Windows doesn't show in GRUB [FIXED]

[matthew.ickstadt]

I know this problem has been asked many times, but the solutions never work.
I have 2 hard drives arranged as shown from fdisk -l:

Disk /dev/sda: 80.0 GB, 80026361856 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 9729 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x61476147

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 1 851 6835626 82 Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sda2 * 852 9729 71312535 83 Linux

Disk /dev/sdb: 500.1 GB, 500107862016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 60801 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0xc9e66e24

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sdb1 * 1 60801 488384001 7 HPFS/NTFS

I had Windows XP Home installed on the 80gb HDD, than I got the new 500gb one and installed XP on that one instead. Windows would boot up happily and the boot loader worked, letting me select between the two installs. I then downloaded and installed Kubuntu 9.04 AMD64 from the live CD onto the 80gb hard drive as ext4. After the reboot, Windows didn't show up in GRUB. I edited the menu.lst in /boot/grub/ as root to include:

title Microsoft Windows XP
root (hd1,0)
makeactive
chainloader +1
timeout 5

When this option is selected in GRUB, it says invalid command. Any suggestions?
Edit: When I remove the timeout line it doesn't show an error, instead going to starting up ... but it just sits there.
Edit: Also of note is that when restarting form the kickoff application launcher, pulls up the restarting in * seconds... but afterwords shows a blank screen with the cursor and won't move any further. Restarting works fine from terminal. I'm concerned with the effects of hard booting on ext4. I wonder if I should just reinstall Kubuntu with the default partitioning.

[dibl]

Re: Windows doesn't show in GRUB

Assuming both hard drives are set correctly in BIOS (usually happens automatically on newer systems), I've never seen the *buntu installer fail to pick up the Windows partition/drive automatically and write the boot menu file correctly. So this is mystifying. Did you try it as it was originally set up by the installer, prior to editing the file?

EDIT: However, I've seen a system with mixed IDE and SATA drives get installed backwards (by the installer, not the user). Why don't you try changing the Linux drive to (hd1,1) and the Windows drive to (hd0,0) in the /boot/grub/menu.lst file, or even just using "e" on the kernel boot line in the menu when it comes up?

[matthew.ickstadt]

Re: Windows doesn't show in GRUB

Yes, it seems strange the installer didn't pick it out. Without the edit to the GRUB file the only os options were the Kubuntu ones.
Edit: I will try that.

[Qqmike]

Re: Windows doesn't show in GRUB

title Microsoft Windows XP
map (hd1) (hd0)
map (hd0) (hd1)
root (hd1,0)
makeactive
chainloader +1


timeout: there was no space separating the timeout command from chainloader


How To GRUB Methods - Toolkit
http://kubuntuforums.net/forums/inde...opic=3081671.0
SECTION 5: Dual-booting
SECTION 6: Windows topics

[matthew.ickstadt]

Re: Windows doesn't show in GRUB

@dibl: after editing the windows startup command to be (1,1) it reports "No such partition" same for menu.lst

@Qqmike: I just removed the line to remedy the problem.

[Qqmike]

Re: Windows doesn't show in GRUB

If it's on (hd1,0), you need those map commands.

[matthew.ickstadt]

Re: Windows doesn't show in GRUB

After inserting the map commands and rebooting, it informs me that NTDLR is missing.
Edit: it says the same when the windows drive is set as bootdrive in bios.

[Qqmike]

Re: Windows doesn't show in GRUB

I'm kind of rusty of my XP, but that sounds like NTLDR is missing => something is broken there!
Can you fix that with the XP disk, then try again?
Sounds like GRUB did point at the right thing but then Windows didn't have its bootloader in its boot sector.

[Qqmike]

Re: Windows doesn't show in GRUB

How to fix: NTLDR is missing

http://tinyempire.com/notes/ntldrismissing.htm

[Qqmike]

Re: Windows doesn't show in GRUB

One more helper:
scroll down to:
NTLDR is missing, press any key to restart
here:
http://members.iinet.net.au/%7Eherma..._Error_Occured

[matthew.ickstadt]

Re: Windows doesn't show in GRUB

I'm guessing NTLDR is windows NT Boot loader (LDR). I'll try to restore the boot.ini file from windows recovery console.

[josefko]

Re: Windows doesn't show in GRUB

If you have your Windows back, you can try install Kubuntu again using another method which will not touch your Windows loader. Very simply, maybe you will need an explanation:
- During installing Kubuntu press Advanced button and put the number of disk partition, where Kubuntu will be installed instead of hd0. Grub will not be installed to MBR, MBR will not be touched.
- After installation use in Windows free small program bootpart, which will add your Kubuntu as a line to boot.ini, so starting Kubuntu will be an option when starting Windows with its loader.
You can't do any harm to your Windows again.

[matthew.ickstadt]

Re: Windows doesn't show in GRUB

The recovery console said that it couldn't check all drives for windows, and that I should run CHKDSK. After several hours of that I figured that it was just unable to check the Linux partition. Time to unplug the drive.

[vinnywright]

Re: Windows doesn't show in GRUB

IF the widows file system got mesed up at some point windows will not boot untill you run CHKDSK /f from windows or the windows cd.

then if grub is pointing in the right derection youll be good

VINNY

[matthew.ickstadt]

Re: Windows doesn't show in GRUB

Unplugging the drive didn't fix the searching for drives, and neither did chkdsk /r, or /f. This looks dire. The funny thing is that in the installer I told it to not mess with my windows hard drive at all, I'd assume that includes the file table and boot.ini.