GRUB Error After Installing on Ext Hard Drive

[cryosilver]

My computer is a Gateway 7330GZ, running XP Pro, if that helps address the following issues.

I tried installing Kubuntu 7.04 last night on my external hard drive, and everything seemed to be going fine; it said it finished installing and whatnot, no problem. I had chosen the guided partition method, and allotted about 45 gigs for Linux. The file format of the external is FAT32, and my internal is NTFS, running XP Pro. But then, when I tried rebooting, I got an error 17 as it tried to load GRUB Stage 1.5. When I unplugged the external, I got an error 21 or 22 (don't recall and forgot to write it down).

I understand from reading around these forums that it has something to do with not being able to read the partition, yes?

I ran into another problem, though. I could not choose to load Windows anymore, no matter which disk I chose to boot from! I had to reinstall Windows on my internal hard drive and delete the partition I had set up for Linux on my external. Fortunately, I lost fairly little, since my important documents were backed up on my external, but it was kind of annoying regardless.


So here are my questions/requests for help, in order of importance to me:

1: How do I set up my laptop to give me the choice to boot Windows or Kubuntu once I install it? (I can boot from the CD just fine, but it's kind of slow and I can't get it to work with my wireless card, which I understand I can fix once it's installed by using ndiswrapper)

2: How do I get Kubuntu to work in the first place (make GRUB error 17 go away)? I want to install it on my external hard drive.

I'm at work right now, so I can't actually try anything or give more detailed information until about 4 pm EST. Once I get home, I can actually try tweaking stuff.

[askrieger]

Re: GRUB Error After Installing on Ext Hard Drive

Are you sure that you can boot from your external hard drive? If so, you can follow these instructions from the Ubuntu Community Help Wiki. Unfortunately, you probably won't be able to install Kubuntu 7.04 (the current stable release). See the note at the bottom of the referenced wiki page. You will have to install 6.06.1 (the Long Term Support release).

[cryosilver]

Re: GRUB Error After Installing on Ext Hard Drive

Well, I'm not sure why I wouldn't be able to boot from my external... When I open the list of boot options (via F10 at the screen that says "Gateway") it lists 2 different drives, and there's only one partition on my internal, so the second must be my external, right?

If it's the case that I have to use the method you describe, I'll probably just use my USB Flash Drive, instead of my external hard drive.

[jankushka]

Re: GRUB Error After Installing on Ext Hard Drive

why don't try changing the boot sequence in your bios and place usb at the top.
if the system got installed on the external usb drive, you [i]should be able to boot.
i think so, anyway...

[cryosilver]

Re: GRUB Error After Installing on Ext Hard Drive

Well here's the thing; if it was set to boot from my internal hard drive, GRUB shouldn't ever have popped up, since it's entirely on my external;, right?

But it DID pop up, regardless of which drive I set to boot first. Maybe I'm just dumb and doing it wrong, but I am almost positive that GRUB popped up either way... And then either Error 17 (if the USB external was plugged in) or Error 21 (if it was unplugged).

No option to use Windows at all.

[cryosilver]

Re: GRUB Error After Installing on Ext Hard Drive

I suppose I could install Kubuntu on my internal hard drive, but I'd need a utility to resize my NTFS partition and free up some space for an ext3 (that's right, isn't it?). Probably I'd resize the NTFS down to about 20 gigs (of 80) to run my Windows-only stuff (games and the like), and allot the rest to a giant ext3 partition (I read elsewhere on the forums that I can use FS-Drive to allow Windows tor ead this kind of formatting. That being true, my music will probably also go here) and the swap partition.

Do you suppose doing that (Kubuntu and GRUB on my internal) would solve the problem?

And do you know of a utility that would let me resize an NTFS partition?

[jankushka]

Re: GRUB Error After Installing on Ext Hard Drive

And do you know of a utility that would let me resize an NTFS partition?

sure, running the os off the internal hard drive is better...well, faster if anything else.
the installer has that resizing option by default.
the utility that allows to do that is gparted.
you'll find a gparted live cd on the net (it's always good to have it handy).
otherwise i tend to keep a knoppix live cd (which is a sort of doctor's cd) which has that utility and a lot of other things.

here's what i think could be a useful link on dual boot installation:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...untu+dual+boot

i wouldn't give up on the external drive thing, though...

[cryosilver]

Re: GRUB Error After Installing on Ext Hard Drive

Okay; when I get home (about 4 hours from now) I will get a gparted cd and repartition my internal hard drive, then try reinstalling Kubuntu on it.

I just hope that putting GRUB on my internal will fix the Error 17.

[askrieger]

Re: GRUB Error After Installing on Ext Hard Drive

Let me add another reference for your dual-booting pleasure. Please take a look at the Hermanzone Dual Booting site (even if he doesn't mention our forums). I recommend the pre-install page as a must read.

[cryosilver]

Re: GRUB Error After Installing on Ext Hard Drive

Okay, I got home and tried all kinds of solutions: reinstalling, fiddling around with my menu.lst, even Supergrub. Nothing has worked.

Last night I deleted the partitions that I had used for Linux on my external. Today i tried shrinking my NTFS partition on my internal with gparted. No joy. Whatever; I have about 50 gigs open on my external. So I reinstalled everything with all the default settings and whatnot. Same deal as last night; I got it to install real hppy-like, but when I rebooted: Loading Stage 1.5, then an Error 17. This is without modifying the menu.lst, which defaults to hd1,1, corresponding to sdb2, where Linux is installed.

I used the CD to get into Kubuntu and opened up my menu.lst. I moved my Windows boot entry up to the top, and even changed groot to hd0,0, which is my NTFS partition with Windows.

Right; can't boot that either. Error 17.

Using Supergrub I can load Windows, but not Linux.

So... The impression that I'm getting is that GRUB cannot load EITHER of my operating systems, which, to say the least is... annoying. Also, even with my external powered off, GRUB continues to pop and give me errors! Shouldn't the Windows booter take over when the drive with GRUB is powered down?

I'm basically out of ideas here... I've tried modifying the menu.lst file with no success, and I can't make Supergrub work for me other than loading Windows. I'm new to Linux, so any help would be great.

[cryosilver]

Re: GRUB Error After Installing on Ext Hard Drive

Right, one more thing.

I used Supergrub to uninstall GRUB, so I could boot tot WIndows without a hassle...

I had to uninstall it from both hard drives, instead of just my external. WHy would that be so?

Thanks in advance!

[askrieger]

Re: GRUB Error After Installing on Ext Hard Drive

Obviously, you had Grub installed on the MBR of the internal hard drive. That's why it was showing up even when you had the external drive disconnected. Personally, when I ran windoze, I always did windoze tasks in windoze and Linux tasks in Linux. So:

(1) fix your MBR with "fdisk /fixmbr" (or something like that, it's been a while for me).
(2) Use Partition Magic (or whatever has replaced it) to shrink your ntfs partition and leave a blank PRIMARY partition in the empty space 15-20GB will b e more than adequate for your early Linux adventures. 10GB will be enough for a disappointing trial installation.
(3a) Format your entire external drive as Fat32 with your windoze partitioner.
(3b) Make sure that the external drive is plugged in when you install Linux.
(4) Install Kubuntu, letting the installer format the unused space on the internal drive for Linux. You're best off using one big partition for Linux with an additional swap partition equal to one or two times the size of your memory.

If you approach Linux with an open mind, you'll probably like it, but perhaps not. I remember trying a Mac, years ago, and wondering why Mac addicts (including my children) liked it.

[cryosilver]

Re: GRUB Error After Installing on Ext Hard Drive

I'll try what you suggested. I probably won't post the results until the morning, though.

As to Macs, blech.

I like I what I've seen of Linux though.

[cryosilver]

Re: GRUB Error After Installing on Ext Hard Drive

I got fed up with the whole process, deleted my NTFS partition and installed Kubuntu on my now-empty internal.. it works just peachy keen.

Tonight, I'm going to reinstall windows for those few programs I can't use in Linux.

[dibl]

Re: GRUB Error After Installing on Ext Hard Drive

Tonight, I'm going to reinstall windows for those few programs I can't use in Linux.

If you're attracted to the notion of leaving Windows behind, VWare Player works pretty well to run your "hardcore" Windows apps in a Linux X window. But you still need to install your Windows OS on your VM Player virtual machine.