Dual boot windows XP and SUSE 10.2 using GRUB

[dw534]

Hi everyone,

I am just starting out in linux and am having trouble dual booting Windows XP and Suse 10.2 using GRUB. I have done hundreds of searches on numerous forums and read many how-to guides, but I just cannot get it working. I have Suse installed on sda and Windows on sdb. I can boot to both of them by switching hd priorities in BIOS, but when I try to boot to XP from GRUB, it just displays the commands in my menu.lst.

fdisk -l shows:

Disk /dev/sda: 250.0 GB, 250059350016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 30401 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 1 262 2104483+ 82 Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sda2 * 263 288 208845 83 Linux
/dev/sda3 289 6816 52436160 83 Linux
/dev/sda4 6817 30314 188747685 83 Linux

Disk /dev/sdb: 250.0 GB, 250059350016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 30401 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sdb1 * 1 3187 25599546 7 HPFS/NTFS
Partition 1 does not end on cylinder boundary.
/dev/sdb2 3188 3200 104422+ f W95 Ext'd (LBA)
Partition 2 does not end on cylinder boundary.
/dev/sdb4 13829 30401 133116480 7 HPFS/NTFS
Partition 4 does not end on cylinder boundary.

Here is my menu.lst:

# Modified by YaST2. Last modification on Sat Feb 3 07:53:15 EST 2007
default 0
timeout 8
##YaST - generic_mbr
gfxmenu (hd0,1)/message
##YaST - activate

###Don't change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: linux###
title openSUSE 10.2
root (hd0,1)
kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.18.2-34-default root=/dev/sda3 vga=0x31a resume=/dev/sda1 splash=silent showopts
initrd /initrd-2.6.18.2-34-default

###Don't change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: windows###
title Windows
map (hd0) (hd1)
map (hd1) (hd0)
rootnoverify (hd1,0)
makeactive
chainloader +1

###Don't change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: floppy###
title Floppy
rootnoverify (hd0,0)
chainloader (fd0)+1

###Don't change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: failsafe###
title Failsafe -- openSUSE 10.2
root (hd0,1)
kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.18.2-34-default root=/dev/sda3 vga=normal showopts ide=nodma apm=off acpi=off noresume edd=off 3
initrd /initrd-2.6.18.2-34-default

I have tried changing the menu.lst several times and just can't seem to get Windows to boot. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[devils casper]

hi dw534 !

Welcome to the LinuxForums.

did you add entry for WIndows disk in /boot/grub/device.map file?
add this line

(hd1) /dev/sdb

SuSe harddisk must be plugged in as Primary Master. check if it works.






Casper

[dw534]

Yes, here is my device.map

(fd0) /dev/fd0
(hd0) /dev/sda
(hd1) /dev/sdb

[devils casper]

Everything is correct except partition boundries of Windows Harddisk but that should not create booting problem.
Is SuSe harddisk plugged in Primary Master?





Casper

[dw534]

Yes, it is the Primary Master. I just double checked.

By the way, thanks for the welcome and the quick responses.

[devils casper]

Yes, it is the Primary Master. I just double checked.

hmm... GRUB should boot up Windows correctly. codes are correct and nothing is wrong with Windows too.
SWAP Harddisk connectors and check if it works.






Casper

[dw534]

I have SATA hard drives, so there is no primary or secondary master, just a boot order control in BIOS.

[devils casper]

did you try to SWAP connectors?







Casper

[dw534]

swapping connectors loads straight to windows, unless I change the boot order. After changing the boot order in BIOS, I still have the same problem.

[devils casper]

okkk ! revert back to earlier setup and system should load GRUB at startup.
edit menu.lst file and remove makeactive line

title Windows
rootnoverify (hd1,0)
map (hd0) (hd1)
map (hd1) (hd0)
chainloader +1

Casper