fixmbr not working

[krekon]

Hi

After installing grub (I made format on Win XP) I can't get into Windows. I have tried :

a) To use the hide and unhide commands

b)To use fixmbr and then install again grub. I also used fixboot and bootcfg

c)To change the boot partition

but nothing worked. Instead I had to make a new format on XP. It seems that when I install grub it overwrites the boot part of Windows and I can't make an installation of Windows boot loader again because it writes "NTLDR is missing".

I want to know if I have to delete the grub files when I can get into XP(this means that bootloader of Windows works -- of course after format) and then install again grub.

If you know some other way to make it work even if I have to make the last format on XP it would be pleasant.

This is my grub.conf

# grub.conf generated by anaconda
#
# Note that you do not have to rerun grub after making changes to this file
# NOTICE: You have a /boot partition. This means that
# all kernel and initrd paths are relative to /boot/, eg.
# root (hd0,2)
# kernel /vmlinuz-version ro root=/dev/hda5
# initrd /initrd-version.img
#boot=/dev/hda3
default=0
timeout=10
splashimage=(hd0,2)/grub/splash.xpm.gz
title Red Hat Linux (2.4.18-14)
root (hd0,2)
kernel /vmlinuz-2.4.18-14 ro root=LABEL=/
initrd /initrd-2.4.18-14.img
title DOS
rootnoverify (hd0,0)
chainloader +1


This is my device.map

# this device map was generated by anaconda
(fd0) /dev/fd0
(hd0) /dev/hda

[devils casper]

i think you didn't read my post in your last thread. ( here ). post the output of 'fdisk -l' command. we can suggest you only after checking partition structure.





casper

[krekon]

I think I put wrong hard disk

This is my fdisk -l


Disk /dev/hda: 255 heads, 63 sectors, 5005 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 bytes

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/hda1 * 1 2502 20097283+ 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/hda2 2503 4032 12289725 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/hda3 4033 4045 104422+ 83 Linux
/dev/hda4 4046 5005 7711200 f Win95 Ext'd (LBA)
/dev/hda5 4046 4908 6932016 83 Linux
/dev/hda6 4909 5005 779121 82 Linux swap

Disk /dev/hdb: 255 heads, 63 sectors, 2501 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 bytes

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/hdb1 * 1 589 4731111 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/hdb2 590 2501 15358140 f Win95 Ext'd (LBA)
/dev/hdb5 590 2501 15358108+ 7 HPFS/NTFS

Probably I have to make format or change the hard disk to hdb1 and do again fixmbr

[devils casper]

you have two harddisks. one has Windows and Linux. other has windows only.
now... where is the problem?
what is this format stuff? are re-installing windows?
where did you install GRUB?





casper

[krekon]

Firstly it is one hard disk with Windows and Linux and another hard disk with ntfs but without windows.

Yes I mean re-installing Windows

As the device.map says I have installed Grub in /dev/hda.

Where should I have installed Grub?

[devils casper]

Where should I have installed Grub?

in Master Boot Record of hda, your first harddisk.

i assume that Linux is working fine. re-install Windows. after installation, boot up from Linux CD and execute this code at boot: prompt

linux rescue
chroot /mnt/sysimage
grub-install /dev/hda

grub-install command will re-install GRUB in the MBR of hda.





casper

[krekon]

It worked thanks a lot.

I had done the same steps the last time I tried it and it worked. I don't know why it didn't worked this time. I have to install grub in this way, I suppose.

[devils casper]

you must had changed something in grub.conf or device.map file earlier.
setting up dual boot and tweaking GRUB is very easy. GRUB's working depends on the contents of grub.conf and device.map files. according to output of fdisk -l command, contents of your grub.conf file are correct.
i am glad it worked.





casper