Can't boot to Windows - Please help - Error12: invalid device requested

[scorpiusmaximus]

I just recently installed Kubuntu 8.10 Interepid Ibex on my PC as a "dual boot." I had installed Debian and Kubuntu exactly the same way before and had no problems. I read some of the similar posts and edited GRUB to hd0,0 & hd0,1 and a number of other combinations but that did not work.
I have two SATA hard disks, sda & sdb. I have two IDE hard drives, hda & hdb. When I check {sudo fdisk -lu} all of my disks are listed as sdx. (x being a variable) None of them are hdx. I don't know if that makes a difference.
I have been messing around with Linux for going on two years now. (Ubuntu, Kubuntu, Debian, Knoppix) I keep thinking I have a handle on most of the basics. I don't consider myself a nubee but I regularly run into issues like this that make me realize I really don't know crap.
I have WindowsXP on my first SATA hard drive, first and second partitions (see boot.ini below) I was dual booting WindowsXP to keep the kids and games on another partition.
I then installed Kubuntu onto my first IDE hard drive. (third hard drive, hd2, GRUB installed /) I did this with Debian but could not get my graphics going. I Installed Kubuntu but I must have gotten my install cds mixed up and installed for x64 instead of x86. I have another x64 pc running Kubuntu, as well. SO, I re-installed with the correct x86 kernel version Kubuntu, updated and restarted. Now I can not boot to Windows. GRUB comes up fine (now with three different kernel versions) but when I select Windows it will not go to my Windows boot loader. I get: Error12: invalid device requested.
I would greatly appreciate any help I can get. I need this computer (Windows partition) for work.
Please see my info below;
> sudo fdisk -lu

Disk /dev/sda: 750.1 GB, 750156374016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 91201 cylinders, total 1465149168 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0xa35da35d

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 63 204796619 102398278+ 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda2 204796620 1465127999 630165690 f W95 Ext'd (LBA)
/dev/sda5 204796683 409593239 102398278+ 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda6 409593303 716788169 153597433+ 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda7 716788233 1465127999 374169883+ 7 HPFS/NTFS

Disk /dev/sdb: 750.1 GB, 750156374016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 91201 cylinders, total 1465149168 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x06afa357

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sdb1 * 63 1465127999 732563968+ 7 HPFS/NTFS

Disk /dev/sdc: 250.0 GB, 250059350016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 30401 cylinders, total 488397168 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0xe6f7e6f7

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sdc1 63 7807589 3903763+ 5 Extended
/dev/sdc2 * 7807590 195430724 93811567+ 83 Linux
/dev/sdc5 126 7807589 3903732 82 Linux swap / Solaris

Disk /dev/sdd: 320.0 GB, 320072933376 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 38913 cylinders, total 625142448 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0xaa2eaa2e

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sdd1 63 625137344 312568641 7 HPFS/NTFS

Disk /dev/sde: 2013 MB, 2013265920 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 244 cylinders, total 3932160 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x0019e6ad

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sde1 * 63 3932159 1966048+ c W95 FAT32 (LBA)
Partition 1 has different physical/logical endings:
phys=(243, 254, 63) logical=(244, 195, 15)

menu.lst

splashimage (hd2,1)/boot/grub/splashimages/77942-wolf.xpm.gz
default 8
timeout 10
color white/black

### BEGIN AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST
## lines between the AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST markers will be modified
## by the debian update-grub script except for the default options below

## DO NOT UNCOMMENT THEM, Just edit them to your needs

## ## Start Default Options ##
## default kernel options
## default kernel options for automagic boot options
## If you want special options for specific kernels use kopt_x_y_z
## where x.y.z is kernel version. Minor versions can be omitted.
## e.g. kopt=root=/dev/hda1 ro
## kopt_2_6_8=root=/dev/hdc1 ro
## kopt_2_6_8_2_686=root=/dev/hdc2 ro
# kopt=root=UUID=8993cb42-ad89-4d02-a12d-c254e53f5867 ro

## default grub root device
## e.g. groot=(hd0,0)
# groot=8993cb42-ad89-4d02-a12d-c254e53f5867

## should update-grub create alternative automagic boot options
## e.g. alternative=true
## alternative=false
# alternative=true

## should update-grub lock alternative automagic boot options
## e.g. lockalternative=true
## lockalternative=false
# lockalternative=false

## additional options to use with the default boot option, but not with the
## alternatives
## e.g. defoptions=vga=791 resume=/dev/hda5
# defoptions=quiet splash

## should update-grub lock old automagic boot options
## e.g. lockold=false
## lockold=true
# lockold=false

## Xen hypervisor options to use with the default Xen boot option
# xenhopt=

## Xen Linux kernel options to use with the default Xen boot option
# xenkopt=console=tty0

## altoption boot targets option
## multiple altoptions lines are allowed
## e.g. altoptions=(extra menu suffix) extra boot options
## altoptions=(recovery) single
# altoptions=(recovery mode) single

## controls how many kernels should be put into the menu.lst
## only counts the first occurence of a kernel, not the
## alternative kernel options
## e.g. howmany=all
## howmany=7
# howmany=all

## should update-grub create memtest86 boot option
## e.g. memtest86=true
## memtest86=false
# memtest86=true

## should update-grub adjust the value of the default booted system
## can be true or false
# updatedefaultentry=false

## should update-grub add savedefault to the default options
## can be true or false
# savedefault=false

## ## End Default Options ##

title Ubuntu 8.10, kernel 2.6.27-10-generic
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.27-10-generic root=UUID=8993cb42-ad89-4d02-a12d-c254e53f5867 ro quiet splash
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.27-10-generic

title Ubuntu 8.10, kernel 2.6.27-10-generic (recovery mode)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.27-10-generic root=UUID=8993cb42-ad89-4d02-a12d-c254e53f5867 ro single
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.27-10-generic

title Ubuntu 8.10, kernel 2.6.27-9-generic
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.27-9-generic root=UUID=8993cb42-ad89-4d02-a12d-c254e53f5867 ro quiet splash
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.27-9-generic

title Ubuntu 8.10, kernel 2.6.27-9-generic (recovery mode)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.27-9-generic root=UUID=8993cb42-ad89-4d02-a12d-c254e53f5867 ro single
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.27-9-generic

title Ubuntu 8.10, kernel 2.6.27-7-generic
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.27-7-generic root=UUID=8993cb42-ad89-4d02-a12d-c254e53f5867 ro quiet splash
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.27-7-generic

title Ubuntu 8.10, kernel 2.6.27-7-generic (recovery mode)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.27-7-generic root=UUID=8993cb42-ad89-4d02-a12d-c254e53f5867 ro single
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.27-7-generic

title Ubuntu 8.10, memtest86+
kernel /boot/memtest86+.bin

### END DEBIAN AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST

title Other operating systems:
root

title Windows NT/2000/XP (loader)
root (hd2,1)
map (hd0) (hd2)
map (hd2) (hd0)
chainloader +1
savedefault
makeactive

boot.ini (Windows)

[boot loader]
timeout=5
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOW S
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Micro soft Windows XP Pro - Main Partition" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Micro soft Windows XP Pro - Main Partition - SAFE MODE with Networking" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect /safeboot:networking /sos /bootlog
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Micro soft Windows XP Pro - Games Partition" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Micro soft Windows XP Pro - Games Partition - SAFE MODE with Networking" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect /safeboot:networking /sos /bootlog
C:\CMDCONS\BOOTSECT.DAT="Microsoft Windows Recovery Console" /cmdcons

[lmilano]

Re: Can't boot to Windows - Please help - Error12: invalid device requested

It looks to me like youare trying to load windows from the first IDE disk, hd2. It looks like the windows entry should be (according to your description):

title Windows NT/2000/XP (loader)
root (hd0,0)
chainloader +1
savedefault
makeactive

Also, I think this looks fishy:

title Other operating systems:
root

Maybe try commenting this out (using # at the line beginning)

Please be very carefull when playing with menu.lst - Please back it up, you can always restore the backup with a Live CD and a bit of elbow grease.

Also: did you check the Grub editor in System Settings? That may help. Another idea is to run
"sudo update-grub" in Konsole.

Hope this helps!

[scorpiusmaximus]

Re: Can't boot to Windows - Please help - Error12: invalid device requested

Thanks much Lmilano.
I ran update-grub and got an error 13 message. I then edited menu.lst (after backing it up, ALWAYS back up) to hd0,0. I did comment out

title Other operating systems:
root

Booted right up.
I changed the root to hd0,0 before and I did not get the error message but It would get stuck on the search for boot screen.
Thanks a million.

[toad]

Re: Can't boot to Windows - Please help - Error12: invalid device requested

Great stuff, SM and lmilano

SM, could you mark this thread as SOLVED please?

See my signature for details - thanks.

[lmilano]

Re: Can't boot to Windows - Please help - Error12: invalid device requested

Thanks Toad for your words

It is so much easier when people give you the right info, and read carefully what you post, like Scorpius did in this thread. Should we have a pinned post explaining this, so we can point people to read it when they give scarce/insufficient info? It would save a lot of time time for everyone!

Cheers!