No Grub bootloader. Help!

**intelamd** · October 10th, 2012

Hi everyone,

Below is the complete information I got after using Boot repair. Kindly view and help.

Code:

RECOMMENDED REPAIR:

Boot successfully repaired.

Please write on a paper the following URL:
http://paste.debian.net/198533/

In case you still experience boot problem, indicate this URL to:
boot.repair@gmail.com or to your favorite support forum.

You can now reboot your computer.

The boot files of [The OS now in use - Linux Mint 13 Maya] are far from the start of the disk. Your BIOS may not detect them. You may want to retry after creating a /boot partition (EXT4, >200MB, start of the disk). This can be performed via tools such as gParted. Then select this partition via the [Separate /boot partition:] option of [Boot Repair]. (https://help.ubuntu.com/community/BootPartition)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CREATE A BOOTINFO SUMMARY

Please write on a paper the following URL:
http://paste.debian.net/198534/

In case you still experience boot problem, indicate this URL to:
boot.repair@gmail.com or to your favorite support forum.

No change has been performed on your computer. See you soon!

__________________________________________________________________________

ADVANCED OPTIONS:

(Backup partition tables, bootsectors and logs)

Reinstall Grub:

Boot successfully repaired.

Please write on a paper the following URL:
http://paste.debian.net/198621/

In case you still experience boot problem, indicate this URL to:
boot.repair@gmail.com or to your favorite support forum.

You can now reboot your computer.

The boot files of [The OS now in use - Linux Mint 13 Maya] are far from the start of the disk. Your BIOS may not detect them. You may want to retry after creating a /boot partition (EXT4, >200MB, start of the disk). This can be performed via tools such as gParted. Then select this partition via the [Separate /boot partition:] option of [Boot Repair]. (https://help.ubuntu.com/community/BootPartition)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

GRUB LOCATION

OS to boot by default: (Windows via sda7 menu)

Place GRUB into: Sda

Boot successfully repaired.

Please write on a paper the following URL:
http://paste.debian.net/198624/

In case you still experience boot problem, indicate this URL to:
boot.repair@gmail.com or to your favorite support forum.

You can now reboot your computer.

The boot files of [The OS now in use - Linux Mint 13 Maya] are far from the start of the disk. Your BIOS may not detect them. You may want to retry after creating a /boot partition (EXT4, >200MB, start of the disk). This can be performed via tools such as gParted. Then select this partition via the [Separate /boot partition:] option of [Boot Repair]. (https://help.ubuntu.com/community/BootPartition)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

GRUB OPTIONS: Nothing changed as I don't know about the options.

Edit Grub Configuration File:

# If you change this file, run 'update-grub' afterwards to update
# /boot/grub/grub.cfg.
# For full documentation of the options in this file, see:
# info -f grub -n 'Simple configuration'

GRUB_DEFAULT="Microsoft Windows XP Professional (on /dev/sda1)"
#GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT=0
GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT_QUIET=true
GRUB_TIMEOUT=10
GRUB_DISTRIBUTOR=`lsb_release -i -s 2> /dev/null || echo Debian`
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash"
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX=""

# Uncomment to enable BadRAM filtering, modify to suit your needs
# This works with Linux (no patch required) and with any kernel that obtains
# the memory map information from GRUB (GNU Mach, kernel of FreeBSD ...)
#GRUB_BADRAM="0x01234567,0xfefefefe,0x89abcdef,0xefefefef"

# Uncomment to disable graphical terminal (grub-pc only)
GRUB_TERMINAL=console

# The resolution used on graphical terminal
# note that you can use only modes which your graphic card supports via VBE
# you can see them in real GRUB with the command `vbeinfo'
#GRUB_GFXMODE=640x480

# Uncomment if you don't want GRUB to pass "root=UUID=xxx" parameter to Linux
#GRUB_DISABLE_LINUX_UUID=true

# Uncomment to disable generation of recovery mode menu entries
#GRUB_DISABLE_RECOVERY="true"

# Uncomment to get a beep at grub start
#GRUB_INIT_TUNE="480 440 1"

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

OTHER OPTIONS:

Repair Windows boot files

Create a bootInfo summary

Participate to statistics of use

Boot successfully repaired.

Please write on a paper the following URL:
http://paste.debian.net/198628/

In case you still experience boot problem, indicate this URL to:
boot.repair@gmail.com or to your favorite support forum.

You can now reboot your computer.

The boot files of [The OS now in use - Linux Mint 13 Maya] are far from the start of the disk. Your BIOS may not detect them. You may want to retry after creating a /boot partition (EXT4, >200MB, start of the disk). This can be performed via tools such as gParted. Then select this partition via the [Separate /boot partition:] option of [Boot Repair]. (https://help.ubuntu.com/community/BootPartition)

**oldfred** · October 10th, 2012

You just needed to post the link.

You installed grub2's boot loader to the PBR - partition boot sector of the Windows XP NTFS partition. Windows has its boot code in the PBR and has to have that not grub. NTFS does have a backup, so if only installed once you can use the backup to recover the correct NTFS info:

Code:

sda1: _________________________________________
    File system:       ntfs
    Boot sector type:  Grub2 (v1.99)
    Boot sector info:  Grub2 (v1.99) is installed in the boot sector of sda1 
                       and looks at sector 300815624 of the same hard drive 
                       for core.img. core.img is at this location and looks 
                       for (,msdos7)/boot/grub on this drive. No errors found 
                       in the Boot Parameter Block.
    Operating System:  Windows XP
    Boot files:        /boot.ini /ntldr /NTDETECT.COM

Fix for most, a few have other issues, better than windows fix in many cases as it also fixes other parameters:
This has instructions on using testdisk to repair the install of grub to the boot sector for windows from Ubuntu or Linux LiveCD.
http://sourceforge.net/apps/mediawik...ms:Boot_Sector
You want to get to this screen:
http://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/TestD...ector_recovery

OR:
[HowTo] Repair the bootsector of a Windows partition - YannBuntu
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/BootSectorFix
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1926510

**intelamd** · October 13th, 2012

Originally Posted by oldfred

You just needed to post the link.

You installed grub2's boot loader to the PBR - partition boot sector of the Windows XP NTFS partition. Windows has its boot code in the PBR and has to have that not grub. NTFS does have a backup, so if only installed once you can use the backup to recover the correct NTFS info:

Code:

sda1: _________________________________________
    File system:       ntfs
    Boot sector type:  Grub2 (v1.99)
    Boot sector info:  Grub2 (v1.99) is installed in the boot sector of sda1 
                       and looks at sector 300815624 of the same hard drive 
                       for core.img. core.img is at this location and looks 
                       for (,msdos7)/boot/grub on this drive. No errors found 
                       in the Boot Parameter Block.
    Operating System:  Windows XP
    Boot files:        /boot.ini /ntldr /NTDETECT.COM

Fix for most, a few have other issues, better than windows fix in many cases as it also fixes other parameters:
This has instructions on using testdisk to repair the install of grub to the boot sector for windows from Ubuntu or Linux LiveCD.
http://sourceforge.net/apps/mediawik...ms:Boot_Sector
You want to get to this screen:
http://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/TestD...ector_recovery

OR:
[HowTo] Repair the bootsector of a Windows partition - YannBuntu
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/BootSectorFix
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1926510

Thanks oldfred. Because of your help I am able to log into Windows XP. I used the method on the following site:

http://sourceforge.net/apps/mediawik...ms:Boot_Sector

I am very thankful to you. I need to know just one more tip from you. I wish to make Windows XP the default in the Grub boot menu like:

Windows XP (Default and first in the line)
Linux Mint 13

I mean making XP default in a way that the first choice in the boot selector is XP and the second is Mint. How is this possible?

**kiyop** · October 13th, 2012

I want to know the contents of /boot/grub/grub.cfg and /etc/default/grub. and the list of files in /etc/grub.d/ , but if there are only one menuentry for windows generated by /etc/grub.d/30_os-prober, you can rename /etc/grub.d/30_os-prober to /etc/grub.d/07_os-prober and execute "sudo update-grub".

Refer
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Gr...iguring_GRUB_2

ADDED at Sun Oct 14 12:43:57 JST 2012;

Thanks oldfred for your nice support;
http://ubuntuforums.org/showpost.php...5&postcount=28

**Lyfang** · October 13th, 2012

Is done at your own risk (as usual): You could try to restore the old Windows boot loader: NTLDR and then install GRUB. See also: http://ubuntuforums.org/showpost.php...43&postcount=3 and http://ubuntuforums.org/showpost.php...51&postcount=4

**oldfred** · October 13th, 2012

kiyop way works. He actually has referred to two different ways, one editing grub.cfg and the other changing the order of the scripts.

Some also like grub customizer.

HOWTO: Grub Customizer Updated for grub 1.99
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1664134
http://www.ubuntugeek.com/grub-custo...-included.html
The Grub 2 Guide - drs305 also link to grub customizer
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1195275

**intelamd** · October 13th, 2012

Originally Posted by oldfred

kiyop way works. He actually has referred to two different ways, one editing grub.cfg and the other changing the order of the scripts.

Some also like grub customizer.

HOWTO: Grub Customizer Updated for grub 1.99
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1664134
http://www.ubuntugeek.com/grub-custo...-included.html
The Grub 2 Guide - drs305 also link to grub customizer
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1195275

oldfred, actually what I wish to do is to bring Windows XP at the top of the OS selections at the grub menu. I have already made Windows XP the default OS to boot with the help of a utility called "Boot Repair" as you know that I had downloaded it. But though Windows XP is the default it is on the third or fourth of OS selections for eg. 1- Linux Mint, 2- Linux Mint (Recovery), 3- Memtest, 4- Memtest etc. 5- Windows XP. I wish to bring it to the top at number 1. How to do this?

**oldfred** · October 13th, 2012

kiyop's second method of renumbering the scripts will work.

But if there is a major update to grub2, it may rewrite the default scripts and you then get both the newer and old entries. Should not be a major issue as long as you know.

If you do not want to renumber scripts you can do the same thing with 40_custom. Scripts and custom are added to the menu in the order XX_. So if you modify 40_custom and copy to 06_custom it becomes the first entry. But then you may want to turn off os_prober to not have duplicate entries.

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Grub2/CustomMenus
You can just copy Windows entry into a copy of 40_custom, just be sure to include the couple of lines at the top of 40_custom in your copy.
Copy the windows entries from this:
gedit /boot/grub/grub.cfg
Create & then copy windows entry to 06_custom:
sudo cp -a /etc/grub.d/40_custom /etc/grub.d/06_custom
gksudo gedit /etc/grub.d/06_custom
Then do:
sudo update-grub

More detail here:
If you save the file you create with the custom entry to, say, 06_custom, it will not be over written and will be at the beginning of your menu
http://members.iinet.net/~herman546/...m_Boot_Entries

and from Herman's site if your name it 06_custom to be near the top of grub.cfg:
When you are finished putting all of your custom boot entries in your /etc/grub.d/06_custom file, it needs to be chmodded to make it executable,
sudo chmod 755 /etc/grub.d/06_custom
Use a command something like this to change the file permissions to make your file executable.

To turn off os-prober:
gksudo gedit /etc/default/grub:
GRUB_DISABLE_OS_PROBER=true
or
sudo chmod a-x /etc/grub.d/30_os-prober
sudo update-grub