Dual Boot xp & linux = BAD GRUB

**Iceberg** · 04-28-2008, 01:53 AM

Well, I felt like playing around with a linux install and got an install of ubuntu to throw on it's own HD. The install installed GRUB for dual booting XP and ubuntu, except now I keep getting a GRUB error 17, and can't access either OS.

I'm more then a little "done" with trying to fix this, I've been spending the better part of my sunday tracking down info on the problem but it's all greek to me. Is there any way to fix this from the ubuntu install CD, as I don't have a cd burner or a floppy drive.

This really sucks btw. Typing on the laptop is such a chore.

MagnaCentipede · 04-28-2008, 02:27 AM

New to me; I never had a problem adding Ubuntu, though I always put it on the same drive, and installed GRUB there.

=Sarc= · 04-28-2008, 08:19 AM

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=442945

First google hit for 'GRUB error 17'. Hope it helps!

**Iceberg** · 04-28-2008, 12:19 PM

Thanks sarc, but I've already been googling the hell out of this and can't find a solution.

**Iceberg** · 04-28-2008, 02:27 PM

If anyone can help...

Here's my fdisk info:

Quote:

Disk /dev/sda: 250.0 GB, 250059350016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 30401 cylinders, total 488397168 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x0b2d0b2c

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 63 488375999 244187968+ 7 HPFS/NTFS

Disk /dev/sdb: 80.0 GB, 80026361856 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 9729 cylinders, total 156301488 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x084cc165

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sdb1 * 63 150288074 75144006 83 Linux
/dev/sdb2 150288075 156296384 3004155 5 Extended
/dev/sdb5 150288138 156296384 3004123+ 82 Linux swap / Solaris

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: 0xda399203

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sdc1 * 63 488392064 244196001 7 HPFS/NTFS

Disk /dev/sdd: 80.0 GB, 80026361856 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 9729 cylinders, total 156301488 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x084cc166

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sdd1 * 63 156296384 78148161 6 FAT16

Here's my info from fstab:

Code:

# /etc/fstab: static file system information.
#
# <file system> <mount point>   <type>  <options>       <dump>  <pass>
proc            /proc           proc    defaults        0       0
# /dev/sdb1
UUID=9f70c7e4-c079-461e-96e0-15bf95db6cb6 /               ext3    relatime,errors=remount-ro 0       1
# /dev/sdb5
UUID=66d69b42-11c3-49ba-a7f3-2bc31a33e49a none            swap    sw              0       0
/dev/scd0       /media/cdrom0   udf,iso9660 user,noauto,exec,utf8 0       0
/etc/fstab (END)

and menu:

Quote:

title Ubuntu 8.04, kernel 2.6.24-16-generic
root (hd1,0)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.24-16-generic root=UUID=9f70c7e4-c079-461e-96e0-15bf95db6cb6 ro quiet splash
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.24-16-generic
quiet

title Ubuntu 8.04, kernel 2.6.24-16-generic (recovery mode)
root (hd1,0)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.24-16-generic root=UUID=9f70c7e4-c079-461e-96e0-15bf95db6cb6 ro single
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.24-16-generic

title Ubuntu 8.04, memtest86+
root (hd1,0)
kernel /boot/memtest86+.bin
quiet

### END DEBIAN AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST

# This is a divider, added to separate the menu items below from the Debian
# ones.
title Other operating systems:
root

# This entry automatically added by the Debian installer for a non-linux OS
# on /dev/sda1
title Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
root (hd0,0)
savedefault
chainloader +1

Device.Map:
(hd0) /dev/sda
(hd1) /dev/sdb
(hd2) /dev/sdc
(hd3) /dev/sdd

**marstein** · 04-28-2008, 03:05 PM

To get XP back you usually boot with the XP CD, and choose the emergency repair console or suchlike thing. then you issue a fixmbr command (and another one - google for it). That should get XP back.
Then you can finaggle /boot/grub/menu.lst to try getting grub in order again. Ideally you have a separate HD for Linux. Then you can unplug your XP HD and install clean on the Linux disk and boot the correct OS via the BIOS boot selection (F12 on my Gigabyte I believe).

=Sarc= · 04-28-2008, 07:58 PM

http://users.bigpond.net.au/hermanzone/p15.htm#cli

Can you get to your GRUB menu? Try the command-line interface to figure out if your device.map is correct in specifying your drives.

**Iceberg** · 04-28-2008, 08:15 PM

I've been able to boot into ubuntu by installing GRUB on that HD and changing the HD boot order via bios. I have to edit the GRUB string and change it from hd1,0 to hd0,0.

I still can't load XP via the GRUB menu (even though it's a selection).

=Sarc= · 04-28-2008, 11:28 PM

The HD setting in your GRUB config is probably wrong for XP as well. You'll have to do some more fiddling to figure out what drive it thinks it is.

**Iceberg** · 04-29-2008, 12:04 AM

Back in windows. 1. Disabled Linux HD; 2. Boot up with win xp CD; 3. Go to recovery and fixmbr.

Le Sigh.

04-28-2008, 01:53 AM	#1 (permalink)
Iceberg Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Illinois Age: 25 Posts: 1,931	Dual Boot xp & linux = BAD GRUB Well, I felt like playing around with a linux install and got an install of ubuntu to throw on it's own HD. The install installed GRUB for dual booting XP and ubuntu, except now I keep getting a GRUB error 17, and can't access either OS. I'm more then a little "done" with trying to fix this, I've been spending the better part of my sunday tracking down info on the problem but it's all greek to me. Is there any way to fix this from the ubuntu install CD, as I don't have a cd burner or a floppy drive. This really sucks btw. Typing on the laptop is such a chore. __________________ It only takes 2 bites [insert parasite] to get to the center of a meatpop. TGNS Admin \| NS Forum Moderator Digz \| NS Play Tester Natural Selection \| TGNS Primer \| Communication Awareness! Army Info: Deployment or Bust - June 2009

04-28-2008, 02:27 AM	#2 (permalink)
MagnaCentipede Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 1,953	Re: Dual Boot xp & linux = BAD GRUB New to me; I never had a problem adding Ubuntu, though I always put it on the same drive, and installed GRUB there. __________________

04-28-2008, 08:19 AM	#3 (permalink)
=Sarc= Join Date: May 2003 Location: Ottawa, Canada Posts: 4,625	Re: Dual Boot xp & linux = BAD GRUB http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=442945 First google hit for 'GRUB error 17'. Hope it helps! __________________ JO Guides & Tutorials Team Element - It's who you game with.

04-28-2008, 12:19 PM	#4 (permalink)
Iceberg Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Illinois Age: 25 Posts: 1,931	Re: Dual Boot xp & linux = BAD GRUB Thanks sarc, but I've already been googling the hell out of this and can't find a solution. __________________ It only takes 2 bites [insert parasite] to get to the center of a meatpop. TGNS Admin \| NS Forum Moderator Digz \| NS Play Tester Natural Selection \| TGNS Primer \| Communication Awareness! Army Info: Deployment or Bust - June 2009

04-28-2008, 03:05 PM	#6 (permalink)
marstein Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Half Moon Bay, CA, USA Age: 42 Posts: 840	Re: Dual Boot xp & linux = BAD GRUB To get XP back you usually boot with the XP CD, and choose the emergency repair console or suchlike thing. then you issue a fixmbr command (and another one - google for it). That should get XP back. Then you can finaggle /boot/grub/menu.lst to try getting grub in order again. Ideally you have a separate HD for Linux. Then you can unplug your XP HD and install clean on the Linux disk and boot the correct OS via the BIOS boot selection (F12 on my Gigabyte I believe). __________________ Gigabyte P35-DS3R, 2GB, 8800GTS 640MB, Core2Duo E8400

04-28-2008, 07:58 PM	#7 (permalink)
=Sarc= Join Date: May 2003 Location: Ottawa, Canada Posts: 4,625	Re: Dual Boot xp & linux = BAD GRUB http://users.bigpond.net.au/hermanzone/p15.htm#cli Can you get to your GRUB menu? Try the command-line interface to figure out if your device.map is correct in specifying your drives. __________________ JO Guides & Tutorials Team Element - It's who you game with.

04-28-2008, 08:15 PM	#8 (permalink)
Iceberg Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Illinois Age: 25 Posts: 1,931	Re: Dual Boot xp & linux = BAD GRUB I've been able to boot into ubuntu by installing GRUB on that HD and changing the HD boot order via bios. I have to edit the GRUB string and change it from hd1,0 to hd0,0. I still can't load XP via the GRUB menu (even though it's a selection). __________________ It only takes 2 bites [insert parasite] to get to the center of a meatpop. TGNS Admin \| NS Forum Moderator Digz \| NS Play Tester Natural Selection \| TGNS Primer \| Communication Awareness! Army Info: Deployment or Bust - June 2009

04-28-2008, 11:28 PM	#9 (permalink)
=Sarc= Join Date: May 2003 Location: Ottawa, Canada Posts: 4,625	Re: Dual Boot xp & linux = BAD GRUB The HD setting in your GRUB config is probably wrong for XP as well. You'll have to do some more fiddling to figure out what drive it thinks it is. __________________ JO Guides & Tutorials Team Element - It's who you game with.

04-29-2008, 12:04 AM	#10 (permalink)
Iceberg Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Illinois Age: 25 Posts: 1,931	Re: Dual Boot xp & linux = BAD GRUB Back in windows. 1. Disabled Linux HD; 2. Boot up with win xp CD; 3. Go to recovery and fixmbr. Le Sigh. __________________ It only takes 2 bites [insert parasite] to get to the center of a meatpop. TGNS Admin \| NS Forum Moderator Digz \| NS Play Tester Natural Selection \| TGNS Primer \| Communication Awareness! Army Info: Deployment or Bust - June 2009

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