Dual boot problem - windows won't boot !

[snorkrat]

okay so i installed FC4 and was having problems with GRUB not appearing and all i could do was boot into windows. i fiddled about a bit and then just re-installed FC4 and not GRUB appears and i can select to boot to FC$ or windows, but when i select windows it boots FC4 !! please help !

Windows is on hda
FC4 is on hdb

two seperate HDD's

thanks for the help !

[bitrain]

Can you post your /boot/grub/grub.conf so we can see what it is supposed to do?

[snorkrat]

# 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 (hd1,0)
# kernel /vmlinuz-version ro root=/dev/VolGroup00/LogVol00
# initrd /initrd-version.img
#boot=/dev/hda
default=0
timeout=5
splashimage=(hd1,0)/grub/splash.xpm.gz
hiddenmenu
title Fedora Core (2.6.11-1.1369_FC4)
root (hd1,0)
kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.11-1.1369_FC4 ro root=/dev/VolGroup00/LogVol00 rhgb quiet
initrd /initrd-2.6.11-1.1369_FC4.img
title Windows
rootnoverify (hd0,0)
chainloader +1



Thats the grub.conf and thanks fot the help

[snorkrat]

anybody ? please !!?

[MisterEd]

I have a similar setup. At the end of this post you will find my grub.conf and the fdisk outputs for my two hard drives.

First you need to try and get Windows back.

1. Save the grub boot manager to a floppy disk. This will allow you to insert the floppy disk and reboot back to Linux. Use this command while logged in under root:
grub-install /dev/fd0

2. Restore the Windows boot manager.
Boot with the Windows CD
Select R to to go to the recovery console
At the prompt type the command:
fixmbr

If this works you can leave things as they are by booting to Fedora Linux by using the boot floppy you created. If you want the grub boot on the MBR boot back into Fedora Linux with the floppy and log in as root. Type the following command:
grub-install /dev/hda

================================================== ==================================

# 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 (hd1,0)
#          kernel /vmlinuz-version ro root=/dev/hdb2
#          initrd /initrd-version.img
#boot=/dev/hda
default=1
timeout=5
splashimage=(hd1,0)/grub/splash.xpm.gz
hiddenmenu
title Fedora Core 4 (2.6.11-1.1369_FC4)
	root (hd1,0)
	kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.11-1.1369_FC4 ro root=LABEL=/ rhgb quiet
	initrd /initrd-2.6.11-1.1369_FC4.img
title Windows XP Pro
	rootnoverify (hd0,0)
	chainloader +1

[root@thoroughbred grub]#  fdisk -l /dev/hda

Disk /dev/hda: 81.9 GB, 81964302336 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 9964 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/hda1   *           1        2550    20482843+   7  HPFS/NTFS
/dev/hda2            2551        9964    59552955    f  W95 Ext'd (LBA)
/dev/hda5            2551        5100    20482843+   7  HPFS/NTFS
/dev/hda6            5101        8287    25599546    7  HPFS/NTFS
/dev/hda7            8288        9697    11325793+   b  W95 FAT32
/dev/hda8            9698        9964     2144646    b  W95 FAT32

[root@thoroughbred grub]#  fdisk -l /dev/hdb

Disk /dev/hdb: 60.0 GB, 60022480896 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 7297 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/hdb1   *           1          13      104391   83  Linux
/dev/hdb2              14        2563    20482875   83  Linux
/dev/hdb3            2564        2690     1020127+  82  Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/hdb4            2691        7297    37005727+   f  W95 Ext'd (LBA)
/dev/hdb5            2691        4211    12217401    7  HPFS/NTFS
/dev/hdb6            4212        7297    24788263+   b  W95 FAT32

[snorkrat]

Originally Posted by MisterEd

2. Restore the Windows boot manager.
Boot with the Windows CD
Select R to to go to the recovery console
At the prompt type the command:
fixmbr

i tried this but it didn't work so i used the command

fixboot

which seemed to fix the problem - thanks for the help

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