double-boot with XP lost, hlp!

[TO]

am not sure if this belongs to SW discussion, but it is the larges, so i will try.

used to work just fine. but now:

on the first partition 11g of my double-boot hdrive i still keep win XPpro with some minimalistic programs mostly for basic editing video clips (such as moyea flv editor - great to clip nonsense from flv) and copying dvd (such as the great dvdshrink, regionfree, clone dvd) that pclos still lacks.

on the second partition 22g i have pclos2011 latest, well updated, finely customized as a main os. with personalized “home” on the third partition 33g, then storage on the fourth 44g etc. through wine i got access to the software on the winXP partition.

due to some issues i decided to reinstall the winXPpro on the first partition  then to reinstall the programs there, no big deal for a senior with time to spare.

now the problem is that the laptop boots to winXP ONLY, end of story, and i got no idea  how to boot to pclos on partit2.

by using LIVE pclos i see that all other partitions are there, they contain what they are supposed to, boot, grub folders etc. (winXP does NOT see these partitions). by using LIVE pclos i try to configure grub but the laptop does not remember these settings on the hdrive.

pls advise how to put back humpty-dumpty together again. thx, best rgds

[pupthai]

From the live cd PC>more applications>config>redo MBR  this will redo the master boot record which windows has overwritten - when you install windows it writes a new one and does not care about other software.   Linux does.

[TO]

Thx, BUT:
Redo MBR brings me this info box, which OK'eyed brings KWrite file menu.lst [modified] from folder 22Gsda2ext4 > boot > grub which is indeed the PCLOS installation.
----------------------------
The bootloader configuration of the chosen partition will displayed
You can edit the the configuration and save your changes
You will be asked if you want to recreate your bootloader  [[[OK]]]
---------------------------------------------
timeout 19
color black/cyan yellow/cyan
gfxmenu (hd0,1)/boot/gfxmenu
default 0

title PCLinuxOS 2011, 09/23 on sda2  = 22G
kernel (hd0,1)/boot/vmlinuz BOOT_IMAGE=PCLinuxOS_2011,_09/23_on_sda2__ root=UUID=7d7ee7e8-482d-4b66-a83d-51079819dece quiet vmalloc=256M acpi=on splash=silent vga=788
initrd (hd0,1)/boot/initrd.img
makeactive
chainloader +1

title {[(       linux-nonfb         )]}
kernel (hd0,1)/boot/vmlinuz BOOT_IMAGE=linux-nonfb root=UUID=7d7ee7e8-482d-4b66-a83d-51079819dece quiet vmalloc=256M acpi=on
initrd (hd0,1)/boot/initrd.img

title {[(        failsafe           )]}
kernel (hd0,1)/boot/vmlinuz BOOT_IMAGE=failsafe root=UUID=7d7ee7e8-482d-4b66-a83d-51079819dece quiet failsafe vmalloc=256M acpi=on
initrd (hd0,1)/boot/initrd.img

title Win XPprofesCorpor on sda1  C:\  =11G
root (hd0,0)
======================================================
So modification of above menu.lst only added one item in the WindowsXP Professsional Corporate boot = the item for PCLOS but it didn't bring the usual GRUB. If i try to access through the LiveCD Control Center the "Setup boot system" it refuses: "this program has exited abnormally [[[OK]]]"
Using thw same PCLOS Live CD / (show hidden F&Folders) i am able to access and read the BOOT.INI file quoted below (modified):
----------------------------
[boot loader]
timeout=33
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\winXPdik
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINXPDIK="Windows XP Pro on sda1 winXPdik" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT="Win2000Pro on sda1 in dir WINNT" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\="PCLinuxOS KDE 2011 on sda2 =22G" /noexecute=optin/fastdetect
----------------------------
which is modified from the original boot.ini for that partition =1= gibberish quoted below (pls do not mind the strange folder =winXOdik= into which XP resides: i am in the habit of NEVER install / download ANYTHING into their DEFAULT destination. It works JUST FINE):
--------------------------
[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINXPDIK
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINXPDIK="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT="Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional" /fastdetect
===============================
Well, that's all for now. I expect some more help, ppl, pls!

(What if i modify the "default" line to:
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\="PCLinuxOS KDE 2011 on sda2 =22G" /noexecute=optin/fastdetect

A? But i better wait for your clearance, wise men Heroes). Thx, rgds

[xr200]

I'm still a dinosaur using lilo, so I don't know how to restore a GRUB MBR, very sorry
about that.  I know from personal experience how frustrating a situation like this
can be.

Once you get your MBR restored, there is a process for creating a bootable CD ROM.
Effectively, you write your MBR to a CD and if your MBR gets messed up again, you
can boot from the created CD instead, and then reinstall your MBR on your disc.
I believe how you do that depends on which version of grub you are using, but I think
this link might be useful to you (once you get the MBR installed):

http://www.gnu.org/software/grub/manual/legacy/Making-a-GRUB-bootable-CD_002dROM.html

I'm no expert, just trying to offer a suggestion to hopefully help in the future.

There's a similar process for creating a bootable CD is you use lilo: run mkresue.

I have had to use my bootable CD more times than I'd like to admit.

As for your use of dvdshrink, have you tried k9copy?  I think it can do everything
dvdshrink does: shrink (or not) DVDs to fit only a single layer blank, and create region
free backups: you just have to set your preferences correctly.   I've had great success with it.

Good luck...

xr200

[pupthai]

All that single line does is redirect you to the boot.ini it is all the menu.lst needs for grub to boot the windows.  You don't need to edit the stanza it gives you a chance to change the labels here and make the list look nice during the boot.  MBR place the stuff in the right place.

[xr200]

Perhaps this article will help you:

http://pclosmag.com/html/Issues/201101/page10.html

Good Luck.

[Old-Polack]

Perhaps this article will help you:

http://pclosmag.com/html/Issues/201101/page10.html

Good Luck.

Or even simpler:

http://www.pclinuxos.com/forum/index.php/topic,62786.msg508062.html#msg508062

[TO]

Old P. u r my Guru!
it worked, actually, ALMOST there (now am using pclos)
your qouted page gave me the solution (with the except. of first line "find/..." but when gone to line 2 and 3 and 4 everything falls into place).  But
now the usual grub graph. interface presents the 3 default options, only "non-fb" and "safe" lead me to pclos; while the MAIN option objects:
Error 13: invalid or unsupported executable format ...
pls help again. thx, best rgds
---(sorry 4 the delay, health problem)---

[Old-Polack]

Old P. u r my Guru!
it worked, actually, ALMOST there (now am using pclos)
your qouted page gave me the solution (with the except. of first line "find/..." but when gone to line 2 and 3 and 4 everything falls into place).  But
now the usual grub graph. interface presents the 3 default options, only "non-fb" and "safe" lead me to pclos; while the MAIN option objects:
Error 13: invalid or unsupported executable format ...
pls help again. thx, best rgds
---(sorry 4 the delay, health problem)---

The first command is find  /boot/grub/stage2  <-- Note the space after the command find.

To know what the problem is with the first boot menu entry, I'd need to see what the first boot stanza in your /boot/grub/menu.lst looks like.

From info:grub/Stage2 errors:

13 : Invalid or unsupported executable format
      This error is returned if the kernel image being loaded is not
      recognized as Multiboot or one of the supported native formats
      (Linux zImage or bzImage, FreeBSD, or NetBSD).

This would indicate that grub is either looking in the wrong place for the kernel, or pointed at the wrong file... something other than the Linux kernel.

From a terminal, as root, try these commands;

[root@localhost ~]# fdisk  -l        <Enter>    <-- That's a lower case L not a number

[root@localhost ~]# cat  /boot/grub/menu.lst              <Enter>

The first will show your hard drive partitions, and the second will show your boot stanzas.

Post your results for both commands.

[TO]

WOW, COMMAND Line work, root console, incredible - never thought i might ever reach such heights of comp sofistication.
Of course most probably i have misread that SPACE after find.
Will do as instructed and report back - some time this week (am up and running as u c, cheers)

[TO]

Old-P Guru, here is the result for BOTH COMMANDS, pls advise (still the 1st grub option doesn't work, 2nd  = non-fb=  does):
-------------------------------------------------
[root@localhost ~]# fdisk -l

Disk /dev/sda: 120.0 GB, 120034123776 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 14593 cylinders, total 234441648 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: 0x000b221b

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sda1              63    22764104    11382021    7  HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda2   *    22765568    68276223    22755328   83  Linux
/dev/sda3        68276224   234440703    83082240    5  Extended
/dev/sda5        68278272   136544255    34132992   83  Linux
/dev/sda6       143419392   234440703    45510656   83  Linux

[root@localhost ~]# cat /boot/grub/menu.lst
timeout 19
color black/cyan yellow/cyan
gfxmenu (hd0,1)/boot/gfxmenu
default 0

title PCLinuxOS 2011, 09/23 on sda2  = 22G
kernel (hd0,1)/boot/vmlinuz BOOT_IMAGE=PCLinuxOS_2011,_09/23_on_sda2__ root=UUID=7d7ee7e8-482d-4b66-a83d-51079819dece quiet vmalloc=256M acpi=on splash=silent vga=788
initrd (hd0,1)/boot/initrd.img
makeactive
chainloader +1


title {[(       linux-nonfb         )]}
kernel (hd0,1)/boot/vmlinuz BOOT_IMAGE={[(_______linux-nonfb_________) root=UUID=7d7ee7e8-482d-4b66-a83d-51079819dece quiet vmalloc=256M acpi=on
initrd (hd0,1)/boot/initrd.img

title {[(        failsafe           )]}
kernel (hd0,1)/boot/vmlinuz BOOT_IMAGE={[(________failsafe___________) root=UUID=7d7ee7e8-482d-4b66-a83d-51079819dece quiet failsafe vmalloc=256M acpi=on
initrd (hd0,1)/boot/initrd.img
[root@localhost ~]#

[Old-Polack]

Old-P Guru, here is the result for BOTH COMMANDS, pls advise (still the 1st grub option doesn't work, 2nd  = non-fb=  does):
-------------------------------------------------
[root@localhost ~]# fdisk -l

Disk /dev/sda: 120.0 GB, 120034123776 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 14593 cylinders, total 234441648 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: 0x000b221b

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sda1              63    22764104    11382021    7  HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda2   *    22765568    68276223    22755328   83  Linux
/dev/sda3        68276224   234440703    83082240    5  Extended
/dev/sda5        68278272   136544255    34132992   83  Linux
/dev/sda6       143419392   234440703    45510656   83  Linux

[root@localhost ~]# cat /boot/grub/menu.lst
timeout 19
color black/cyan yellow/cyan
gfxmenu (hd0,1)/boot/gfxmenu
default 0

title PCLinuxOS 2011, 09/23 on sda2  = 22G
kernel (hd0,1)/boot/vmlinuz BOOT_IMAGE=PCLinuxOS_2011,_09/23_on_sda2__ root=UUID=7d7ee7e8-482d-4b66-a83d-51079819dece quiet vmalloc=256M acpi=on splash=silent vga=788
initrd (hd0,1)/boot/initrd.img
makeactive
chainloader +1


title {[(       linux-nonfb         )]}
kernel (hd0,1)/boot/vmlinuz BOOT_IMAGE={[(_______linux-nonfb_________) root=UUID=7d7ee7e8-482d-4b66-a83d-51079819dece quiet vmalloc=256M acpi=on
initrd (hd0,1)/boot/initrd.img

title {[(        failsafe           )]}
kernel (hd0,1)/boot/vmlinuz BOOT_IMAGE={[(________failsafe___________) root=UUID=7d7ee7e8-482d-4b66-a83d-51079819dece quiet failsafe vmalloc=256M acpi=on
initrd (hd0,1)/boot/initrd.img
[root@localhost ~]#

You seem to have combined two stanzas into one. Your first stanza has bits from a Windows stanza included, and the Windows stanza as a separate entity doesn't exist. Assuming you still have a Windows installation, the two stanzas should be;

title PCLinuxOS 2011, 09/23 on sda2  = 22G
kernel (hd0,1)/boot/vmlinuz BOOT_IMAGE=PCLinuxOS_2011,_09/23_on_sda2__ root=UUID=7d7ee7e8-482d-4b66-a83d-51079819dece quiet vmalloc=256M acpi=on splash=silent vga=788
initrd (hd0,1)/boot/initrd.img

title Windows
rootnoverify (hd0,0)
makeactive
chainloader +1

There must be an empty line separating the two stanzas. You must edit the /boot/grub/menu.lst file as root in order to save it after the editing is done.

[TO]

Yes, Sir, O, YES! Indeed i did what instructed and my dual-boot now is WORKING as planned. Not quite sure for the "wine" inter-operations (clip.flv files trimming etc) which will come later; now i must go away ...
(Still wondering WHAT CAUSED the whole mess though ...?)
Thanks a lot, Old-Pollak, u r the best