Re: Grub Read Error on 1st boot after install
From: fireball (steve.mclemore_at_hcahealthcare.com)
Date: 11/10/05
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Date: 10 Nov 2005 14:24:10 -0800
Nobody Here wrote:
> On 8 Nov 2005 14:46:15 -0800, fireball wrote:
> > I'm new to Linux. Been considering getting started for years. Now
> > that I have gotten started, I've crashed my Win98 system or at least it
> > won't boot now.
> >
> > The system is a Dell Pentium 233 with Win98 on Drive C which also has
> > or had two logical partitions E: and F:. I installed a 20gb hd to
> > install Linux on. The Linux distro. I used came with Christopher
> > Negus' book "Red Hat Fedora 4.0 Bible". I followed the install chapter
> > to the letter I think, to set up a dual boot system, with the complete
> > Linux install. The setup routine formatted the drive and installed
> > seemingly without a hitch.
> >
> > When it came time to reboot, I got a "Grub Read Error". I shut off
> > the power a number of times, but "Grub Read Error" is the only response
> > that I get. I don't find anything in the "Red Hat Fedora Bible" book
> > that covers this problem.
> >
> > Thanks in advance for any help in recovering from this. I'd be really
> > dissapointed if I can't get this working, I mean I've waited for so
> > long. I was really looking forward to getting away from Windows.
>
> A couple of brief observations, sorry if they assume too little about
> your knowledge:
>
> It sounds like you've broken the master boot record on the hard
> disk. That's probably because it's slightly more complicated to
> use a second hard disk rather than just different partitions on
> the first.
>
> Presumably you installed Linux on the second hard disk not the first?
> You should have been using /hdev/hdb probably, if the Windows disk
> is the first (master) disk on the primary controller and the new disk
> is the slave. In other words, are you sure you've not overwritten
> your Windows install?
>
> Secondly, at what point does Grub give the read error? Is it after
> it displays the selection/countdown page or right at the beginning
> before anything else is displayed? If you get the countdown/selection
> page then there are things you can type at grub to help resolve the
> problem. If nothing at all appears, you're a little more stuffed.
>
> If you're using Fedora Core 4, you can boot the install CD in
> rescue mode. If you do that, it'll eventually get to a point
> where it tells you it's searching for installations, and with
> any luck it'll find your newly installed second hard disk. If
> it does that, that opens up a whole range of possibilities to fix
> things. After the CD boots, there will be a bunch of "help" options
> displayed, but you can type "linux rescue" without the ""s to boot
> in rescue mode. One of the first things you can do is to use
> fdisk at the command prompt to see all your disk partitions. That's
> "fdisk /dev/hda" for the first disk and "fdisk /dev/hdb" for the
> second. Type "m" for help in fdisk - don't ask me why? Type "q"
> to exit without changing anything. Don't type "w" unless you know
> what you're doing.
>
> Does the W98 CD self boot like the XP one? The XP one seems to
> look at the hard disk and give you the opportunity to boot either
> the CD or the contents of a windows partition. If the '98 one
> will do that, you might be able to boot windows, and repair the
> disk's master boot record to at least boot Windows using something
> like "fdisk /mbr" (RTFM!!) in a command prompt. Then you can
> start again, at least, and also use Windows' disk manager thing
> to at least see if there are some partitions on the second disk.
>
> Hope this helps a bit. Almost certianly your system can be recovered
> by booting into rescue mode - probably by mounting your installed
> system , chrooting to the root of the mounted install, fixing your
> grub configuration file in /etc/grub.conf and possibly reinstalling
> grub. Sounds easy, and it is when you know what you're doing, but
> I remember well enough that it's a bit daunting at first :-)
>
> --
> Nobby
Thanks for the reply.
The new disk that I hopefully installed Linux on is setup on the 2nd
IDE Channel as Master. Slave on 1st IDE Channel is my CD.
At this point I'm not sure whether or not I overwrote my Windows
install. I'm in no rush, so I'm willing to wait until I'm sure you or
someone fully understands what I've done, or assists me in determining
what I've done so that I can salvidge my Windows install.
When I turn the pc on, all I get is the Grub Read Error message right
at the beginning. After doing some reading I did boot off of the
Fedora Core 2, 1st Install CD and typed "linux rescue". It did some
churning and chuncking and came back with some info. I don't remember
what it was. I didn't go any further because I was unsure how to
proceed. I will try that again tonight and copy the info. this time.
So that you understand my original config. let me repeat what it was.
My original hard drive had physical partition "C:" and logical
partitions "E: and F:". Windows 98SE was installed on the "C:"
partition. I installed the new 20gb hd and told the install routine to
use it for the complete Linux install.
I can try the Linux "fdisk". Since my Linux install drive is Primary
on the 2nd IDE Channel, would I type "fdisk /dev/hdb"? I understand
that to exit "fdisk" I should type "q" and not "w". Will this only
give me info. on my Linux partitions?
I can also boot from my floppy based Win98 Startup Disk and run "fdisk"
to see if my original partitions are still there, right? Then if I
decide that I don't mind reinstalling Linux, I can run "fdisk /mbr" and
probably resurrect my Windows 98, right? I'm sorry I don't understand
(RTFM!!).
Concerning your last paragraph, I know that I have read about
"chrooting" and mounting a drive and fixing the grub configuration, but
at this point in my Linux training it's kinda like Greek to me, because
I haven't experimented with it yet.
By the way, I also have a Knoppix CD. Would that work better for just
poking around until I know what to do with this mess that I have
created?
I used to be fairly comfortable working in the DOS environment, so I
think that I can get comfortable with Linux. It will just take some
practice.
Thanks again for your reply. I look forward to hearing more from you.
Fireball
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