Deleted Linux Redhat, now Grub Kernel Errors

[submit2s]

Hello, I'm hoping someone could help me.

I am a student in college studying Computer Networking Systems.

This semester I have Linux Administration.

Most times, I telnet into school to do my work on a session. I wanted to try and have a dual boot system with my Windows XP like at school.

I attempted to install Redhat, however it wouldn't startx, because of my graphics card, not sure why, same card as my school pc, dell, ati radeon.

So, I decided to boot into windows xp and just delete the linux partition with disk manage and reallocate the free space using partition magic..

well, i booted to a grub prompt and cannot find windows or my disk. It will not load to safemode for me to do a recovery, nor boot to the cdrom.

the window i see is

grub> [Minimal BASH-like line editing is supported. For the first word, TAB list possible command completions. Anywhere else TAB lists the possible completions of a device/filename.]

when i click on the tab key it gives me these choices.

possible commands are: backgound blocklist boot cat chainloader clear cmp color configifle debug displayapm embed find foreground fstest geometry halt help hide impsprobe initrd install ioprobe kernel lock makeactive map md5 crypt module modulenounzip pager partnew parttype password pause read reboot root rootnoverify svedefault serial setkey setup splashimage terminal terminfo testload tetvbe unhide uppermem vbeprobe

I do not know enough about linux yet to get out of this.

every choice i make says kernel is not loaded. Did I lose my hard-drive? How can I get around this to my XP back? On the original boot-loader, I designated XP as my first choice.

please help. I have over 50 gigs of windows xp programs/files that will be lost...

[antidrugue]

No problem, you just have to reinstall Windows' own boot loader :
http://www.neowin.net/forum/lofivers...p/t292614.html

[submit2s]

antidrugue, thanks for replying, however, it will not boot to a disk, as soon as windows attempt to load, the grub> prompt appears.

I attempted the windows boot disk, even disabled all boot sequence except cd rom. That didn't work, is there a command at that grub prompt i can use to have it look at the cd rom to load? How do I load the kernel for it to look for the cd?

I tried mounting the cd device, that didn't work.. i'm, in a panic stage now?

Any additional advice is greatly appreciated.

[antidrugue]

Did you try booting from a floppy?
http://www.bootdisk.com/

[submit2s]

Did you try booting from a floppy?
http://www.bootdisk.com/

I don't have a floppy, just cd dvd rw. I went into the bios to change to boot to cd rom only. Once on reboot, the grub menu appears first. It's like this prompt won't even give the cd a chance to load for me to restore windows loader.

Any other suggestions?

[antidrugue]

I don't have a floppy

If you plan to study "Computer Networking Systems", then you should get yourself a floppy drive. Very useful

I don't see Grub having anything to do with your computer not being able to boot from a CD though.

If you can access the Grub menu, then try to reinstall Grub :
http://www.gnu.org/software/grub/man...-GRUB-natively

[spencerf]

that seems like a weird bios issue because if you don't specify any hard disc in the boot order it shouldn't boot to it because grub is generally installed on the mbr of the your hard disc. So if you can't get the cdrom to boot that is very weird. You could try disconnecting your hard disc and then rebooting and hopefully the cdrom will show up. When it does reconnect your hard disc so you can erase grub. This probably isn't recommended though because you really shouldn't connect things when the computer is on but it seems like you are in a bind.

The other way, probably safer, but ultimately doesn't fix your bios problem would be to make a windows entry in grub so you can boot windows from grub. Just boot up redhat and when you get to the command line edit the file:

/boot/grub/menu.lst

then add an entry like this:

title=windows
rootnoverify (hd0,0)
makeactive
chainloader +1

the (hd0,0) assumes that windows is on the first partition of your first harddisk. so it would be /dev/hda1

if windows is somewhere else adjust accordingly: If you don't know where windows is do:
as root

fdisk -l

this will show your partitions and windows should be the NTFS one.

[submit2s]

that seems like a weird bios issue because if you don't specify any hard disc in the boot order it shouldn't boot to it because grub is generally installed on the mbr of the your hard disc. So if you can't get the cdrom to boot that is very weird. You could try disconnecting your hard disc and then rebooting and hopefully the cdrom will show up. When it does reconnect your hard disc so you can erase grub. This probably isn't recommended though because you really shouldn't connect things when the computer is on but it seems like you are in a bind.

The other way, probably safer, but ultimately doesn't fix your bios problem would be to make a windows entry in grub so you can boot windows from grub. Just boot up redhat and when you get to the command line edit the file:

/boot/grub/menu.lst

then add an entry like this:

title=windows
rootnoverify (hd0,0)
makeactive
chainloader +1

the (hd0,0) assumes that windows is on the first partition of your first harddisk. so it would be /dev/hda1

if windows is somewhere else adjust accordingly: If you don't know where windows is do:
as root

fdisk -l

this will show your partitions and windows should be the NTFS one.

Thanks Guys, Resolved. I just so happen looked at the bottom of my Windows CD and it was cracked. That is why it wouldn't load. I have used the fixmbr command and my windows is restored.

Just been a fustrating day. Sometimes you have to step back and take a breath and let things come to you.

Thanks all.

[spencerf]

Thanks Guys, Resolved. I just so happen looked at the bottom of my Windows CD and it was cracked. That is why it wouldn't load. I have used the fixmbr command and my windows is restored.

Just been a fustrating day. Sometimes you have to step back and take a breath and let things come to you.

Thanks all.

glad you figured it out sometimes the stupidest things are the result of our computer problems. Good luck and if you decide to come back to linux we're here to help if you need it.