[SOLVED] Windows XP + SuSe 11.2 = Grub error 12

[ytrewq]

Hi all,
whole my linux experience is last several days that I can't solve following problem.

I had to install openSuSe on hard drive with Windows XP installed (windows was on d: and c: was given to linux). After this, as I understand, ntloader was replaced by Grub, so I couldn't load Windows anymore. Added windows section in Grub, but all I get is error 12: Invalid device or someth. like this. Fixmbr and fixboot through recovery console don't work.

Here's my partition:

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sda1               1         144     1156648+  82  Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sda2            6376       38912   261353452+   f  W95 Ext'd (LBA)
/dev/sda3   *         145        2646    20097315   83  Linux
/dev/sda4            2647        6375    29953192+  83  Linux
/dev/sda5            6376       13414    56540736    7  HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda6           13415       26163   102406311    7  HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda7           26164       38912   102406311    7  HPFS/NTFS

and /boot/grub/menu.lst:

default 0
timeout 8
##YaST - generic_mbr
gfxmenu (hd0,2)/boot/message
##YaST - activate

###Don't change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: linux###
title SUSE LINUX 
    root (hd0,2)
    kernel /boot/vmlinuz root=/dev/disk/by-id/ata-ST3320620A_9QF4BXNK-part3 resume=/dev/disk/by-id/ata-ST3320620A_9QF4BXNK-part1 splash=silent quiet showopts
    initrd /boot/initrd

###Don't change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: failsafe###
title Failsafe -- SUSE LINUX 
    root (hd0,2)
    kernel /boot/vmlinuz root=/dev/disk/by-id/ata-ST3320620A_9QF4BXNK-part3 showopts apm=off noresume nosmp maxcpus=0 edd=off powersaved=off nohz=off highres=off processor.max_cstate=1 x11failsafe
    initrd /boot/initrd

###Don't change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: other###
title Windows XP
    rootnoverify (hd0,4)
    makeactive
    chainloader +1

could someone response, what can be done to make dual boot possible without windows reinstall?
and sorry for my english if there's some mistakes - it's not my native language

[devils casper]

Hi and Welcome !

Windows OS has been installed in Logical Partition and in most of machines, it doesn't boot up from there.
Did you create new partition(s) during Linux installation?

[ytrewq]

I didn't do anything manually. There were 4 logical partitions: c, d (windows system), e, f. C: was given to SuSe and during installations it became that, what's in fdisk -l in first post. Three partitions are ntfs as you see and the rest is what SuSe maid with another one

[Lostfarmer]

It looks like you have a generic mbr code and grub is installed on the linux root partition (sda3). Do Not Use 'makeactive' in the XP title section or you will loose grub.

You do now have a very bad partition lay out. With no primary partition that XP can read, you will not be able to do a clean or repair install of XP. Would consider starting fresh. Or at least delete the linux partitions and moving XP's boot partitions back to a primary one, may not work with XP system was on D: but now C:.

From what you posted would guess the boot files for XP was on C: (now missing) and XP itself was on D:.

From your error would guess that D:\ did not have XP's boot code written into it Volume Boot Record (was not needed till now) but 'fixboot' should have fixed that problem. but the 3 boot files will need to be copied from XP cd and put at root of D:\ (sda5). Files are 'ntdetect.com ,NTLDR,boot.ini'. Boot.ini file will need edited for the correct information.

[yancek]

If you had xp on D:\ and put Opensuse on C:\, what was on C:\ previously. As indicated above, it may have been a boot partition. Above posts are correct and if you go to the microsoft support site you will find that xp will not boot from a logical partition unless you have its boot files on a primary. You could delete the swap partition you have at the beginning of the drive and create a new partition to put boot files on. Wouldn't know how to do that as I've never used xp but you may find help at a windows forum.

Easies solution may be what is suggested above, start over.

[Lostfarmer]

XP normaly will not have a problem booting from only a logical volume but will not do any type of install without a primary partition, not sure if there might be problems with some 'recovery console' commands. I have booted into 98 and XP with no primary partitions on any hdd in system.

[ytrewq]

Thanks to all, who replied!

Following instructions, I copied those files: ntdetect.com and ntldr from xp boot cd. Then tried to edit boot.ini. Now there's no Grub error throughout loading, but just that two lines from /boot/grub/menu.lst (makeactive was deleted as advised) on black screen:

rootnoverify (hd0,4)
chainloader +1

After this I experimented with boot.ini, writing different partition numbers into line:

[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(5)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect

until found nice xp console command 'bootcfg'. But scanning system with it given no results - it didn't see any installed windows.
I suggest, this mean, that there's no way to repair xp and it need to be reinstalled? Did anyone had same situation?
Though I understand, it's already windows problem..

[devils casper]

As I mentioned earlier, there is no way to fix Windows OS. You have to re-install.
Back up data, wipe harddisk and install Windows OS in first Primary Partition. Create an Extended Partition using rest of free space. Create Logical Partitions in Extended Partition for Linux and data storage.

[Lostfarmer]

I must agree the best and likely fastest is to reinstall XP, but if due to hard to replace 3rd party programs or slow internet for XP updates a fix might be posible. below may or may not work.

With any partitioning software , live linux cd/ XP cd/??, delete all linux partitions (just delete the linux swap might work) , be sure to leave sda2,5-7. Make a small FAT32 partition at begaining of hdd to hold XP boot files. The parition MUST be formated with XP cd 'recovery console', copy the boot files to new partition and also run 'fixboot, fixmbr and bootcfg'. You might still need to edit boot.ini for correct partition if bootcfg does not work.

[ytrewq]

Brilliant!
It works! Deleted in Partition Magic linux swap, created new primary partition, copied NTLoader files to it, used 'fixboot', 'fixmbr' and 'bootcfg /rebuild' and all. Was surprised that linux runs even without swap partition.

Thank you guys very much! especially Lostfarmer