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ofblong
22nd May 2008, 12:33 AM
I upgraded (by doing a fressh install) to FC9 from FC4. It has other for my windows boot but when I click it it wont boot windows. On top of that when I put my windows xp pro cd in and change the bios to boot from cd rom it goes to the "setup is verifing hardware" and then goes to black screen and wont finish. If I remove the hard drive (unplug the power to it) then the xp pro cd works. How can I fix it so that I can run windows OS and even run the xp cd? I have a usb flash drive but cant figure out how to correctly get it to boot.

stoat
22nd May 2008, 01:55 AM
Hello ofblong,

That problem with the XP installation CD when it confronts Linux partitions on the drive is well-known and goes back for years on the Internet. You won't like the standard cures for that. So, if Fedora is booting (you didn't say, but it sounds so), post the results of these terminal commands in Fedora...
su
/sbin/fdisk -l
cat /boot/grub/grub.confSee, I believe it may be possible to tweak the grub.conf and get it to boot Windows (if it is still capable of booting, that is).

ofblong
22nd May 2008, 02:12 AM
I am pretty sure sdc1 is my flash drive.



# /sbin/fdisk -l

Disk /dev/sda: 74.3 GB, 74355769344 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 9039 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x132c79f6

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 1277 9039 62356266 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda2 1 26 208813+ 83 Linux
/dev/sda3 27 1276 10040625 8e Linux LVM

Partition table entries are not in disk order

Disk /dev/dm-0: 8153 MB, 8153726976 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 991 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x00000000

Disk /dev/dm-0 doesn't contain a valid partition table

Disk /dev/dm-1: 2080 MB, 2080374784 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 252 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x30307800

Disk /dev/dm-1 doesn't contain a valid partition table

Disk /dev/sdb: 500.1 GB, 500107862016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 60801 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x44fdfe06

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sdb1 * 1 60801 488384001 7 HPFS/NTFS

Disk /dev/sdc: 2048 MB, 2048728064 bytes
64 heads, 63 sectors/track, 992 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 4032 * 512 = 2064384 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x00000000

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sdc1 1 992 1999749+ 6 FAT16




# cat /boot/grub/grub.conf
# grub.conf generated by anaconda
#
# Note that you do not have to rerun grub after making changes to this file
# NOTICE: You have a /boot partition. This means that
# all kernel and initrd paths are relative to /boot/, eg.
# root (hd0,1)
# kernel /vmlinuz-version ro root=/dev/VolGroup00/LogVol00
# initrd /initrd-version.img
#boot=/dev/sda
default=0
timeout=5
splashimage=(hd0,1)/grub/splash.xpm.gz
hiddenmenu
title Fedora (2.6.25.3-18.fc9.x86_64)
root (hd0,1)
kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.25.3-18.fc9.x86_64 ro root=/dev/VolGroup00/LogVol00 rhgb quiet
initrd /initrd-2.6.25.3-18.fc9.x86_64.img
title Fedora (2.6.25-14.fc9.x86_64)
root (hd0,1)
kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.25-14.fc9.x86_64 ro root=UUID=e0bc9f6e-04f2-45ce-b829-17e8d80f3028 rhgb quiet
initrd /initrd-2.6.25-14.fc9.x86_64.img
title Other
rootnoverify (hd2,0)
chainloader +1


The title other is the windows partition.

stoat
22nd May 2008, 03:25 AM
Try this first. Any time that you see your Windows system on a non-first drive in grub.conf like this...
title Other
rootnoverify (hd2,0)
chainloader +1...then you should use the map menu command like this...
title Other
map (hd2) (hd0)
map (hd0) (hd2)
rootnoverify (hd2,0)
chainloader +1No promises, but it is the standard thing to try first. If it doesn't work with (hd2), then the problem could be with how GRUB has mapped its drives to the OS device names (not unheard of). Or, just plain old GRUB confusion (also not unheard of). And you do have two NTFS candidates to be the Windows partition.

Next try this...
title Other
map (hd1) (hd0)
map (hd0) (hd1)
rootnoverify (hd1,0)
chainloader +1
Then this......
title Other
rootnoverify (hd0,0)
chainloader +1
P.S.: It does no harm to guess like this.

P.P.S.: Another thing to consider. This whole thing may behave differently if/when you pull out that pendrive.

ofblong
22nd May 2008, 12:57 PM
wow thanks for your help. It dawned on me after reading your post that it "may" have used my MY Book external hard drive as the default boot device rather than my raptor drive. So rather than doing all that stuff I just changed it to your last point of



title Other
rootnoverify (hd0,0)
chainloader +1


worked like a charm :D. Now I just need to set it as default and figure out why my seagate drive is causing windows to crash. For some reason whenever I have my secondary drive connected and running it crash's windows within 30s. I decided to remove power to the drive when I was unable to mount the drive in linux. So in essance linux told me what was wrong with my windows partition lol.

JMO
1st June 2008, 08:33 PM
I have a similar problem. These are my fdisk -l and grub.conf:


[root@localhost ~]# fdisk -l

Disco /dev/sda: 320.0 GB, 320072933376 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 38913 cylinders
Units = cilindros of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x8f800000

Disposit. Inicio Comienzo Fin Bloques Id Sistema
/dev/sda1 * 1 26 208813+ 83 Linux
/dev/sda2 33692 38913 41945715 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda3 27 33691 270414112+ 8e Linux LVM

Las entradas de la tabla de particiones no están en el orden del disco

Disco /dev/dm-0: 274.7 GB, 274777243648 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 33406 cylinders
Units = cilindros of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x00000000

El disco /dev/dm-0 no contiene una tabla de particiones válida

Disco /dev/dm-1: 2080 MB, 2080374784 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 252 cylinders
Units = cilindros of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x30307800

El disco /dev/dm-1 no contiene una tabla de particiones válida
[root@localhost ~]#



[root@localhost ~]# cat /boot/grub/grub.conf
# grub.conf generated by anaconda
#
# Note that you do not have to rerun grub after making changes to this file
# NOTICE: You have a /boot partition. This means that
# all kernel and initrd paths are relative to /boot/, eg.
# root (hd0,0)
# kernel /vmlinuz-version ro root=/dev/VolGroup00/LogVol00
# initrd /initrd-version.img
#boot=/dev/sda
default=0
timeout=5
splashimage=(hd0,0)/grub/splash.xpm.gz
hiddenmenu
title Fedora (2.6.25.4-30.fc9.x86_64)
root (hd0,0)
kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.25.4-30.fc9.x86_64 ro root=/dev/VolGroup00/LogVol00 rhgb quiet
initrd /initrd-2.6.25.4-30.fc9.x86_64.img
title Fedora (2.6.25.3-18.fc9.x86_64)
root (hd0,0)
kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.25.3-18.fc9.x86_64 ro root=/dev/VolGroup00/LogVol00 rhgb quiet
initrd /initrd-2.6.25.3-18.fc9.x86_64.img
title Other
rootnoverify (hd0,1)
chainloader +1
[root@localhost ~]#

I put the Windows XP Professional CD on boot, it says something about checking my system configuration, and screen goes black. I had already made a partition with 40GB on NTFS, as you can see above.
Is there anyway to install it without having to loose my Fedora 9 installation? =(

Edit: I found this (http://icrontic.com/forum/showpost.php?p=339989&postcount=5) , about cleansing the MBR.

JohnVV
1st June 2008, 09:23 PM
with the windows install cd hanging ( and only 1 drive ) NO buy a new hard drive and do a 2 drive duel boot setup . depending on what you use win for a small 40 to 80 gig drive is cheap .

ofblong
1st June 2008, 09:46 PM
JMO,

you have more than 1 windows partition/drive. You may want to try

title Other
rootnoverify (hd1,0)
chainloader +1

(note you must edit the grub.conf file)

worth a try.

JMO
1st June 2008, 10:39 PM
Well, the deal is that I only have 1 SATA disk with 320GB, partitioned first with Gparted LiveCD (40GB NTFS, the rest unnasigned), and then the normal Fedora 9 installation on that space that was left. I don't know why it shows a 500GB disk at /dev/sdb
On the other side of the question: may be the partition table what is all wrong with my disk?

Edit: Have tried modifying Grub, but no luck. The disk has nothing and is unreadable.

JMO
2nd June 2008, 02:32 PM
Any idea...?

Edit: There is no way to create a new partition and change the actual partition table in order to put it first?



Disco /dev/sda: 320.0 GB, 320072933376 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 38913 cylinders
Units = cilindros of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x8f800000

Disposit. Inicio Comienzo Fin Bloques Id Sistema
/dev/sda1 * 1 26 208813+ 83 Linux
/dev/sda3 27 33691 270414112+ 8e Linux LVM

Disco /dev/dm-0: 274.7 GB, 274777243648 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 33406 cylinders
Units = cilindros of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x00000000

El disco /dev/dm-0 no contiene una tabla de particiones válida

Disco /dev/dm-1: 2080 MB, 2080374784 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 252 cylinders
Units = cilindros of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x30307800

El disco /dev/dm-1 no contiene una tabla de particiones válida

JohnVV
2nd June 2008, 03:54 PM
if windows wont install on the ntfs partition while fedora is installed .Then buy a second small drive . Install it as master and fist .Unplug the fedora drive ( second drive)and install win on the first one ( the new one)
---
also with out buying a new drive you could try removing sda1 ( boot) with gparted
then give the windows install cd another go
and if that dose not work you will need to reinstall grub