Ubuntu V 8.10 Grub error 21 - Tried many things to no avail

[killpotts]

V.8.10 Another Grub error 21 Problem...
Hello All, I have been trying to install Ubuntu 8.10 and I am currently typing this using the live CD. I have Windows XP already installed ( but now I can't boot to it because of, well, this error. )with one internal HD and 2 external USB HD's

Basically, whenever my computer boots up it goes to a black screen that states "loading grub...Error 21" and then freezes. The
only way out is to Ctrl+alt+delete to restart. I cannot boot either Linux or XP. The only way for me to do anything is to boot from the Ubuntu CD, which is what I have done now. I unfortunately do not have an XP boot CD.

I have tried changing the boot order to no avail. Also, my bios does not have an option in it to make any changes to Master/slave relationships.

I have been looking around the internet for ways to fix this and I have found Grub error 21 being fixed by a multitude of ways. All of them either did not work for me, or the solution were far to ridden with linux terms I am not yet familiar enough with to understand.


One thing I did find was a script for providing some info that should help those of you who understand it to help me figure out what I need to do. boot_info_script27.sh

Here are the results:

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

=> Grub0.97 is installed in the MBR of /dev/sda and looks on boot drive #3 in
partition #5 for /boot/grub/stage2 and /boot/grub/menu.lst.
=> No boot loader is installed in the MBR of /dev/sdc

sda1: __________________________________________________ _______________________

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

sda2: __________________________________________________ _______________________

File system: vfat
Boot sector type: Windows XP: Fat32
Boot sector info: No errors found in the Boot Parameter Block.
Operating System:
Boot files/dirs:

sdc1: __________________________________________________ _______________________

File system: ntfs
Boot sector type: Windows XP
Boot sector info: No errors found in the Boot Parameter Block.
Operating System:
Boot files/dirs:

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

Drive: sda ___________________ __________________________________________________ ___

Disk /dev/sda: 80.0 GB, 80026361856 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 9729 cylinders, total 156301488 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x3c9e3c9d

Partition Boot Start End Size Id System

/dev/sda1 * 12,305,790 156,296,384 143,990,595 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda2 63 12,305,789 12,305,727 b W95 FAT32


Drive: sdc ___________________ __________________________________________________ ___

Disk /dev/sdc: 500.1 GB, 500107862016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 60801 cylinders, total 976773168 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0xa4b57300

Partition Boot Start End Size Id System

/dev/sdc1 63 976,768,064 976,768,002 7 HPFS/NTFS


blkid -c /dev/null: __________________________________________________ __________

/dev/sda1: UUID="44BC7723BC770F24" TYPE="ntfs"
/dev/sda2: UUID="8C13-DAE3" TYPE="vfat"
/dev/sdc1: UUID="64148EEC148EC092" LABEL="ALPHA MEH" TYPE="ntfs"
/dev/loop0: TYPE="squashfs"

=============================== "mount" output: ===============================

/proc on /proc type proc (rw)
sysfs on /sys type sysfs (rw)
tmpfs on /lib/modules/2.6.27-7-generic/volatile type tmpfs (rw,mode=0755)
tmpfs on /lib/modules/2.6.27-7-generic/volatile type tmpfs (rw,mode=0755)
tmpfs on /lib/init/rw type tmpfs (rw,nosuid,mode=0755)
varrun on /var/run type tmpfs (rw,nosuid,mode=0755)
varlock on /var/lock type tmpfs (rw,noexec,nosuid,nodev,mode=1777)
udev on /dev type tmpfs (rw,mode=0755)
tmpfs on /dev/shm type tmpfs (rw,nosuid,nodev)
devpts on /dev/pts type devpts (rw,noexec,nosuid,gid=5,mode=620)
rootfs on / type rootfs (rw)
fusectl on /sys/fs/fuse/connections type fusectl (rw)
/dev/scd0 on /cdrom type iso9660 (ro,noatime)
/dev/loop0 on /rofs type squashfs (ro,noatime)
tmpfs on /tmp type tmpfs (rw,nosuid,nodev)
binfmt_misc on /proc/sys/fs/binfmt_misc type binfmt_misc (rw,noexec,nosuid,nodev)
gvfs-fuse-daemon on /home/ubuntu/.gvfs type fuse.gvfs-fuse-daemon (rw,nosuid,nodev,user=ubuntu)
/dev/sdc1 on /media/ALPHA MEH type fuseblk (rw,nosuid,nodev,allow_other,blksize=4096)
/dev/sda1 on /media/disk type fuseblk (rw,nosuid,nodev,allow_other,blksize=4096)


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

[boot loader]

timeout=30

default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOW S

[operating systems]

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Micro soft Windows XP Professional" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect

[devils casper]

Hi and Welcome !

Boot up from Ubuntu LiveCD, open Terminal and execute this

sudo fdisk -l

Post output here.

[killpotts]

Disk /dev/sda: 80.0 GB, 80026361856 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 9729 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x3c9e3c9d

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 767 9729 71995297+ 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda2 1 766 6152863+ b W95 FAT32

Partition table entries are not in disk order

Disk /dev/sdc: 500.1 GB, 500107862016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 60801 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0xa4b57300

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sdc1 1 60801 488384001 7 HPFS/NTFS






Thats with only 1 of my Externals connected. The other one will no longer mount for some reason.

[devils casper]

There isn't any Linux partition in any of mounted disk. Did install linux in other External disk? In that case, you have installed GRUB in MBR of internal disk instead of External disk. Actually, thats not your fault. Installer installs GRUB in MBR of Primary disk only and in some machines, it doesn't work.

Download SuperGRUB CD, USB or Floppy image. Boot up from SuperGRUB disk and select Fix Windows Boot Loader option. It will remove GRUB and Windows OS will boot up fine.
Make sure to install GRUB in External disk during next installation.

* SuperGRUB server is down right now. Check it again after a while. In case you have Floppy Driver, download Windows 98 Bootable Floppy from bootdisk.com. Boot up from Floppy and execute this at prompt :

fdisk /mbr

[killpotts]

I don't have a floppy drive

[devils casper]

Do you have Installation CD of any Windows OS? Windows 98, ME or XP?
Boot up machine from Windows OS installation CD, select repair and execute fixmbr command at Repair prompt. It will remove GRUB.

I will search an alternative source of SuperGRUB disk and let you know.

[devils casper]

Download this CD Image and burn it to CD or this USB image.