Computer won't start: Error loading operating system

**e2k** · 06-30-2004

Hello..
I installed SuSE Personal 9.1 a few days ago, and the installation was succesful. The problems began when i tried to start Windows with GRUB. I got an error (the one described here: http://www.linuxforums.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=20105)
Well i found a site that had solved the problem (http://portal.suse.com/sdb/en/2004/0...booting91.html) and started fixing the partition.. Well i succesfully made the floppy, booted up with the installation cd, pressed F6 and entered fixpart=1 as the boot options.. Everything worked, until I got to the screen where I should have chosen the medium from which to install.. I chose floppy (fd0), but after reading the floppy the installer said "No new updates to install", after that I had to press Cancel and Abort. So this didn't work.. I actually tried the whole procedure a couple times (creating the floppy and so on) just to be sure I hadn't done anything wrong, but it still wouldn't work!
Well, in my despare I found myself asking help on irc. Someone explained to me that I have to fix XP:s own bootloader with the command fixmbr in the recovery console. I pointed out to him that it wouldn't work and referred to the instructions on the website, but he just claimed that it's atleast worth a try.. Well it wasn't, cause now I've screwed up my mbr.. When trying to start the machine I get a Error loading operating system and nothing happens. Now how can I get GRUB back in the mbr, and how can I get the floppy-thing-making-windows-bootable -thing working?

Thanks for any help!

EDIT: Okay, I got grub installed, and now I can boot SuSE! But how can I boot to Windows?

**Dolda2000** · 06-30-2004

Can you describe your partition layout exactly? Also, are you getting the exact same error when you try to boot into Windows as in the topic you linked to?

**tr_wright1** · 06-30-2004

im not saying that this is the solution but are you sure that grub
can read ntfs partitions?

thismight not have anything to do with it but it was the first thing that popped into my head.

**Dolda2000** · 06-30-2004

No, GRUB can't read NTFS, but it doesn't need to either. It just chainloads Windows.

**e2k** · 06-30-2004

I got this fixed by reinstalling grub..
I booted up with my SuSE and chose rescue system, fromwhere I installed grub..

But I still can't boot Windows? In other words, I still can't get the floppy-thing working

Should I try to burn the cd or why doesn't it install anything from the floppy?

**Dolda2000** · 06-30-2004

The best way to boot into Windows would be to add a GRUB menu item for that. However, I still need your partition layout to assist you in doing that.

**e2k** · 06-30-2004

Originally Posted by Dolda2000

The best way to boot into Windows would be to add a GRUB menu item for that. However, I still need your partition layout to assist you in doing that.

Being a real amateur, I even have to ask you to assist me on the partition layout

I could add this if it would help? I picked this out of /boot/grub/menu.lst

Code:

title Linux
    kernel &#40;hd0,5&#41;/boot/vmlinuz root=/dev/hda6 vga=0x317 splash=silent desktop resume=/dev/hda5 showopts
    initrd &#40;hd0,5&#41;/boot/initrd

title Windows
    root &#40;hd0,0&#41;
    chainloader +1

My /etc/grub.conf looks like this:

Code:

root &#40;hd0,5&#41;
install --stage2=/boot/grub/stage2 /boot/grub/stage1 d &#40;hd0&#41; /boot/grub/stage2 0x8000 &#40;hd0,5&#41;/boot/grub/menu.lst
quit

Any ideas?

**Dolda2000** · 06-30-2004

OK, two questions:

1. What exactly happens if you select the Windows option when booting?
2. Can you post the output of "fdisk -l" in Linux (you need to run that as root)?

**e2k** · 06-30-2004

Originally Posted by Dolda2000

1. What exactly happens if you select the Windows option when booting?
2. Can you post the output of "fdisk -l" in Linux (you need to run that as root)?

1. My computer stops at this point:

Code:

root &#40;hd 0,0&#41;
Filesystem type unknown, partition type 0x7
chainloader +1

2. I thought I didn't have fdisk, but thanks to the friendly people at the irchannel, this is what I got:

Code:

Disk /dev/hda&#58; 120.0 GB, 120034123776 bytes
16 heads, 63 sectors/track, 232581 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 1008 * 512 = 516096 bytes

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/hda1   *           1      212240   106968771    7  HPFS/NTFS
/dev/hda2          212240      232576    10249470    f  W95 Ext'd &#40;LBA&#41;
/dev/hda5          212241      214321     1048824   82  Linux swap
/dev/hda6          214322      232575     9199984+  83  Linux

**loft306** · 06-30-2004

ok e2k put this link up on the IRC channel that explains this whole problem ... but i need to go so i am just putting the link up for someone else to help him with it..http://portal.suse.com/sdb/en/2004/0...booting91.html

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