Restoring grub after installing windows

**lawck** · 07-05-2009

I had to install windows for my sister, and I had a 20gb partition there for backup ( /data/ ), and well, that's where I was going for. After reformatting and installing Windows, I try restoring grub and this is what I get:

Code:

grub> root (hd0,5)
grub> setup (hd0)
Checking if "/boot/grub/stage1" exists... yes
Checking if "/boot/grub/stage2" exists... yes
Checking if "/boot/grub/reiserfs_stage1_5" exists... yes
Running "embed /boot/grub/reiserfs_stage1_5 (hd0)"... 20 sectors are embedded
.
succeeded
Running "install /boot/grub/stage1 (hd0) (hd0)1+20 p (hd0,5)/boot/grub/stage2
/boot/grub/menu.lst"... failed
Error 12: Invalid device requested

Well, afterward I tried using grub-install:

Code:

sudo grub-install --recheck /dev/hda
Probing devices to guess BIOS drives. This may take a long time.
/dev/hda: Not found or not a block device.

Searching for an alternative way to install it, I found that if I 'installed' Ubuntu over my Ubuntu partition, it would automatically restore grub. But when I get to the partition tables, I get a message saying that "The computer has no operating systems on it" and it considers my hard drive as empty. (as you can see on the attachments)

Uhm, help?

**L4Linux** · 07-05-2009

Try with Super Grub Disk.

**devils casper** · 07-05-2009

In case SuperGRUB disk doesn't work, boot up from LiveCD and post the contents of /boot/grub/menu.lst file here. Post the output of fdisk -l command too.

Code:

sudo fdisk -l

**lawck** · 07-05-2009

Indeed it did not work.

/boot/grub/menu.lst

Code:

# menu.lst - See: grub(8), info grub, update-grub(8)
#            grub-install(8), grub-floppy(8),
#            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		10

## 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=a99bdf92-a210-4ce6-a586-919d3a21a2ac ro

## default grub root device
## e.g. groot=(hd0,0)
# groot=a99bdf92-a210-4ce6-a586-919d3a21a2ac

## 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 vga=792

## 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=1

## specify if running in Xen domU or have grub detect automatically
## update-grub will ignore non-xen kernels when running in domU and vice versa
## e.g. indomU=detect
##      indomU=true
##      indomU=false
# indomU=detect

## 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 9.04, kernel 2.6.28-13-generic
uuid		a99bdf92-a210-4ce6-a586-919d3a21a2ac
kernel		/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.28-13-generic root=UUID=a99bdf92-a210-4ce6-a586-919d3a21a2ac ro quiet splash vga=792 
initrd		/boot/initrd.img-2.6.28-13-generic
quiet

title		Ubuntu 9.04, kernel 2.6.28-13-generic (recovery mode)
uuid		a99bdf92-a210-4ce6-a586-919d3a21a2ac
kernel		/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.28-13-generic root=UUID=a99bdf92-a210-4ce6-a586-919d3a21a2ac ro  single
initrd		/boot/initrd.img-2.6.28-13-generic

title		Ubuntu 9.04, memtest86+
uuid		a99bdf92-a210-4ce6-a586-919d3a21a2ac
kernel		/boot/memtest86+.bin
quiet

### END DEBIAN AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST

# This is a divider, added to separate the menu items below from the Debian
# ones.
title		Other operating systems:
root


# This entry automatically added by the Debian installer for a non-linux OS
# on /dev/sda1
title		Windows Vista (loader)
rootnoverify	(hd0,0)
savedefault
makeactive
chainloader	+1

fdisk -l output:

Code:

ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ sudo fdisk -l
omitting empty partition (5)

Disk /dev/sda: 250.0 GB, 250059350016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 30401 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0xee23ee23

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sda1   *           1         653     5245191    7  HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda2             654       30400   238942777+   f  W95 Ext'd (LBA)
/dev/sda3           11095       18924    62894443+   7  HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda5             654        8355    61866252   83  Linux
/dev/sda6            8356       11094    22000986    7  HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda7           18925       21535    20972826    7  HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda8           21536       25451    31455238+   7  HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda9           25452       30142    37680426    7  HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda10          30143       30400     2072353+  82  Linux swap / Solaris

**devils casper** · 07-06-2009

sudo grub-install --recheck /dev/hda
Probing devices to guess BIOS drives. This may take a long time.
/dev/hda: Not found or not a block device.

Its /dev/sda instead of /dev/hda.

Try this :

Boot up from Ubuntu LiveCD, open Terminal and execute this

Code:

sudo grub

You will get a grub prompt, grub>
Execute this:

Code:

root (hd0,4)
setup (hd0)
quit

Reboot machine.

In case it doesn't work, post the contents of /etc/fstab file here.

**lawck** · 07-06-2009

Code:

grub> root (hd0,4)

grub> setup (hd0)

Error 17: Cannot mount selected partition

/etc/fstab:

Code:

# /etc/fstab: static file system information.
#
# Use 'vol_id --uuid' to print the universally unique identifier for a
# device; this may be used with UUID= as a more robust way to name devices
# that works even if disks are added and removed. See fstab(5).
#
# <file system> <mount point>   <type>  <options>       <dump>  <pass>
proc            /proc           proc    defaults        0       0
# / was on /dev/sda10 during installation
UUID=a99bdf92-a210-4ce6-a586-919d3a21a2ac /               reiserfs notail,relatime 0       1
# /data was on /dev/sda11 during installation
UUID=44f8ba27-0f00-4c05-a4f0-99abe27faa90 /data           reiserfs relatime        0       2
# swap was on /dev/sda9 during installation
UUID=8dfab8dc-eaea-4821-a562-c0e887767402 none            swap    sw              0       0
/dev/scd0       /media/cdrom0   udf,iso9660 user,noauto,exec,utf8 0       0
/dev/fd0        /media/floppy0  auto    rw,user,noauto,exec,utf8 0       0

edit - A second try with Super Grub, I got it to load but it crashed on start:

Code:

*Checking file systems
139
fsck 1.41.4(27-jan-2009)
failed to open device 'UUID=44f8ba27-0f00-4c05-a4f0-99abe27faa90'. No such file or directory.
fsck died with exit status 8
*File system check fails.
Please repair the file system manually

Then I opened fstab commented all that referred to that /data (uuid itself and the line below it)
ctrl+alt+del loaded Gnome. I ran StartUp-Manager -> Advanced -> Restore original settings... and.. problem solved.

Thanks both of you (L4Linux and Devils Casper) for your time and help. =]

Thread Tools

Display

Restoring grub after installing windows

Posting Permissions