Dual Boot Keep Grub

[dannn]

Just installed mandriva. Now I need to install vista and keep the grub. What is the easiest way to do this? I don't have a floppy. Please help?

Once vista is loaded is there a way to boot linux from the live cd and Use Repair Grub? If so where is this option?

[MikeTbob]

Download and burn a copy of Supergrub first, then install Vista .......run the Supergrub CD and be happy!
Super Grub Disk Homepage

[dannn]

Thanks Mike

I was looking at some seriously long explanations of how to do it the difficult way. Thank god for supergrub!

[blinky]

This is assuming you did the sensible thing when you installed Mandriva - that is grub was installed into a partition eg sda1 rather than the MBR.

1. Install Vista and get it working

2. reboot with Mandriva install dvd (but don't install or partition anything)
3. get into a command line session (should be available)
4. run fdisk and activate the grub partition and deactivate the Vista boot partition
5. reboot and get into linux, then add entry for Vista in /boot/grub/menu.lst
eg.

title           Microsoft Windows xxx
rootnoverify    (hd0,1)
chainloader     +1

[dannn]

Hi now I'm in Linux and can't get back to windows. However, I printed the contents of fdisk -l in the hope someone may be able to help me with the code which goes in menu.lst

-----------------------------------------------------------------
code:
Disk /dev/sda: 500.1 GB, 500106780160 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 60801 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x92bedad3

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 1 13179 105860286 83 Linux
/dev/sda2 13180 13688 4088542+ 5 Extended
/dev/sda3 * 13689 60801 378434560 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda5 13180 13688 4088511 82 Linux swap / Solaris
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The current code i have in menu.lst is

title microsoft windows vista
rootnoverify (hd0,1)
chainloader +1


-----------------------------------------

Vista is not booting at the minute though, but I have the Linux grub back with a space for Vista. Just need to figure out how to get it back.

[MikeTbob]

Boot Linux and issue this command, post the results please.

sudo ls /boot

We need to know exactly which kernel you have and the above command should tell us this info.

[devils casper]

Did you install Windows OS after installing Linux?
Open /boot/grub/menu.lst file with root privileges and add this code in it :

title Windows OS
rootnoverify (hd0,2)
chainloader +1

Reboot machine and select Windows OS option in GRUB Menu.

Does Windows OS boot up fine?

[dannn]

I executed ls/ boot and got these results. Sudo doesnt work:

[root@localhost user]# ls /boot

boot.backup.sda kernel.h-2.6.29.6-desktop586-2mnb
config@ symvers-2.6.29.1-desktop586-4mnb.gz
config-2.6.29.1-desktop586-4mnb symvers-2.6.29.6-desktop586-2mnb.gz
config-2.6.29.6-desktop586-2mnb System.map@
gfxmenu* System.map-2.6.29.1-desktop586-4mnb
grub/ System.map-2.6.29.6-desktop586-2mnb
initrd-2.6.29.1-desktop586-4mnb.img uk-latin1.klt
initrd-2.6.29.6-desktop586-2mnb.img vmlinuz@
initrd-desktop586.img@ vmlinuz-2.6.29.1-desktop586-4mnb
initrd.img@ vmlinuz-2.6.29.6-desktop586-2mnb
kernel.h@ vmlinuz-desktop586@
kernel.h-2.6.29.1-desktop586-4mnb
[root@localhost user]#

[dannn]

"Did you install Windows OS after installing Linux?"

yes after, but then I got back to linux somehow by using the live cd.

"
Open /boot/grub/menu.lst file with root privileges and add this code in it :
Code:

title Windows OS
rootnoverify (hd0,2)
chainloader +1

Reboot machine and select Windows OS option in GRUB Menu.

Does Windows OS boot up fine?"

It doesn't boot up it just goes in to black screen and returns to the grub menu. I tried to repair mbr with vista boot disk but its not showing my operating system to repair.

Maybe I should start from scratch, first install vista and linux after.

I'm thinking to myself surely I can't have corrupted the Vista operating system. What are your thoughts?

I am not sure if I installed the grub to the mrb of windows, therefore it won't boot?

[devils casper]

Vista installation is not corrupted. Problem is, you have installed Vista in a Logical Partition and Windows OSes do not boot up fine from there.

Back up data, wipe harddisk and start from scratch. Install Vista first. Install Linux after that. Linux doesn't care about partition type and you can install it in Logical Partition too.

First Partition -- Vista
Second -- Extended Partition
Third ( First Logical ) -- Linux
Second Logical -- SWAP
Third Logical - NTFS for data storage. I prefer separte partition for data storage and share data between Linux and Windows through that only.

You can create 62+ Logical Partitions in an Extended Partition.

There is no need to worry about GRUB. Let installer do its stuff. Installer will install GRUB in MBR, detect Vista and setup dual boot itself.