Re: Grub not being written to boot drive

philo wrote:
"jbatt" <jbatt@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:LPednX0NzLzQNUDanZ2dnUVZ_jqdnZ2d@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
I'm a longtime Linux user. I've been using it since 1999. I've had
several linux/windows dual boot systems. I've used Mandrake, then
Mandriva, Suse, Debian and it's spin offs Ubuntu/Kubuntu and their spin
off Mepis, Gentoo and Sabayon

Here are my system stats:
HP/Compaq Computer
3ghz P4
1.5 GB Ram

Primary Hard Drive (sda):
160 GB SATA 3G

CD Drive:
16X DVD(+/-)R/RW RAM (+/-)R DL LightScribe drive

Linux Drive (hdb):
15 GB Quantum Fireball configured as slave off the CD Drive

Windows XP w/SP2

Choose a Linux, any Linux, I've tried 10 different Distros and get the
same problem.

I insert the CD, the installation begins and proceeds normally with
Linux being installed on hdb.

When it get to the point that it configures the bootloader, I tell it to
write to the MBR of the SATA Drive. The computer says it is.

We get to the point where it tells me to remove the CD from the Drive
and restart.

When the system restarts it goes directly to XP. There is NO boot menu
to choose from.

I'm assuming that the distro actually got installed on hdb.

Anyone have any suggestions? I really miss my Linux and need it back.

John Batt
jbatt@xxxxxxxxxxx


First off, are you sure it says it's being written to sda?
Just wondering if it's picking up your SATA drive.

In the bios , set your "hdb" drive as the boot drive
and see if grub was perhaps installed there.

Also: I too have been a long time Linux user
and as of late have noticed in a few cases I also had problems with Grub...
but LILO worked. I'm pretty sure there are plenty of distros still around
that will
give you a LILO option...so you may want to try that if it's not an SATA
issue



OK, I checked and it was written to the MBR of hdb. No I need to get it to recognize my NVIDIA card and not the onboard Radeon card. The boot crashes when GDM is trying to set up the onboard grahics card and not recognizing the NVIDIA GeForce FX5500 I have installed
.

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