Partitioning problems

[Socrates440]

So I just recently nuked my windows (viruses, running slowly, etc) and unfortunately when i reinstalled windows my computer reset itself to factory settings and I lost linux too. Anyways, after getting my computer set up I re-partitioned my hard drive using the windows system management tool. I re-booted to my usb with the linux system image (nothing out of the ordinary in the boot menue, I checked). I installed Fedoa and used the free space option in the partitioning menue.

Now, My comnputer thinks that there are two windows partitions (not the windows and the system recovery but two windows 7 loaders). They each seem to load the same partition, rather than 2 seperate partitions. Whenever I try to modify one by, say, installing Avast! my computer gives me the blue screen of death.

The reason that I am posting this here is because I re-formatted my computer again, went through the same steps, made sure I didn't take too much space away from the windows partition, and encountered the same problem. The problem doesn't occur until I install Fedora and run the Fedora partitioner. Any ideas?

Thanks!

[Gareth Jones]

In Fedora, install gdisk ("sudo yum install gdisk" in a terminal), then post the output of:

gdisk -l /dev/sda
blkid /dev/sda*

This will give us a summary of your partitions.

[Socrates440]

didn't work. I am seeing the 2 partitions in the boot menu.

---------- Post added at 06:18 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:15 PM ----------

This is what I typed and what the terminal returned.

@localhost ~]$ gdisk -l /dev/sda
bash: gdisk: command not found...

[Gareth Jones]

Run (in full):

su -                 # Get a root shell.
yum install gdisk    # This will install gdisk.
gdisk -l /dev/sda    # List partitions on hard-disk.
blkid /dev/sda*      # List what Linux knows about them.

[Socrates440]

I know. I apologize for being vauge, I posted again saying what I typed and what the terminal returned.

[Gareth Jones]

Yes, posts crossed. I've updated mine to be clearer on how to make gdisk work.

[Socrates440]

Thanks for the update. This is what the terminal returned:

t@localhost ~]# gdisk -l /dev/sda
GPT fdisk (gdisk) version 0.8.4

Partition table scan:
MBR: MBR only
BSD: not present
APM: not present
GPT: not present


************************************************** *************
Found invalid GPT and valid MBR; converting MBR to GPT format.
************************************************** *************

Disk /dev/sda: 1953525168 sectors, 931.5 GiB
Logical sector size: 512 bytes
Disk identifier (GUID): 6C514627-9988-4012-AFBD-EFC529203014
Partition table holds up to 128 entries
First usable sector is 34, last usable sector is 1953525134
Partitions will be aligned on 2048-sector boundaries
Total free space is 408941 sectors (199.7 MiB)

Number Start (sector) End (sector) Size Code Name
1 2048 206847 100.0 MiB 0700 Microsoft basic data
2 206848 1740777471 830.0 GiB 0700 Microsoft basic data
3 1929521152 1953122303 11.3 GiB 0700 Microsoft basic data
5 1740779520 1741803519 500.0 MiB 8300 Linux filesystem
6 1741805568 1929521151 89.5 GiB 8300 Linux filesystem


@localhost ~]# blkid /dev/sda*
/dev/sda1: LABEL="SYSTEM" UUID="8E548EF5548EDEF9" TYPE="ntfs"
/dev/sda2: LABEL="OS" UUID="C8EA957AEA95660A" TYPE="ntfs"
/dev/sda3: LABEL="HP_RECOVERY" UUID="98DC1E9DDC1E762A" TYPE="ntfs"
/dev/sda5: UUID="dadcc163-e36b-4120-91c1-905d5961eff8" TYPE="ext4"
/dev/sda6: UUID="88c4401a-f228-4d84-828a-e11d7f58c5e5" TYPE="crypto_LUKS"


Any idea what the problem is?

[Gareth Jones]

I'm not sure what the first 100 MiB NTFS partition is about, but nothing looks especially wrong.

What does /boot/grub2/grub.cfg look like?

[Socrates440]

I sud over to root but when I type that in it says permission denied.

[Gareth Jones]

That's a configuration file, not a command. Try "cat /boot/grub2/grub.cfg".

[Socrates440]

Thanks. I am very new at this.

---------- Post added at 10:06 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:04 PM ----------

Here is what linux returned

@localhost ~]# cat /boot/grub2/grub.cfg
#
# DO NOT EDIT THIS FILE
#
# It is automatically generated by grub2-mkconfig using templates
# from /etc/grub.d and settings from /etc/default/grub
#

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/00_header ###
if [ -s $prefix/grubenv ]; then
load_env
fi
set default="0"
if [ "${prev_saved_entry}" ]; then
set saved_entry="${prev_saved_entry}"
save_env saved_entry
set prev_saved_entry=
save_env prev_saved_entry
set boot_once=true
fi

function savedefault {
if [ -z "${boot_once}" ]; then
saved_entry="${chosen}"
save_env saved_entry
fi
}

function load_video {
insmod vbe
insmod vga
insmod video_bochs
insmod video_cirrus
}

set timeout=5
### END /etc/grub.d/00_header ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/10_linux ###
menuentry 'Fedora (3.3.7-1.fc16.i686)' --class fedora --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os {
load_video
set gfxpayload=keep
insmod gzio
insmod part_msdos
insmod ext2
set root='(hd0,msdos5)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root dadcc163-e36b-4120-91c1-905d5961eff8
echo 'Loading Fedora (3.3.7-1.fc16.i686)'
linux /vmlinuz-3.3.7-1.fc16.i686 root=/dev/mapper/VolGroup-lv_root ro rd.md=0 rd.dm=0 rd.lvm.lv=VolGroup/lv_swap KEYTABLE=us quiet SYSFONT=latarcyrheb-sun16 rhgb rd.lvm.lv=VolGroup/lv_root rd.luks.uuid=luks-88c4401a-f228-4d84-828a-e11d7f58c5e5 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
echo 'Loading initial ramdisk ...'
initrd /initramfs-3.3.7-1.fc16.i686.img
}
menuentry 'Fedora Linux, with Linux 3.1.0-7.fc16.i686' --class fedora --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os {
load_video
set gfxpayload=keep
insmod gzio
insmod part_msdos
insmod ext2
set root='(hd0,msdos5)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root dadcc163-e36b-4120-91c1-905d5961eff8
echo 'Loading Linux 3.1.0-7.fc16.i686 ...'
linux /vmlinuz-3.1.0-7.fc16.i686 root=/dev/mapper/VolGroup-lv_root ro rd.md=0 rd.dm=0 rd.lvm.lv=VolGroup/lv_swap KEYTABLE=us quiet SYSFONT=latarcyrheb-sun16 rhgb rd.lvm.lv=VolGroup/lv_root rd.luks.uuid=luks-88c4401a-f228-4d84-828a-e11d7f58c5e5 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
echo 'Loading initial ramdisk ...'
initrd /initramfs-3.1.0-7.fc16.i686.img
}
menuentry 'Fedora Linux, with Linux 3.1.0-7.fc16.i686 (recovery mode)' --class fedora --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os {
load_video
set gfxpayload=keep
insmod gzio
insmod part_msdos
insmod ext2
set root='(hd0,msdos5)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root dadcc163-e36b-4120-91c1-905d5961eff8
echo 'Loading Linux 3.1.0-7.fc16.i686 ...'
linux /vmlinuz-3.1.0-7.fc16.i686 root=/dev/mapper/VolGroup-lv_root ro single rd.md=0 rd.dm=0 rd.lvm.lv=VolGroup/lv_swap KEYTABLE=us quiet SYSFONT=latarcyrheb-sun16 rhgb rd.lvm.lv=VolGroup/lv_root rd.luks.uuid=luks-88c4401a-f228-4d84-828a-e11d7f58c5e5 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
echo 'Loading initial ramdisk ...'
initrd /initramfs-3.1.0-7.fc16.i686.img
}
### END /etc/grub.d/10_linux ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/20_linux_xen ###
### END /etc/grub.d/20_linux_xen ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/30_os-prober ###
menuentry "Windows 7 (loader) (on /dev/sda1)" --class windows --class os {
insmod part_msdos
insmod ntfs
set root='(hd0,msdos1)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 8E548EF5548EDEF9
chainloader +1
}
menuentry "Windows 7 (loader) (on /dev/sda2)" --class windows --class os {
insmod part_msdos
insmod ntfs
set root='(hd0,msdos2)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root C8EA957AEA95660A
chainloader +1
}
menuentry "Windows Recovery Environment (loader) (on /dev/sda3)" --class windows --class os {
insmod part_msdos
insmod ntfs
set root='(hd0,msdos3)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 98DC1E9DDC1E762A
drivemap -s (hd0) ${root}
chainloader +1
}
### END /etc/grub.d/30_os-prober ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/40_custom ###
# This file provides an easy way to add custom menu entries. Simply type the
# menu entries you want to add after this comment. Be careful not to change
# the 'exec tail' line above.
### END /etc/grub.d/40_custom ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/41_custom ###
if [ -f $prefix/custom.cfg ]; then
source $prefix/custom.cfg;
fi
### END /etc/grub.d/41_custom ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/90_persistent ###
### END /etc/grub.d/90_persistent ###

[Gareth Jones]

Originally Posted by Socrates440

Number  Start (sector)    End (sector)  Size       Code  Name
   1            2048          206847   100.0 MiB   0700  Microsoft basic data
   2          206848      1740777471   830.0 GiB   0700  Microsoft basic data
   3      1929521152      1953122303   11.3 GiB    0700  Microsoft basic data

/dev/sda1: LABEL="SYSTEM" UUID="8E548EF5548EDEF9" TYPE="ntfs" 
/dev/sda2: LABEL="OS" UUID="C8EA957AEA95660A" TYPE="ntfs" 
/dev/sda3: LABEL="HP_RECOVERY" UUID="98DC1E9DDC1E762A" TYPE="ntfs"

Okay, GRUB is trying to load the first two Windows partitions in addition to the recovery partition:

Originally Posted by Socrates440

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/30_os-prober ###
menuentry "Windows 7 (loader) (on /dev/sda1)" --class windows --class os {
	insmod part_msdos
	insmod ntfs
	set root='(hd0,msdos1)'
	search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 8E548EF5548EDEF9
	chainloader +1
}
menuentry "Windows 7 (loader) (on /dev/sda2)" --class windows --class os {
	insmod part_msdos
	insmod ntfs
	set root='(hd0,msdos2)'
	search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root C8EA957AEA95660A
	chainloader +1
}

The first partition is only 100 MiB, which seems far too small for a modern Windows install, so I'm guessing your normal Windows in on sda2. What is on sda1?

[Socrates440]

Presumably it's what my computer thinks is windows 7. In the boot menu, my compuer identifies 2 different partitions as windows 7. When I log into them they are apparently the same. When I try to install anything on either of them, they crash. The only things that should be partitioned are Fedora, Fedora recovery tools (I believe that fedora does install such a partition. If it does not then it should not be there.), Windows 7, and WIndows 7 recovery mode.



---------- Post added at 01:24 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:23 AM ----------

If it would help, I can load SDA2. What should I look for?

[george_toolan]

The first partition is only 100 MiB, which seems far too small for a modern Windows install, so I'm guessing your normal Windows in on sda2. What is on sda1?

Apparently that's the windows 7 boot partition. Windows 7 always tries to create one if you install it on an empty HDD. Everything looks normal ;-)

[Gareth Jones]

Originally Posted by george_toolan

Apparently that's the windows 7 boot partition. Windows 7 always tries to create one if you install it on an empty HDD. Everything looks normal ;-)

Ah, I didn't know that. In fact, beyond the DOS MBR loading the "bootable" partitions boot record, I've no idea how Windows handles booting these days.

Okay, so now the question becomes one for people who know about configuring GRUB2: is there a way to tell grubby/grub2-install to ignore one of the Windows 7 partitions?