boot stops at "grub" then flashing cursor?

[nickharris76]

Hi ya, just trying to install fc4 on my laptop and having some problems with grub.

I've tried a few things i've found on the forum but none seem to help. Heres the problem:

Machine has windows xp installed with a couple of fat 32 partitions. I had a 5GB empty area at the end of the disk. I did a basic desktop install letting fc4 use the free space. When it reboots i get the message "GRUB" and a flashing cursor - and that it.

When using "linux rescue" and chroot /mnt/sysimage i can see the following:

fdisk /dev/hda p

Disk /dev/hda: 40.0 GB, 40007761920 bytes
16 heads, 63 sectors/track, 77520 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 1008 * 512 = 516096

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/hda1 * 1 24400 12297568+ 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/hda2 24401 77520 26772480 f W95 Ext'd (LBA)
/dev/hda5 24401 57203 16532680+ b W95 FAT32
/dev/hda6 57204 67362 5120104+ b W95 FAT32
/dev/hda7 67368 67650 96358+ 83 Linux
/dev/hda8 67560 77520 5020281+ 8e Linux LVM

cat /etc/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 (hd0,6)
# kernel /vmlinuz-version ro root=/dev/VolGroup00/LogVol00
# initrd /initrd-version.img
#boot=/dev/hda
default=0
timeout=5
splashimage=(hd0,6)/grub/splash.xpm.gz
hiddenmenu
title Fedora Core 4 (2.6.11-1.1369_FC4)
root (hd0,5)
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 XP
rootnoverify (hd0,0)
chainloader +1

I then tried reloading grub using:

grub-install /dev/hda

Installation finished. No error reported.
This is the contents of the device map /boot/grub/device.map.
Check if this is correct or not. If any of the lines is incorrect,
fix it and re-run the script 'grub-install'.

# this device map was generated by anaconda
(fd0) /dev/fd0
(hd0) /dev/hda

I then reboot - and get a new error:

GRUB Loading stage1.5.

GRUB loading, please wait...

Then it just hangs with that text on the screen.

I've tried installing twice now with the same results.

I've also installed on a desktop without any problem.

Help PLEASE!!!!
Thanks,
Nick

[nickharris76]

any ideas?

i can't boot into windows as i don't have an xp disk with fixmbr, only a manufacturers image disk.

cheers,
nick

[ronrroth]

try looking at www.bootdisk.com - hope this helps

[extendedping]

thanks but there is my biggest issue. after using my dvd (and the cd boot disk) neither one takes me into rescue mode. I can type linux rescue and get one screen of stuff and then it freezes. I wrote down the output.

cpu L1 cache: 32k L1 D cache: 32k
cpu L2 cache: 2048k
cpu pyysical processor ID:0
cpu processor core ID:1
Intel machine check architecture supported
INtel machine check reporting enabled on cpu#1
cpu: intel(R) core(tm)2 cpu 6400 @2.13Ghz stepping 006
total of 2 processors activated (8525.99 Bogomips)
333enabling IO-APIC IRQ-S
.. timer: vector=ox31 APIC1=0
checking tsc sycroniization across 2 cpus: passed
brought up 2 cpu's
migration_cost=83
checking if image is intramfs000it is
freeing initrd memory 5536k freed
net: registered protocol family 16
no dock devices found.
ACPI: bus type pci registered
PCI: using MMCONFIG
PCI: busses that can't use mmconfig will use type1 pci conf access
setting up standard pci resources
ACPI: interpreter enabled
ACPI: using IOAPIC for inturrupt routing
ACPI: PCI root bridge [PCI0] (0000:00)


then nothing

I'm lost

[extendedping]

sorry I was reading this thread for answers last night and this morning posted the above thinking it was the centos forum I was on....