i cant install grub loader using live cd after re-installing windows xp

[xihad76]

while trying to re-install grub according to the instruction stated here (http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=224351) i found the following messages:


grub> root (hd0,5)
grub> setup (hd0)
Checking if "/boot/grub/stage1" exists... yes
Checking if "/boot/grub/stage2" exists... yes
Checking if "/boot/grub/e2fs_stage1_5" exists... yes
Running "embed /boot/grub/e2fs_stage1_5 (hd0)"... 16 sectors are embedded.
succeeded
Running "install /boot/grub/stage1 (hd0) (hd0)1+16 p (hd0,5)/boot/grub/stage2
/boot/grub/menu.lst"... failed
Error 12: Invalid device requested


## here are the output of the codes suggested by Meierfra:


ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ sudo fdisk -lu
omitting empty partition (5)

Disk /dev/sda: 40.0 GB, 40019582464 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 4865 cylinders, total 78163247 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0xab3fab3f

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 63 14329979 7164958+ 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda2 14329980 78140159 31905090 f W95 Ext'd (LBA)
/dev/sda3 28660023 45046259 8193118+ b W95 FAT32
/dev/sda5 14330106 25655804 5662849+ 83 Linux
/dev/sda6 25655868 28659959 1502046 82 Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sda7 45046323 61432559 8193118+ b W95 FAT32
/dev/sda8 61432623 78140159 8353768+ b W95 FAT32


ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ sudo sfdisk -d
# partition table of /dev/sda
unit: sectors

/dev/sda1 : start= 63, size= 14329917, Id= 7, bootable
/dev/sda2 : start= 14329980, size= 63810180, Id= f
/dev/sda3 : start= 28660023, size= 16386237, Id= b
/dev/sda4 : start= 0, size= 0, Id= 0
/dev/sda5 : start= 14330106, size= 11325699, Id=83
/dev/sda6 : start= 25655868, size= 3004092, Id=82
/dev/sda7 : start= 45046323, size= 16386237, Id= b
/dev/sda8 : start= 61432623, size= 16707537, Id= b


so can anyone plz help me? thnx in advance...

[meierfra.]

empty partition (5)
That's your problem. To fix it, boot from the LiveCD, download the attached file "PT.txt" to your Desktop and open a terminal. Rewrite your partition table via




sudo sfdisk -f --no-reread -O ~/Desktop/OldPT.save /dev/sda < ~/Desktop/PT.txt

Post the output of that commmand.
Just as a precaution, copy the file OldPT.save to a save place outside your hard drive (Flashdrive, online storage..)

You should now be able to reinstall grub:



sudo grub
root (hd0,4)
setup (hd0)
quit

Post the output of that "setup (hd0)" command and also the output of


sudo fdisk -lu
sudo sfdisk -d
sudo parted /dev/sda print

Reboot and you should get the Grub menu.

[ajgreeny]

hd0,5 is your swap so there is no point using that in the root command. It should be root (hd0,4). You forgot grub starts from 0 (zero), not 1.
EDIT: Drat, too slow.

[meierfra.]

You forgot grub starts from 0 (zero), not 1.

I don't thing so. The OP just used the output of "find /boot/grub/stage1"

The "omitted empty partition(5)" message from "fdisk" means that there is a bogus entry in the partition table. Ubuntu just ignores this entry and does not assigns a device name to that bogus partition. But grub actually counts that partition and thinks that Ubuntu is on (hd0,5). Of course this leads to confusion and installing grub fails. So one needs to fix the partition table. One can use "testdisk" to fix the partition table, but personally I find "sfdisk" more convenient.

[xihad76]

buntu@ubuntu:~$ sudo sfdisk -f --no-reread -O ~/Desktop/OldPT.save /dev/sda < ~/Desktop/PT.txt

Disk /dev/sda: 4865 cylinders, 255 heads, 63 sectors/track
Old situation:
Units = cylinders of 8225280 bytes, blocks of 1024 bytes, counting from 0

Device Boot Start End #cyls #blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 0+ 891 892- 7164958+ 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda2 892 4863 3972 31905090 f W95 Ext'd (LBA)
/dev/sda3 1784+ 2803 1020- 8193118+ b W95 FAT32
start: (c,h,s) expected (1023,254,63) found (1023,1,1)
/dev/sda4 0 - 0 0 0 Empty
/dev/sda5 892+ 1596 705- 5662849+ 83 Linux
/dev/sda6 1597+ 1783 187- 1502046 82 Linux swap / Solaris
start: (c,h,s) expected (1023,254,63) found (1023,1,1)
/dev/sda7 2804+ 3823 1020- 8193118+ b W95 FAT32
start: (c,h,s) expected (1023,254,63) found (1023,1,1)
/dev/sda8 3824+ 4863 1040- 8353768+ b W95 FAT32
start: (c,h,s) expected (1023,254,63) found (1023,1,1)
New situation:
Units = sectors of 512 bytes, counting from 0

Device Boot Start End #sectors Id System
/dev/sda1 * 63 14329979 14329917 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda2 14329980 78140159 63810180 f W95 Ext'd (LBA)
/dev/sda3 0 - 0 0 Empty
/dev/sda4 0 - 0 0 Empty
/dev/sda5 14330106 25655804 11325699 83 Linux
/dev/sda6 25655868 28659959 3004092 82 Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sda7 28660023 45046259 16386237 b W95 FAT32
/dev/sda8 45046323 61432559 16386237 b W95 FAT32
/dev/sda9 61432623 78140159 16707537 b W95 FAT32
Successfully wrote the new partition table

Re-reading the partition table ...
BLKRRPART: Device or resource busy
The command to re-read the partition table failed
Reboot your system now, before using mkfs
If you created or changed a DOS partition, /dev/foo7, say, then use dd(1)
to zero the first 512 bytes: dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/foo7 bs=512 count=1
(See fdisk(8).)




grub> root (hd0,4)
grub> setup (hd0)
Checking if "/boot/grub/stage1" exists... yes
Checking if "/boot/grub/stage2" exists... yes
Checking if "/boot/grub/e2fs_stage1_5" exists... yes
Running "embed /boot/grub/e2fs_stage1_5 (hd0)"... 16 sectors are embedded.
succeeded
Running "install /boot/grub/stage1 (hd0) (hd0)1+16 p (hd0,4)/boot/grub/stage2
/boot/grub/menu.lst"... succeeded
Done.


These are the two outputs.

[meierfra.]

Looks good. So you should be able to boot into Ubuntu on reboot.

[xihad76]

here r the other three::


ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ sudo fdisk -lu

Disk /dev/sda: 40.0 GB, 40019582464 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 4865 cylinders, total 78163247 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0xab3fab3f

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 63 14329979 7164958+ 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda2 14329980 78140159 31905090 f W95 Ext'd (LBA)
/dev/sda5 14330106 25655804 5662849+ 83 Linux
/dev/sda6 25655868 28659959 1502046 82 Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sda7 28660023 45046259 8193118+ b W95 FAT32
/dev/sda8 45046323 61432559 8193118+ b W95 FAT32
/dev/sda9 61432623 78140159 8353768+ b W95 FAT32





ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ sudo sfdisk -d
# partition table of /dev/sda
unit: sectors

/dev/sda1 : start= 63, size= 14329917, Id= 7, bootable
/dev/sda2 : start= 14329980, size= 63810180, Id= f
/dev/sda3 : start= 0, size= 0, Id= 0
/dev/sda4 : start= 0, size= 0, Id= 0
/dev/sda5 : start= 14330106, size= 11325699, Id=83
/dev/sda6 : start= 25655868, size= 3004092, Id=82
/dev/sda7 : start= 28660023, size= 16386237, Id= b
/dev/sda8 : start= 45046323, size= 16386237, Id= b
/dev/sda9 : start= 61432623, size= 16707537, Id= b


ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ sudo parted /dev/sda print
Model: ATA SAMSUNG SP0411N (scsi)
Disk /dev/sda: 40.0GB
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/512B
Partition Table: msdos

Number Start End Size Type File system Flags
1 32.3kB 7337MB 7337MB primary ntfs boot
2 7337MB 40.0GB 32.7GB extended lba
5 7337MB 13.1GB 5799MB logical ext3
6 13.1GB 14.7GB 1538MB logical linux-swap
7 14.7GB 23.1GB 8390MB logical fat32
8 23.1GB 31.5GB 8390MB logical fat32
9 31.5GB 40.0GB 8554MB logical fat32

[xihad76]

Still not working..

this time the grub loader appears. but after cliking this is displayed :

error 15: file not found..

:(

[meierfra.]

Well, you are making progress.

Try this:

At the grub menu at boot up, select ubuntu, but do press "enter". press "e" instead. At the new menu press "e" again.

replace the whole text by

root (hd0,4)

Press "enter" and then "b" to boot.


If this did boot you into Ubuntu

Open a terminal in Ubuntu and open the file "menu.lst" via



gksudo gedit /boot/grub/menu.lst

Look for the line

# groot=(hd?,?)
(or # groot=some_long_string)

Change it to

# groot=(hd0,4)


Save the file. Back in the terminal


sudo update-grub


If this did NOT boot you into Ubuntu

Boot from the Ubuntu LiveCD and download the Boot Info Script to your desktop:

https://sourceforge.net/projects/bootinfoscript/

Then open a terminal (Applications > Accessories > Terminal) and type:



sudo bash ~/Desktop/boot_info_script*.sh

That will create a "RESULTS.txt" file in the same directory from where the script is run, namely your desktop; please copy/paste the contents of the RESULTS.txt file to your next post (use the code tags) The results of that script will help clarify your setup.

[xihad76]

yep. this time it worked! i m writing this reply rite from my good old UBUNTU :D

both in Grub loader and menu.list the root was set to (hd0,7)...
and i have updated the menu.list as u suggested above..

Dear Meierfra, thnk u very much mate.. u have been so helpful... if i were living in ur place i would surely buy u a drink :-)

would u mind if i ask u which part of the world u r from?

thnx again... take care..

[meierfra.]

if i ask u that u r from which part of the world...

I'm a German living in the USA.



i m writing this reply rite from my good old UBUNTU

Great. Are you able to boot into Windows as well?

[xihad76]

Are you able to boot into Windows as well?

yeah. just checked it. this is also working fine..


I'm a German living in the USA.

great to know that. there is a good chance for me to go to Germany for my masters prog. next yr.


thnx again buddy. take care..

[miden]

Hi all. I too was having this problem and I did all of the above (except rebooting). However when I get to the ens to do the setup (hd0) I get this...

grub> root (hd0,4)

grub> setup (hd0)

Error 17: Cannot mount selected partition

grub>

I get the same result running it as (hd0,5) as well......Any ideas?

Dennis

[meierfra.]

miden: Please don't post in two different threads on the same subject.
Anyway, I see what is causing your problems and I will post in your other thread. Just give me a minute.

[miden]

sorry.. I got confused as to which thread it should be in...The other guy stopped replying so I thought I was in teh wrong one..Also I think you said it was a more a Tips thread so I thought OOPS, my bad wrong one...

The I saw this and saw it was EXACTLY the same problem so in view of teh above I decided to proceed on this one. Sorry.

Should I delete the other thread?

Dennis

[meierfra.]

The other guy stopped replying so I thought I was in teh wrong one.

Don't be so impatient. He just responded with the perfect solution, so there is no more reason for me to get involved.

[miden]

With all due respect, I was NOT being impatient. And the last reply in that thread was NOT by the guy I was talking about...That was someone else much earlier.

I thought the first responder stopped because I was in the wrong thread. After all, he replied twice within 20 minutes so I thought he was up with the pace, so to speak. But then he stopped responding so I thought it was my fault because I was in the wrong thread.

Impatience never came into it! Is everyone on these forums so touchy!!
I managed to get this far with Ubuntu and Ubuntu Studio and was happily running a dual boot system, without asking any questions, and the first time I post I cop this??? I made a simple mistake and you jump up on your soapbox.