry its alittle ugly, couldn't get the spacing to come out right.

Anyways, I read the microsoft article you listed yancek and I was wondering If I should do all the steps listed. It seems like the article refers to a dual boot w/o using GRUB.

[Jonathan183]

If you could not get grub to load through Supergrub then try a manual install from the Ubuntu cd

sudo grub
root (hd0,2)
setup (hd0)
quit

Then try a shutdown and restart and check you get grub as the bootloader. You should then be able to try the Vista boot option ... what happens?

[yancek]

I'd suggest you stick with Grub. It's generally a lot easier. I gave you that link as an explanation of why when you tried to boot vista it booted xp instead. Try Jonathan183's suggestion to re-install Grub.

[PenguinXtra]

Ok I ran those commands under the live cd and rebooted, but no luck.

Trying to launch Vista gives

Error 13: Invalid or unsupported executable format

Trying to launch any of the Ubuntu options gives

Error 15: File not found

[Jonathan183]

Can you boot from the Ubuntu live CD again and run

sudo -s
mkdir /manmount
mount /dev/sda3 /manmount
cat /manmount/boot/grub/menu.lst
ls /manmount/boot

and post output.

[PenguinXtra]

k heres the output

root@ubuntu:~# cat /manmount/boot/grub/menu.lst

# menu.lst - See: grub(, info grub, update-grub(
# grub-install(, grub-floppy(,
# grub-md5-crypt, /usr/share/doc/grub
# and /usr/share/doc/grub-doc/.

## default num
# Set the default entry to the entry number NUM. Numbering starts from 0, and
# the entry number 0 is the default if the command is not used.
#
# You can specify 'saved' instead of a number. In this case, the default entry
# is the entry saved with the command 'savedefault'.
# WARNING: If you are using dmraid do not use 'savedefault' or your
# array will desync and will not let you boot your system.
default 0

## timeout sec
# Set a timeout, in SEC seconds, before automatically booting the default entry
# (normally the first entry defined).
timeout 10

## hiddenmenu
# Hides the menu by default (press ESC to see the menu)
#hiddenmenu

# Pretty colours
#color cyan/blue white/blue

## password ['--md5'] passwd
# If used in the first section of a menu file, disable all interactive editing
# control (menu entry editor and command-line) and entries protected by the
# command 'lock'
# e.g. password topsecret
# password --md5 $1$gLhU0/$aW78kHK1QfV3P2b2znUoe/
# password topsecret

#
# examples
#
# title Windows 95/98/NT/2000
# root (hd0,0)
# makeactive
# chainloader +1
#
# title Linux
# root (hd0,1)
# kernel /vmlinuz root=/dev/hda2 ro
#

#
# Put static boot stanzas before and/or after AUTOMAGIC KERNEL LIST

### BEGIN AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST
## lines between the AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST markers will be modified
## by the debian update-grub script except for the default options below

## DO NOT UNCOMMENT THEM, Just edit them to your needs

## ## Start Default Options ##
## default kernel options
## default kernel options for automagic boot options
## If you want special options for specific kernels use kopt_x_y_z
## where x.y.z is kernel version. Minor versions can be omitted.
## e.g. kopt=root=/dev/hda1 ro
## kopt_2_6_8=root=/dev/hdc1 ro
## kopt_2_6_8_2_686=root=/dev/hdc2 ro
# kopt=root=UUID=2cb35bd0-ad68-44f4-b16f-c6d7257faa94 ro

## Setup crashdump menu entries
## e.g. crashdump=1
# crashdump=0

## default grub root device
## e.g. groot=(hd0,0)
# groot=(hd0,3)

## should update-grub create alternative automagic boot options
## e.g. alternative=true
## alternative=false
# alternative=true

## should update-grub lock alternative automagic boot options
## e.g. lockalternative=true
## lockalternative=false
# lockalternative=false

## additional options to use with the default boot option, but not with the
## alternatives
## e.g. defoptions=vga=791 resume=/dev/hda5
# defoptions=quiet splash

## should update-grub lock old automagic boot options
## e.g. lockold=false
## lockold=true
# lockold=false

## Xen hypervisor options to use with the default Xen boot option
# xenhopt=

## Xen Linux kernel options to use with the default Xen boot option
# xenkopt=console=tty0

## altoption boot targets option
## multiple altoptions lines are allowed
## e.g. altoptions=(extra menu suffix) extra boot options
## altoptions=(recovery) single
# altoptions=(recovery mode) single

## controls how many kernels should be put into the menu.lst
## only counts the first occurence of a kernel, not the
## alternative kernel options
## e.g. howmany=all
## howmany=7
# howmany=all

## should update-grub create memtest86 boot option
## e.g. memtest86=true
## memtest86=false
# memtest86=true

## should update-grub adjust the value of the default booted system
## can be true or false
# updatedefaultentry=false

## should update-grub add savedefault to the default options
## can be true or false
# savedefault=false

## ## End Default Options ##

title Ubuntu 8.04, kernel 2.6.24-16-generic
root (hd0,3)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.24-16-generic root=UUID=2cb35bd0-ad68-44f4-b16f-c6d7257faa94 ro quiet splash
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.24-16-generic
quiet

title Ubuntu 8.04, kernel 2.6.24-16-generic (recovery mode)
root (hd0,3)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.24-16-generic root=UUID=2cb35bd0-ad68-44f4-b16f-c6d7257faa94 ro single
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.24-16-generic

title Ubuntu 8.04, memtest86+
root (hd0,3)
kernel /boot/memtest86+.bin
quiet

### END DEBIAN AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST

# This is a divider, added to separate the menu items below from the Debian
# ones.
title Other operating systems:
root


# This entry automatically added by the Debian installer for a non-linux OS
# on /dev/sda2
title Windows Vista/Longhorn (loader)
root (hd0,1)
savedefault
makeactive
chainloader +1

root@ubuntu:~# ls /manmount/boot

abi-2.6.24-16-generic initrd.img-2.6.24-16-generic.bak
config-2.6.24-16-generic memtest86+.bin
grub System.map-2.6.24-16-generic
initrd.img-2.6.24-16-generic vmlinuz-2.6.24-16-generic