I got my windows XP cd but it doesnt have the "recovery "option in it. So i tried to do a fresh install in sda1 but it aborted because it couldnt find some files on the disk (i suspect the disk has gone BAD.
Now i cant boot from HDD as nothing exists in the MBR ( ntdlr not found ) and when i do the following in grub i get an error :
grub> find /boot/grub/stage1
(hd0,5)
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)"... 17 sectors are embedded.
succeeded
Running "install /boot/grub/stage1 (hd0) (hd0)1+17 p (hd0,5)/boot/grub/stage2
/boot/grub/menu.lst"... failed
Error 12: Invalid device requested
============================= Boot Info Summary: ==============================
=> Windows is installed in the MBR of /dev/sda
sda1: __________________________________________________ _______________________
File system: ntfs
Boot sector type: Windows XP
Boot sector info: No errors found in the Boot Parameter Block.
Operating System:
Boot files/dirs:
sda2: __________________________________________________ _______________________
File system: ntfs
Boot sector type: Windows XP
Boot sector info: No errors found in the Boot Parameter Block.
Operating System: Windows XP
Boot files/dirs:
sda3: __________________________________________________ _______________________
File system: Extended Partition
Boot sector type: -
Boot sector info:
sda5: __________________________________________________ _______________________
File system: ext3
Boot sector type: -
Boot sector info:
Operating System: Ubuntu 9.04
Boot files/dirs: /boot/grub/menu.lst /etc/fstab
sda6: __________________________________________________ _______________________
File system: swap
Boot sector type: -
Boot sector info:
sda7: __________________________________________________ _______________________
File system: ntfs
Boot sector type: Windows Vista
Boot sector info: According to the info in the boot sector, sda7 starts
at sector 2048.
Operating System:
Boot files/dirs:
sda4: __________________________________________________ _______________________
File system: ntfs
Boot sector type: Windows Vista
Boot sector info: According to the info in the boot sector, sda4 starts
at sector 2048. But according to the info from fdisk,
sda4 starts at sector 111681536.
Operating System:
Boot files/dirs:
=========================== Drive/Partition Info: =============================
Drive: sda ___________________ __________________________________________________ ___
Disk /dev/sda: 120.0 GB, 120034123776 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 14593 cylinders, total 234441648 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x4fa8a60b
Partition Boot Start End Size Id System
/dev/sda1 * 63 70,718,401 70,718,339 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda2 70,719,488 93,323,537 22,604,050 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda3 93,337,650 223,142,849 129,805,200 f W95 Ext d (LBA)
/dev/sda5 93,337,776 110,784,239 17,446,464 83 Linux
/dev/sda6 110,784,303 111,667,814 883,512 82 Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sda7 152,643,584 223,141,887 70,498,304 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda4 111,681,536 152,641,535 40,960,000 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda3 overlaps with /dev/sda4
blkid -c /dev/null: __________________________________________________ __________
/dev/loop0: TYPE="squashfs"
/dev/sda1: UUID="B044EC7B44EC45A6" TYPE="ntfs"
/dev/sda2: UUID="B80CE4490CE403EA" TYPE="ntfs"
/dev/sda4: UUID="4236F0CD36F0C349" LABEL="songs" TYPE="ntfs"
/dev/sda5: UUID="03dc481b-3ddd-4804-bca4-660b12e6aa10" SEC_TYPE="ext2" TYPE="ext3"
/dev/sda6: TYPE="swap" UUID="ffc3dbc9-9258-4cbe-b0cc-bf555cf33c2d"
/dev/sda7: UUID="B254BE6A54BE3149" LABEL="stuff" TYPE="ntfs"
/dev/ramzswap0: TYPE="swap"
=============================== "mount" output: ===============================
proc on /proc type proc (rw)
sysfs on /sys type sysfs (rw)
tmpfs on /lib/modules/2.6.28-11-generic/volatile type tmpfs (rw,mode=0755)
tmpfs on /lib/modules/2.6.28-11-generic/volatile type tmpfs (rw,mode=0755)
tmpfs on /lib/init/rw type tmpfs (rw,nosuid,mode=0755)
varrun on /var/run type tmpfs (rw,nosuid,mode=0755)
varlock on /var/lock type tmpfs (rw,noexec,nosuid,nodev,mode=1777)
udev on /dev type tmpfs (rw,mode=0755)
tmpfs on /dev/shm type tmpfs (rw,nosuid,nodev)
devpts on /dev/pts type devpts (rw,noexec,nosuid,gid=5,mode=620)
rootfs on / type rootfs (rw)
/dev/sr0 on /cdrom type iso9660 (ro,noatime)
/dev/loop0 on /rofs type squashfs (ro,noatime)
fusectl on /sys/fs/fuse/connections type fusectl (rw)
tmpfs on /tmp type tmpfs (rw,nosuid,nodev)
binfmt_misc on /proc/sys/fs/binfmt_misc type binfmt_misc (rw,noexec,nosuid,nodev)
gvfs-fuse-daemon on /home/ubuntu/.gvfs type fuse.gvfs-fuse-daemon (rw,nosuid,nodev,user=ubuntu)
=========================== sda5/boot/grub/menu.lst: ===========================
# menu.lst - See: grub(8), info grub, update-grub(8)
# grub-install(8), grub-floppy(8),
# grub-md5-crypt, /usr/share/doc/grub
# and /usr/share/doc/grub-doc/.
## default num
# Set the default entry to the entry number NUM. Numbering starts from 0, and
# the entry number 0 is the default if the command is not used.
#
# You can specify 'saved' instead of a number. In this case, the default entry
# is the entry saved with the command 'savedefault'.
# WARNING: If you are using dmraid do not use 'savedefault' or your
# array will desync and will not let you boot your system.
default 0
## timeout sec
# Set a timeout, in SEC seconds, before automatically booting the default entry
# (normally the first entry defined).
timeout 10
## hiddenmenu
# Hides the menu by default (press ESC to see the menu)
#hiddenmenu
# Pretty colours
#color cyan/blue white/blue
## password ['--md5'] passwd
# If used in the first section of a menu file, disable all interactive editing
# control (menu entry editor and command-line) and entries protected by the
# command 'lock'
# e.g. password topsecret
# password --md5 $1$gLhU0/$aW78kHK1QfV3P2b2znUoe/
# password topsecret
#
# examples
#
# title Windows 95/98/NT/2000
# root (hd0,0)
# makeactive
# chainloader +1
#
# title Linux
# root (hd0,1)
# kernel /vmlinuz root=/dev/hda2 ro
#
#
# Put static boot stanzas before and/or after AUTOMAGIC KERNEL LIST
### BEGIN AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST
## lines between the AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST markers will be modified
## by the debian update-grub script except for the default options below
## DO NOT UNCOMMENT THEM, Just edit them to your needs
## ## Start Default Options ##
## default kernel options
## default kernel options for automagic boot options
## If you want special options for specific kernels use kopt_x_y_z
## where x.y.z is kernel version. Minor versions can be omitted.
## e.g. kopt=root=/dev/hda1 ro
## kopt_2_6_8=root=/dev/hdc1 ro
## kopt_2_6_8_2_686=root=/dev/hdc2 ro
# kopt=root=UUID=03dc481b-3ddd-4804-bca4-660b12e6aa10 ro
## default grub root device
## e.g. groot=(hd0,0)
# groot=03dc481b-3ddd-4804-bca4-660b12e6aa10
## should update-grub create alternative automagic boot options
## e.g. alternative=true
## alternative=false
# alternative=true
## should update-grub lock alternative automagic boot options
## e.g. lockalternative=true
## lockalternative=false
# lockalternative=false
## additional options to use with the default boot option, but not with the
## alternatives
## e.g. defoptions=vga=791 resume=/dev/hda5
# defoptions=quiet splash
## should update-grub lock old automagic boot options
## e.g. lockold=false
## lockold=true
# lockold=false
## Xen hypervisor options to use with the default Xen boot option
# xenhopt=
## Xen Linux kernel options to use with the default Xen boot option
# xenkopt=console=tty0
## altoption boot targets option
## multiple altoptions lines are allowed
## e.g. altoptions=(extra menu suffix) extra boot options
## altoptions=(recovery) single
# altoptions=(recovery mode) single
## controls how many kernels should be put into the menu.lst
## only counts the first occurence of a kernel, not the
## alternative kernel options
## e.g. howmany=all
## howmany=7
# howmany=all
## specify if running in Xen domU or have grub detect automatically
## update-grub will ignore non-xen kernels when running in domU and vice versa
## e.g. indomU=detect
## indomU=true
## indomU=false
# indomU=detect
## should update-grub create memtest86 boot option
## e.g. memtest86=true
## memtest86=false
# memtest86=true
## should update-grub adjust the value of the default booted system
## can be true or false
# updatedefaultentry=false
## should update-grub add savedefault to the default options
## can be true or false
# savedefault=false
## ## End Default Options ##
title Ubuntu 9.04, kernel 2.6.28-11-generic
uuid 03dc481b-3ddd-4804-bca4-660b12e6aa10
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.28-11-generic root=UUID=03dc481b-3ddd-4804-bca4-660b12e6aa10 ro quiet splash
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.28-11-generic
quiet
title Ubuntu 9.04, kernel 2.6.28-11-generic (recovery mode)
uuid 03dc481b-3ddd-4804-bca4-660b12e6aa10
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.28-11-generic root=UUID=03dc481b-3ddd-4804-bca4-660b12e6aa10 ro single
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.28-11-generic
title Ubuntu 9.04, memtest86+
uuid 03dc481b-3ddd-4804-bca4-660b12e6aa10
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 Windows NT/2000/XP (loader)
root (hd0,0)
savedefault
makeactive
chainloader +1
# This entry automatically added by the Debian installer for a non-linux OS
# on /dev/sda4
title Windows Vista (loader)
rootnoverify (hd0,3)
savedefault
chainloader +1
=============================== sda5/etc/fstab: ===============================
# /etc/fstab: static file system information.
#
# -- This file has been automaticly generated by ntfs-config --
#
# <file system> <mount point> <type> <options> <dump> <pass>
proc /proc proc defaults 0 0
# Entry for /dev/sda7 :
UUID=03dc481b-3ddd-4804-bca4-660b12e6aa10 / ext3 relatime,errors=remount-ro 0 1
# Entry for /dev/sda8 :
UUID=ffc3dbc9-9258-4cbe-b0cc-bf555cf33c2d none swap sw 0 0
/dev/scd0 /media/cdrom0 udf,iso9660 user,noauto,exec,utf8 0 0
=================== sda5: Location of files loaded by Grub: ===================
53.3GB: boot/grub/menu.lst
53.3GB: boot/grub/stage2
53.3GB: boot/initrd.img-2.6.28-11-generic
53.3GB: boot/vmlinuz-2.6.28-11-generic
53.3GB: initrd.img
53.3GB: vmlinuz