Last hope post

[ryannathans]

hi, I have windows installed, linux installed (slitaz) and would like to use GRUB as my bootloader to choose between them at startup. Only one problem...

I currently don't have GRUB installed and do not know how to do so... I have the Super GRUB disc and tried for hours without any hope..

i have a few partitions and only one hard drive.

1. some kind of recovery drive that DOES NOT BOOT
2. Windows 7 Installation Parttition NEEDS TO BOOT
3. all my files, music movies etc., DOES NOT BOOT
4. unpartitioned space
5. Linux partition NEEDS TO BOOT

how can install GRUB as boot loader and choose between windows 7 and my linux at startup???

also if you can't help but know where i can get help please let me know

is there any other bootloader easier to setup or that you reccomend?

THIS IS MY LAST HOPE!

THANKS
ryan

[b2bwild]

Isn't GRUB installed when you installed Linux?

boot with LiveCD and run a command in console (as root)

fdisk -l

[ryannathans]

Isn't GRUB installed when you installed Linux?

boot with LiveCD and run a command in console (as root)

fdisk -l

it said " DO YOU WANT TO INSTALL GRUB ON xxxxx" and it was going to install to wrong partition so i said no...

what livecd? the super grub or sclitaz?

do i still run fdisk -l ??

[yancek]

Is this the Linux OS you are referring to:

SliTaz GNU/Linux (en)

Did you read the instructions on installing it to hard drive?

SliTaz - HD Installation

b2bwilds suggestion to post your partition information is using the slitaz CD and running the fdisk -l command from a terminal (it's a lower case Letter L in the command). I've never heard of slitaz so I don't know anything about it. Where was it going to install Grub? There should be an Advanced or Custom tab during the installation where you can select where to install Grub so you don't have to accept the default.

Are you able to boot windows? Have you made the win 7 recovery CD? You would have to install Grub stage1 file to the master boot record if you want it to boot anything with Grub.

You may be better off using a windows program, you can download EasyBCD from neosmart technologies (google that). It is designed to boot other systems from vista/win 7 and modify the vista/win 7 bootloader. Simple GUI for windows users.

[ryannathans]

EDIT: yes that is the linux OS im using and yes i read instructions, they are for outdated version though

Okay...

i installed easyBCD and this error when trying to boot my linux [SEE ATTACHMENT), windows 7 booting working fine

what did i do wrong haha

my current hard drive layout

1. recovery
2. windows 7 (booting)
3. all my 'stuff'
4. Slitaz (ERROR)


thanks muchly
ryan

[yancek]

Is Slitaz a Live CD? Can you load it and run it without install. You need to post the output of the "fdisk -l" command by opening a terminal and logging in as root (type su, or su - at the terminal prompt). Post the output here. Also in the terminal run "ls -l /boot/" (without quotes and post the output.

[ryannathans]

attached is the results...

slitaz can be used as a livecd but performs so much better when installed

[yancek]

sda1 is your win 7 recovery partition and you won't boot that. You need to make a recovery CD to use to access that partition but there is no reason to do that unless you need to do a recovery. sda2 would be your win 7 system files which you say you can now boot. sda3 is a win 7 data partition and you don't boot that but access it form within win 7. the sda4 is your Slitaz.

From your Slitaz CD, open terminal, as root type grub for prompt and type:

root (hd0,3)
setup (hd0)
quit

Before doing above, when you type Grub at the prompt you should see something like:

GNU GRUB version 0.97 (640K lower / 3072K upper memory). If your grub version is 0.97 your OK, if it's newer don't do this as numbering has changed. The commands above should install Grub to the mbr. You may then need to go to the /boot/grub/menu.lst file and check your entry for windows.

If you want to use EasyBCD and win 7 bootloader, don't do the above process! Is the error above trying to boot Slitaz from EasyBCD?

[ryannathans]

sda1 is your win 7 recovery partition and you won't boot that. You need to make a recovery CD to use to access that partition but there is no reason to do that unless you need to do a recovery. sda2 would be your win 7 system files which you say you can now boot. sda3 is a win 7 data partition and you don't boot that but access it form within win 7. the sda4 is your Slitaz.

From your Slitaz CD, open terminal, as root type grub for prompt and type:

root (hd0,3)
setup (hd0)
quit

Before doing above, when you type Grub at the prompt you should see something like:

GNU GRUB version 0.97 (640K lower / 3072K upper memory). If your grub version is 0.97 your OK, if it's newer don't do this as numbering has changed. The commands above should install Grub to the mbr. You may then need to go to the /boot/grub/menu.lst file and check your entry for windows.

If you want to use EasyBCD and win 7 bootloader, don't do the above process! Is the error above trying to boot Slitaz from EasyBCD?

yes i want to boot slitaz with easybcd and the above error is what i get when trying to boot it with easybcd. I do not want to use another method.



thanks
ryan