grub issues with winxp and ubuntu 8.10

[OktaYnex]

I have been searching this site, as well as many other trying to find an answer to this. I figured if maybe I posed my exact problem, I could possibly get an answer that works on my end, because nothing seems to be going my way...

Well, I have Windows XP on my master drive, and installed Ubuntu 8.10 on another, which is the slave. When I get to the GRUB menu, I see 3 different Ubuntu selections there, and not windows. I have added several different things to /boot/grub/menu.lst (If that is the wrong path, I was in the right one earlier...took a break for a few hours, cant remember what the exact path is). An example was...

title WinXP
root (hd1,0)
savedefault
makeactive
chainloader +1

I also had a few other different things, although I cannot remember what they were.

When I added this one(at least I think it was this one), I was stuck on "Starting Up...", and it just sat there. I had a different entry and I was told "NTLDR is Missing".

A the same time, I also had my Mybook plugged up, and I'm not sure if that has anything to do with it.

I'm wondering if there is anything else I can do, if any of the entries I was putting in were even correct. Also, would changing the master/slave settings have anything to do with it?

If more information is needed, I will probably be back working at it tomarrow afternoon.

I appriciate any information that can be given, for this is really starting to give me a headache. I'm a person who learns things from mistakes, well, when it comes to things like this. However, I am tired of making mistakes on this.

Thanks in advance...

[jayd512]

Hello and Welcome!

Can you post the output of

fdisk -l

[OktaYnex]

eh...

Doesn't seem like I should be seeing this...

cannot open /dev/sda
cannot open /dev/sdb

EDIT*** I am able to mount the drive, but I don't know if that makes a difference.

[Jonathan183]

try

sudo fdisk -l

also post the output of

cat /boot/grub/menu.lst

[OktaYnex]

Hear is the output of "sudo fdisk -l"

Disk /dev/sda: 80.0 GB, 80026361856 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 9729 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x023c023c

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 1 9327 74919096 83 Linux
/dev/sda2 9328 9729 3229065 5 Extended
/dev/sda5 9328 9729 3229033+ 82 Linux swap / Solaris

Disk /dev/sdb: 250.0 GB, 250059350016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 30401 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x16b6c2ec

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sdb1 * 1 30400 244187968+ 7 HPFS/NTFS

Here is the out put for "cat /boot/grub/menu.lst". I added three different WinXP entries, so I didnt forget what I tried previously.

# menu.lst - See: grub(, info grub, update-grub(
# grub-install(, grub-floppy(,
# grub-md5-crypt, /usr/share/doc/grub
# and /usr/share/doc/grub-doc/.

## default num
# Set the default entry to the entry number NUM. Numbering starts from 0, and
# the entry number 0 is the default if the command is not used.
#
# You can specify 'saved' instead of a number. In this case, the default entry
# is the entry saved with the command 'savedefault'.
# WARNING: If you are using dmraid do not use 'savedefault' or your
# array will desync and will not let you boot your system.
default 0

## timeout sec
# Set a timeout, in SEC seconds, before automatically booting the default entry
# (normally the first entry defined).
timeout 3

## hiddenmenu
# Hides the menu by default (press ESC to see the menu)
hiddenmenu

# Pretty colours
#color cyan/blue white/blue

## password ['--md5'] passwd
# If used in the first section of a menu file, disable all interactive editing
# control (menu entry editor and command-line) and entries protected by the
# command 'lock'
# e.g. password topsecret
# password --md5 $1$gLhU0/$aW78kHK1QfV3P2b2znUoe/
# password topsecret

#
# examples
#
# title Windows 95/98/NT/2000
# root (hd0,0)
# makeactive
# chainloader +1
#
# title Linux
# root (hd0,1)
# kernel /vmlinuz root=/dev/hda2 ro
#

#
# Put static boot stanzas before and/or after AUTOMAGIC KERNEL LIST

### BEGIN AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST
## lines between the AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST markers will be modified
## by the debian update-grub script except for the default options below

## DO NOT UNCOMMENT THEM, Just edit them to your needs

## ## Start Default Options ##
## default kernel options
## default kernel options for automagic boot options
## If you want special options for specific kernels use kopt_x_y_z
## where x.y.z is kernel version. Minor versions can be omitted.
## e.g. kopt=root=/dev/hda1 ro
## kopt_2_6_8=root=/dev/hdc1 ro
## kopt_2_6_8_2_686=root=/dev/hdc2 ro
# kopt=root=UUID=d9fdbe4e-8baa-476c-8a22-ab3838827119 ro

## default grub root device
## e.g. groot=(hd0,0)
# groot=d9fdbe4e-8baa-476c-8a22-ab3838827119

## should update-grub create alternative automagic boot options
## e.g. alternative=true
## alternative=false
# alternative=true

## should update-grub lock alternative automagic boot options
## e.g. lockalternative=true
## lockalternative=false
# lockalternative=false

## additional options to use with the default boot option, but not with the
## alternatives
## e.g. defoptions=vga=791 resume=/dev/hda5
# defoptions=quiet splash

## should update-grub lock old automagic boot options
## e.g. lockold=false
## lockold=true
# lockold=false

## Xen hypervisor options to use with the default Xen boot option
# xenhopt=

## Xen Linux kernel options to use with the default Xen boot option
# xenkopt=console=tty0

## altoption boot targets option
## multiple altoptions lines are allowed
## e.g. altoptions=(extra menu suffix) extra boot options
## altoptions=(recovery) single
# altoptions=(recovery mode) single

## controls how many kernels should be put into the menu.lst
## only counts the first occurence of a kernel, not the
## alternative kernel options
## e.g. howmany=all
## howmany=7
# howmany=all

## should update-grub create memtest86 boot option
## e.g. memtest86=true
## memtest86=false
# memtest86=true

## should update-grub adjust the value of the default booted system
## can be true or false
# updatedefaultentry=false

## should update-grub add savedefault to the default options
## can be true or false
# savedefault=false

## ## End Default Options ##

title Ubuntu 8.10, kernel 2.6.27-7-generic
uuid d9fdbe4e-8baa-476c-8a22-ab3838827119
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.27-7-generic root=UUID=d9fdbe4e-8baa-476c-8a22-ab3838827119 ro quiet splash
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.27-7-generic
quiet

title Ubuntu 8.10, kernel 2.6.27-7-generic (recovery mode)
uuid d9fdbe4e-8baa-476c-8a22-ab3838827119
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.27-7-generic root=UUID=d9fdbe4e-8baa-476c-8a22-ab3838827119 ro single
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.27-7-generic

title Ubuntu 8.10, memtest86+
uuid d9fdbe4e-8baa-476c-8a22-ab3838827119
kernel /boot/memtest86+.bin
quiet

title Windows1
rootnoverify (hd1,0)
savedefault
makeactive
chainloader +1

title Windows2
rootnoverify (hd1,0)
makeactive
chainloader +1
boot

title Windows3
rootnoverify (hd2,0)
makeactive
chainloader +1
boot

### END DEBIAN AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST

[Jonathan183]

Add or change one of your Window entries to

title Windows - second drive
rootnoverify (hd1,0)
map (hd0) (hd1)
map (hd1) (hd0)
chainloader +1
boot

Ed: incase that does not work try

title Windows - first drive
rootnoverify (hd0,0)
chainloader +1

[OktaYnex]

title Windows - second drive
rootnoverify (hd1,0)
map (hd0) (hd1)
map (hd1) (hd0)
chainloader +1
boot

When I tried this one, I saw the follownig...
NTLDR is Missing

title Windows - first drive
rootnoverify (hd0,0)
chainloader +1

When I tried this one, I saw the following...

ERROR 13: Invalid or Unsupported executable format


I appreciate the help so far...anyone know what would cause this?

[OktaYnex]

Thought I should add this...

Since Windows is on one hard drive, and Ubuntu is on another, I figured I would try the BIOS boot selection. It doesn't matter which drive I select, it always boots to Ubuntu.

[Jonathan183]

Looks like Windows boot is broken ...
disconnect or disable Linux disk in bios and try booting from XP CD and fix the boot issue.

If XP CD will not boot/function use Supergrub to restore Windows boot code to the MBR of the Windows disk and try booting from the XP CD again.

[OktaYnex]

Well...

I used the XP disk and did "FIXMBR" and "FIXBOOT"...

Now, unless I use the supergrub disc to boot Ubuntu, I get the following...

Error Loading Operating System

I think I am moving forward a little, so I hope.