grub loader problems

[Bwomp]

I have 3 hard disks.

On the first, I have 3 partitions, One with windows xp, one with data and one with Linux ( mount point /)
The second is just data too
The third has 2 partitions. One with ext3 (mount point /home) and one with nothing (is going to be FAT32, I think).

My problem:
When I boot my pc, he goes directly to windows, I never see the grub loader.

I think this means that the grub loader isn't installed in the MBR, but that sounds weird to me :s

when I put the third disk as first and I install everything there, the grub-loader boots, but then I can't boot windows. NTLDR is missing. I can fix that by putting the Windows as first, but then the grub loader doesn't boot.

Can anyone help me?

[Qqmike]

Re: grub loader problems

It's all here:

How To GRUB Methods - Toolkit
http://kubuntuforums.net/forums/inde...opic=3081671.0
And Reply # 12: --- Install Windows XP *after* Kubuntu, and install XP to a non-first hard drive: map command Reply #12

You have two choices:
> Boot the PC from the Windows drive (so the XP drive will be hd0) and install GRUB to its MBR to boot Kubuntu also;
> Boot the PC from the Kubuntu drive (so the Kubuntu drive will be hd0, and the XP drive will be hd1) and include a boot entry for Windows in /boot/grub/menu.lst (GRUB's boot menu) so you can boot XP -- XP then would be on a non-first hard drive.

Very easy to do either way, but lots of details to type here.
The how-to has it all, if you care to look at that.

One CAUTION: If you write GRUB to the MBR of the XP drive (and so boot the PC from the XP drive), you will overwrite the XP NTLDR; so if you ever need/want to restore it, you'll need the XP disk or some download you might find on the Internet for soing do.

[Qqmike]

Re: grub loader problems

in the same how-to link, see also Reply #21 (if you boot the PC from the Kubuntu drive):

--- Dual-boot Windows and Kubuntu: Special Situations Reply #21
(How to avoid installing GRUB to the Windows MBR; and, Windows & Kubuntu drives, GRUB in Windows MBR, but when you remove the Kubuntu drive, Windows won’t boot)