Grub Loader - Error 25 (SOLVED)

[cgiefer]

I apologize if the fix for this is already listed somewhere in the forum, I couldn't seem to find it if it is.  In any case, I was having some issues with my laptop and needed to reboot.  When it tried to reboot, it never even made it to the boot menu.  It gave me an error 25 with the Grub loader.  I saw someone in the forum had made a comment on using Ultimate Boot CD to fix an error 25, but I have no idea how to use the cd to perform this task.  Could someone knowledgable in fixing an error 25 please respond?  If I try reinstalling using the PCLOS 2010 cd it says "An error occured - no valid devices were found on which to create new filesystems".

Any suggestions would be most helpful!

[menotu]

Your file system may possibly be corrupt.

You can boot using the LiveCD and run the fsck command on your disks.

You must do this with the disks unmounted

When you are running the LiveCD open a Konsole and run

#umount -a

When your disks are unmounted you can then run the fsck file check command

#fsck

or

#fsck -f

the -f switch forces the check

[Ramchu]

Error 25:Disk read error This error is returned if there is a disk read error when trying to probe or read data from a particular disk.

Use your linux install disk to reinstall grub

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

[cgiefer]

I appreciate the responses so far.  Here is what happens when I try the first suggestion:

[root@localhost guest]# umount -a
umount: /: device is busy.
        (In some cases useful info about processes that use
         the device is found by lsof( or fuser(1))
[root@localhost guest]# fsck
fsck from util-linux-ng 2.16.2
[root@localhost guest]# fsck -f
fsck from util-linux-ng 2.16.2

When I enter grub:

grub> find /boot/grub/stage2

Error 15: File not found

grub>

[Old-Polack]

I appreciate the responses so far.  Here is what happens when I try the first suggestion:

[root@localhost guest]# umount -a
umount: /: device is busy.
        (In some cases useful info about processes that use
         the device is found by lsof( or fuser(1))
[root@localhost guest]# fsck
fsck from util-linux-ng 2.16.2
[root@localhost guest]# fsck -f
fsck from util-linux-ng 2.16.2

When I enter grub:

grub> find /boot/grub/stage2

Error 15: File not found

grub>

From the liveCD, in a terminal as root;

[root@localhost guest]# fdisk -l               <Enter>     <-- That's a lower case L not a number 1.

Post your results.

[cgiefer]

It shows nothing:

[root@localhost guest]# fdisk -l
[root@localhost guest]#

[Old-Polack]

It shows nothing:

[root@localhost guest]# fdisk -l
[root@localhost guest]#

Open your computer and start checking all your connections and cables. Be sure it's turned off. Right now, as far as the system is concerned, you don't have a hard drive at all. Either a connection or cable has failed, your hard drive has died, or the motherboard/disk controller has failed. Hopefully it's just a connection or cable, so that's where you need to start looking. Check both the data and power cables. It could also be that your power supply is in the process of failing

What you should have seen was a complete listing of all the partitions present on your hard drive.

Example:

[root@littleboy ~]# fdisk -l

Code: [Select]

Disk /dev/sda: 200.0 GB, 200049647616 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 24321 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x000565cd

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sda1               1          45      361431   83  Linux
/dev/sda2              46         257     1702890   82  Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sda3             258       12161    95618880   83  Linux
/dev/sda4           12162       24321    97675200    5  Extended
/dev/sda5           12162       24321    97675168+  83  Linux

Disk /dev/sdb: 164.7 GB, 164696555520 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 20023 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0xd7523ebd

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sdb1               1          13      104391   83  Linux
/dev/sdb2              14         257     1959930   82  Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sdb3             258        1778    12217432+  83  Linux
/dev/sdb4            1779       20023   146552962+   5  Extended
/dev/sdb5            1779        7860    48853633+  83  Linux
/dev/sdb6            7861       14000    49319518+  83  Linux
/dev/sdb7           14001       20023    48379716   83  Linux

Disk /dev/sdc: 1000.2 GB, 1000204886016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 121601 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x00000000

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sdc1               1          39      313236   83  Linux
/dev/sdc2              40        1047     8096760   82  Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sdc3            1048        7127    48837600   83  Linux
/dev/sdc4            7128      121601   919512405    5  Extended
/dev/sdc5            7128       20500   107418591   83  Linux
/dev/sdc6           20501       33267   102550896   83  Linux
/dev/sdc7           33268       37158    31254426   83  Linux
/dev/sdc8           37159       41049    31254426   83  Linux
/dev/sdc9           41050       44940    31254426   83  Linux
/dev/sdc10          44941       48831    31254426   83  Linux
/dev/sdc11          48832       61886   104864256   83  Linux
/dev/sdc12          61887      101050   314584798+  83  Linux
/dev/sdc13         101051      104942    31262458+  83  Linux
/dev/sdc14         104943      108893    31736376   83  Linux
/dev/sdc15         108894      113071    33559753+  83  Linux
/dev/sdc16         113072      116988    31463271   83  Linux
/dev/sdc17         116989      121601    37053891   83  Linux

Disk /dev/sde: 750.2 GB, 750156374016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 91201 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x2db1883a

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sde1               1          13      104391   83  Linux
/dev/sde2              14         761     6008310   82  Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sde3             762        4497    30009420   83  Linux
/dev/sde4            4498       91201   696449880    5  Extended
/dev/sde5            4498       16947   100004593+  83  Linux
/dev/sde6           16948       41750   199230066   83  Linux
/dev/sde7           41751       45520    30282493+  83  Linux
/dev/sde8           45521       50506    40050013+  83  Linux
/dev/sde9           50507       65096   117194143+  83  Linux
/dev/sde10          65097       79686   117194143+  83  Linux
/dev/sde11          79687       91201    92494206   83  Linux


[cgiefer]

I took my laptop in to at least have the data recovered from the hard drive, and they couldn't retrieve any of it.  It appears either the head is sticking or the power supply isn't lasting long enough for them to retrieve anything.  The PC shop said they could send it out to have the data recovered, but it would be gone for a number of weeks and would cost several hundred dollars.  Not worth the 2 months worth of lost data (I had done a backup to an external hard drive 2 months ago).

Am I supposed to mark this one "solved" in the subject line, even though it wasn't solved?  Not sure what to do in a situation like this...

[rubentje1991]

Am I supposed to mark this one "solved" in the subject line, even though it wasn't solved?  Not sure what to do in a situation like this...

You could maybe say CLOSED (I don't know how the moderators think about it)

[Old-Polack]

I took my laptop in to at least have the data recovered from the hard drive, and they couldn't retrieve any of it.  It appears either the head is sticking or the power supply isn't lasting long enough for them to retrieve anything.  The PC shop said they could send it out to have the data recovered, but it would be gone for a number of weeks and would cost several hundred dollars.  Not worth the 2 months worth of lost data (I had done a backup to an external hard drive 2 months ago).

Am I supposed to mark this one "solved" in the subject line, even though it wasn't solved?  Not sure what to do in a situation like this...

[SOLVED] (SOLVED), either works. You had a problem and the source of the problem has been learned, therefore the posted problem has been solved. The fix will be a replacement hard drive, or new laptop, depending on which you choose.

[kjpetrie]

Surely, in order to give a Grub error, the MBR must be readable, or Grub wouldn't be there at all, just a BIOS error saying something like "no bootable media found". I suspect something more like loss of the partition table. If it boots from a livecd or live usb that implies PSU is basically intact as well, though it could be dropping out under load.

What kind of PC shop tries to recover data without putting the drive in another machine?

[Old-Polack]

Surely, in order to give a Grub error, the MBR must be readable, or Grub wouldn't be there at all, just a BIOS error saying something like "no bootable media found". I suspect something more like loss of the partition table. If it boots from a livecd or live usb that implies PSU is basically intact as well, though it could be dropping out under load.

What kind of PC shop tries to recover data without putting the drive in another machine?

That reading of the MBR could now be past tense. While failing the drive can act erratically. From the liveCD the fdisk -l results should have at least shown the presence of the drive, even if the partition table were wiped. It would simply show as a new drive that hasn't yet been partitioned. It gave nothing in this case, which indicates it either can't see the controller, or what's connected to the controller. If it sees the controller, but not the hard drive, then it could be either the cable or the connection, or the drive itself.

Were it my drive, I'd also choose to try it in another machine, possibly a desktop with an adapter. The power supply could be partially working, with some circuits intact and others dead. We'd need a complete pin-out check to be sure. One would hope the person at the PC shop would have done those tests, but then again, I've seen a lot of "technicians" that simply don't have a clue. Nowadays it seems any parts replacer can bill himself as a computer technician, in the same manner as automotive parts replacers can call themselves mechanics.