NTLDR missing after installing fedora15 on my XP

**kalyanmn** · 07-24-2011

Hi,
after installing fedora15 on my xp i get the NTLDR missing error. i have gone through few threads but not able to find proper solution:

my fdisk -l is:

Code:

Disk /dev/sda: 160.0 GB, 160041885696 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 19457 cylinders, total 312581808 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x31283127

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sda1   *          63    61432559    30716248+   c  W95 FAT32 (LBA)
/dev/sda2        61432560   312560639   125564040    f  W95 Ext'd (LBA)
/dev/sda5        61432623   143347994    40957686    7  HPFS/NTFS/exFAT
/dev/sda6       143348058   225263429    40957686    7  HPFS/NTFS/exFAT
/dev/sda7       225265664   310513663    42624000   83  Linux
/dev/sda8       310515712   312559615     1021952   82  Linux swap / Solaris

and my grub.conf is:

Code:

# grub.conf generated by anaconda
#
# Note that you do not have to rerun grub after making changes to this file
# NOTICE:  You do not have a /boot partition.  This means that
#          all kernel and initrd paths are relative to /, eg.
#          root (hd0,6)
#          kernel /boot/vmlinuz-version ro root=/dev/sda7
#          initrd /boot/initrd-[generic-]version.img
#boot=/dev/sda
default=0
timeout=5
splashimage=(hd0,6)/boot/grub/splash.xpm.gz
hiddenmenu
title Fedora (2.6.38.8-35.fc15.i686)
        root (hd0,6)
        kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.38.8-35.fc15.i686 ro root=UUID=d9744da6-c341-4ad0-9b14-b09c2997a035 rd_NO_LUKS rd_NO_LVM rd_NO_MD rd_NO_DM LANG=en_US.UTF-8 SYSFONT=latarcyrheb-sun16 KEYTABLE=us-acentos rhgb quiet
        initrd /boot/initramfs-2.6.38.8-35.fc15.i686.img
title Fedora (2.6.38.8-32.fc15.i686)
        root (hd0,6)
        kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.38.8-32.fc15.i686 ro root=UUID=d9744da6-c341-4ad0-9b14-b09c2997a035 rd_NO_LUKS rd_NO_LVM rd_NO_MD rd_NO_DM LANG=en_US.UTF-8 SYSFONT=latarcyrheb-sun16 KEYTABLE=us-acentos rhgb quiet
        initrd /boot/initramfs-2.6.38.8-32.fc15.i686.img
title Fedora (2.6.38.6-26.rc1.fc15.i686)
        root (hd0,6)
        kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.38.6-26.rc1.fc15.i686 ro root=UUID=d9744da6-c341-4ad0-9b14-b09c2997a035 rd_NO_LUKS rd_NO_LVM rd_NO_MD rd_NO_DM LANG=en_US.UTF-8 SYSFONT=latarcyrheb-sun16 KEYTABLE=us-acentos rhgb quiet
        initrd /boot/initramfs-2.6.38.6-26.rc1.fc15.i686.img
title Other
        rootnoverify (hd0,4)
        chainloader +1

any help is much appreciated in advance

**atreyu** · 07-24-2011

You might need to boot from your Windows XP CD and use the Repair feature to fix your missing NTLDR issue. Then of course, you'd have to boot into Linux Rescue mode (via a Linux Live CD, e.g.) to reinstall grub.

You might also check out Ultimate Boot CD, it is based upon Bart PE, which I've used with some success in the past for trouble-shooting Windows PCs that can't boot.

**ProfTheory** · 07-25-2011

I recommend before repairing XP make a copy of your mbr which you'll restore later.

dd if=/dev/sda count=1 of=/root/grub-mbr.copy

By the way what is on the second NTFS partition?

If you mount your NTFS partitions under Linux you can look in the root of the partitions to see if you have NTLDR, NTDETECT, and boot.ini some where.
What sometimes happens, and it's happened to me, is that Windows puts those files on one drive and \Windows on another.
If you find them then copy them to the other partition. That may be all you need to do to fix XP.
This is one of those been there and had that happen situations.

**idecrash** · 07-25-2011

This is a simple fix.
use you XP cd and go into recovery console (the first R option).
get to the prompt

type: fixmbr, then type: exit

reboot windows will come up, But you will have to use your bios boot options to boot to your Linux.

Best bet install Grub or LiLo and you can select what OS you want to boot into. you can also make one OS default boot.

as for fixing the MBR unless you have a wide network with secure logins per user the backup is not worth the trouble.

If you want both OSs try Grub. or come to freeBSD, and ditch the windows power hog for a power users operating system.

**yancek** · 07-25-2011

Your fdisk output shows sda1 as a bootlable windows partition.
Your grub.conf files shows the windows entry pointing to (hd0,4), sda5 which is a logical partition. Windows can be installed on a logical partition but its boot files need to be on a primary. What's on sda1? Is that a windows system? recovery?

Changing your entry to rootnoverify (hd0,0) might work depending upon what is on sda1. I would suggest you go to the site below, download the bootinfo script and post the output here. This will give useful information on your partitions, mbr, etc.

Boot Info Script | Download Boot Info Script software for free at SourceForge.net

Check the link below (post # 5). Has information on booting windows from logical and requirements. This is the site that created EasyBCD for vista and win 7. There is a link to a microsoft knowledge database enter, I didnt' check that but it should give you some info.

I'm curious how you had things set up before?

**kalyanmn** · 07-26-2011

Thanks all for your replies....
Here is the boot_info_script

Code:

                Boot Info Script 0.60    from 17 May 2011


============================= Boot Info Summary: ===============================

 => Grub Legacy0.97-71.fc15 is installed in the MBR of /dev/sda and looks at 
    sector 229730496 on boot drive #1 for the stage2 file.  A stage2 file is 
    at this location on /dev/sda.  Stage2 looks on partition #7 for 
    /boot/grub/grub.conf..

sda1: __________________________________________________________________________

    File system:       vfat
    Boot sector type:  Windows XP: FAT32
    Boot sector info:   No errors found in the Boot Parameter Block.
    Operating System:  Windows XP
    Boot files:        /boot.ini /ntldr /NTDETECT.COM

sda2: __________________________________________________________________________

    File system:       Extended Partition
    Boot sector type:  -
    Boot sector info:  

sda5: __________________________________________________________________________

    File system:       ntfs
    Boot sector type:  Windows XP
    Boot sector info:   According to the info in the boot sector, sda5 starts 
                       at sector 63.
    Operating System:  
    Boot files:        

sda6: __________________________________________________________________________

    File system:       ntfs
    Boot sector type:  Windows XP
    Boot sector info:   According to the info in the boot sector, sda6 starts 
                       at sector 63.
    Operating System:  
    Boot files:        

sda7: __________________________________________________________________________

    File system:       ext4
    Boot sector type:  -
    Boot sector info:  
    Operating System:  
    Boot files:        

sda8: __________________________________________________________________________

    File system:       swap
    Boot sector type:  -
    Boot sector info:  

============================ Drive/Partition Info: =============================

Drive: sda _____________________________________________________________________

Disk /dev/sda: 160.0 GB, 160041885696 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 19457 cylinders, total 312581808 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes

Partition  Boot  Start Sector    End Sector  # of Sectors  Id System

/dev/sda1    *             63    61,432,559    61,432,497   c W95 FAT32 (LBA)
/dev/sda2          61,432,560   312,560,639   251,128,080   f W95 Extended (LBA)
/dev/sda5          61,432,623   143,347,994    81,915,372   7 NTFS / exFAT / HPFS
/dev/sda6         143,348,058   225,263,429    81,915,372   7 NTFS / exFAT / HPFS
/dev/sda7         225,265,664   310,513,663    85,248,000  83 Linux
/dev/sda8         310,515,712   312,559,615     2,043,904  82 Linux swap / Solaris


"blkid" output: ________________________________________________________________

Device           UUID                                   TYPE       LABEL

/dev/sda1        5C3D-F15A                              vfat       
/dev/sda5        0E9014AD90149D71                       ntfs       
/dev/sda6        0284C6E584C6DA75                       ntfs       
/dev/sda7        d9744da6-c341-4ad0-9b14-b09c2997a035   ext4       _Fedora-15-i686-
/dev/sda8        28b4c564-f044-4b79-8042-8b60a29f902a   swap

Code:

================================ Mount points: =================================

Device           Mount_Point              Type       Options

/dev/sda6        /media/0284C6E584C6DA75  fuseblk    (rw,nosuid,nodev,relatime,user_id=0,group_id=0,default_permissions,allow_other,blksize=4096)
/dev/sda7        /home                    ext4       (rw,relatime,seclabel,barrier=1,data=ordered)
/dev/sda7        /tmp                     ext4       (rw,relatime,seclabel,barrier=1,data=ordered)
/dev/sda7        /                        ext4       (rw,relatime,seclabel,barrier=1,data=ordered)
/dev/sda7        /var/tmp                 ext4       (rw,relatime,seclabel,barrier=1,data=ordered)

Code:

================================ sda1/boot.ini: ================================

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[boot loader]

timeout=30

default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS

[operating systems]

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect

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

Code:

=============================== StdErr Messages: ===============================

./boot_info_script.sh: line 2457: cd: /
/tmp
/var/tmp
/home/: No such file or directory
  No volume groups found
mdadm: No arrays found in config file or automatically



This is my boot.ini file.............
[boot loader]

timeout=30

default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS

[operating systems]

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect

**yancek** · 07-26-2011

Your bootinfo script output shows windows on sda1 and that is the only partition with windows boot files. Using rootnoverify (hd0,0) should work. Your output from the script should have given more information. The other windows partitions are data partitions?

**devils casper** · 07-27-2011

I agree with yancek. Use rootnoverify (hd0,0) in grub.conf file to boot Windows OS.
Did you install Windows OS yourself? Is there any particular reason for creating hidden boot partition and installing Windows OS in Logical Partition? I am just curious. This is not default method of Windows OS installer.

**kalyanmn** · 07-27-2011

It worked out finally as u said doing (hd0, 0) in the grub.conf ....thnks others tooo for taking your time....

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NTLDR missing after installing fedora15 on my XP

Thanks a lot yancek !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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