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View Full Version : [SOLVED] Problem with dissapearing GRUB



zaanton
March 24th, 2010, 09:53 PM
hi all,

it's my first post and i'm from poland so please be forgiving for my language and mistakes.
it's my problem:
i've installed ubuntu 9.10 amd64 on hp 6715b laptop with xp on c: and recovery partition on d:
when i reboot from ubuntu grub shows but when i reboot from xp shows only "grub loading" and it stuck. i have to do this from my live cd http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1014708 - grub it's ok again - then i choose recovery partition when grub shows. recovery starts but i don't choose any options and simply close proces of recovery. after reboot no grub but simply xp starting like before ubuntu instalation. i don't know what to do to have two systems. here information from boot info script
Boot Info Script 0.55 dated February 15th, 2010

============================= Boot Info Summary: ==============================

=> Grub 2 is installed in the MBR of /dev/sda and looks on the same drive in
partition #4 for /boot/grub.

sda1: __________________________________________________ _______________________

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: /boot.ini /ntldr /ntdetect.com

sda2: __________________________________________________ _______________________

File system: ntfs
Boot sector type: Windows XP
Boot sector info: No errors found in the Boot Parameter Block.
Operating System:
Boot files/dirs: /BOOT.INI /NTLDR /NTDETECT.COM

sda3: __________________________________________________ _______________________

File system: swap
Boot sector type: -
Boot sector info:

sda4: __________________________________________________ _______________________

File system: ext3
Boot sector type: -
Boot sector info:
Operating System: Ubuntu 9.10
Boot files/dirs: /boot/grub/grub.cfg /etc/fstab /boot/grub/core.img

=========================== 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: 0xb452b452

Partition Boot Start End Size Id System

/dev/sda1 * 63 141,227,414 141,227,352 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda2 212,315,040 234,436,544 22,121,505 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda3 208,314,855 212,315,039 4,000,185 82 Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sda4 141,227,415 208,314,854 67,087,440 83 Linux


blkid -c /dev/null: __________________________________________________ __________

Device UUID TYPE LABEL

/dev/sda1 24F58F240B10777A ntfs
/dev/sda2 FAFC5F30FC5EE703 ntfs HP_RECOVERY
/dev/sda3 9f40972b-4f64-4cd1-90f3-4960a924bc0b swap
/dev/sda4 f6e0d093-61cb-4411-b937-cd8beb36b344 ext3

============================ "mount | grep ^/dev output: ===========================

Device Mount_Point Type Options

/dev/sda4 / ext3 (rw,errors=remount-ro)


================================ sda1/boot.ini: ================================

[boot loader]

timeout=30

default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOW S

[operating systems]

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect /usepmtimer

[spybotsd]

timeout.old=30


================================ sda2/BOOT.INI: ================================

[boot loader]

timeout=0

default=C:\CMDCONS\BOOTSECT.DAT



[operating systems]

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect

C:\CMDCONS\BOOTSECT.DAT="Microsoft Windows Recovery Console" /cmdcons



[spybotsd]

timeout.old=0




=========================== sda4/boot/grub/grub.cfg: ===========================

#
# DO NOT EDIT THIS FILE
#
# It is automatically generated by /usr/sbin/grub-mkconfig using templates
# from /etc/grub.d and settings from /etc/default/grub
#

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/00_header ###
if [ -s /boot/grub/grubenv ]; then
have_grubenv=true
load_env
fi
set default="0"
if [ ${prev_saved_entry} ]; then
saved_entry=${prev_saved_entry}
save_env saved_entry
prev_saved_entry=
save_env prev_saved_entry
fi
insmod ext2
set root=(hd0,4)
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set f6e0d093-61cb-4411-b937-cd8beb36b344
if loadfont /usr/share/grub/unicode.pf2 ; then
set gfxmode=640x480
insmod gfxterm
insmod vbe
if terminal_output gfxterm ; then true ; else
# For backward compatibility with versions of terminal.mod that don't
# understand terminal_output
terminal gfxterm
fi
fi
if [ ${recordfail} = 1 ]; then
set timeout=-1
else
set timeout=10
fi
### END /etc/grub.d/00_header ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/05_debian_theme ###
set menu_color_normal=white/black
set menu_color_highlight=black/white
### END /etc/grub.d/05_debian_theme ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/10_linux ###
menuentry "Ubuntu, Linux 2.6.31-14-generic" {
recordfail=1
if [ -n ${have_grubenv} ]; then save_env recordfail; fi
set quiet=1
insmod ext2
set root=(hd0,4)
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set f6e0d093-61cb-4411-b937-cd8beb36b344
linux /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.31-14-generic root=UUID=f6e0d093-61cb-4411-b937-cd8beb36b344 ro quiet splash
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.31-14-generic
}
menuentry "Ubuntu, Linux 2.6.31-14-generic (recovery mode)" {
recordfail=1
if [ -n ${have_grubenv} ]; then save_env recordfail; fi
insmod ext2
set root=(hd0,4)
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set f6e0d093-61cb-4411-b937-cd8beb36b344
linux /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.31-14-generic root=UUID=f6e0d093-61cb-4411-b937-cd8beb36b344 ro single
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.31-14-generic
}
### END /etc/grub.d/10_linux ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/20_memtest86+ ###
menuentry "Memory test (memtest86+)" {
linux16 /boot/memtest86+.bin
}
menuentry "Memory test (memtest86+, serial console 115200)" {
linux16 /boot/memtest86+.bin console=ttyS0,115200n8
}
### END /etc/grub.d/20_memtest86+ ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/30_os-prober ###
menuentry "Microsoft Windows XP Professional (on /dev/sda1)" {
insmod ntfs
set root=(hd0,1)
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 24f58f240b10777a
drivemap -s (hd0) ${root}
chainloader +1
}
menuentry "Windows NT/2000/XP (on /dev/sda2)" {
insmod ntfs
set root=(hd0,2)
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set fafc5f30fc5ee703
drivemap -s (hd0) ${root}
chainloader +1
}
### END /etc/grub.d/30_os-prober ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/40_custom ###
# This file provides an easy way to add custom menu entries. Simply type the
# menu entries you want to add after this comment. Be careful not to change
# the 'exec tail' line above.
### END /etc/grub.d/40_custom ###

=============================== sda4/etc/fstab: ===============================

# /etc/fstab: static file system information.
#
# Use 'blkid -o value -s UUID' to print the universally unique identifier
# for a device; this may be used with UUID= as a more robust way to name
# devices that works even if disks are added and removed. See fstab(5).
#
# <file system> <mount point> <type> <options> <dump> <pass>
proc /proc proc defaults 0 0
# / was on /dev/sda4 during installation
UUID=f6e0d093-61cb-4411-b937-cd8beb36b344 / ext3 errors=remount-ro 0 1
# swap was on /dev/sda3 during installation
UUID=9f40972b-4f64-4cd1-90f3-4960a924bc0b none swap sw 0 0
/dev/scd0 /media/cdrom0 udf,iso9660 user,noauto,exec,utf8 0 0

=================== sda4: Location of files loaded by Grub: ===================


85.7GB: boot/grub/core.img
85.8GB: boot/grub/grub.cfg
85.7GB: boot/initrd.img-2.6.31-14-generic
85.8GB: boot/vmlinuz-2.6.31-14-generic
85.7GB: initrd.img
85.8GB: vmlinuz

zaanton
March 25th, 2010, 10:24 AM
anyone? any ideas?

dstew
March 25th, 2010, 08:32 PM
after reboot no grub but simply xp starting like before ubuntu instalationHow are you rebooting? Do you shut the computer down?

The info script output looks OK to me. It seems that, if you are having your BIOS load the boot loader from the /dev/sda MBR, it should show grub every time. If sometimes you get XP, sometimes grub, my guess is that you have something in your BIOS that directly boots the XP partition, bypassing the disk MBR (and grub). Some BIOSes have extensions that directly boot partitions. Maybe check your BIOS settings.

On the other hand, if your "reboot" is something other than a true reset or shutdown, maybe some XP code is changing how the BIOS sets its disk order, and grub gets confused.

The forum How-To (http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1014708) you reference is about re-installing grub, or fixing the Windows boot loader. What exactly are you doing when you try to fix your boot loader? If you do fixmbr, you are removing the grub boot loader.

zaanton
March 25th, 2010, 09:51 PM
thx for your answer.
all problems looks that.
1 - instalation of ubuntu
2 - working in ubuntu - everything is good. i can shutdown or restart my laptop and grub starts and working
3 - when in grub menu i choose xp - windows start
4 - when i shutdown or restart laptop from xp grub don't start during rebooting - there is only "grub loading" inscription and everything stuck
5 - i have to reboot using livecd
6 - then i do this http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1014708 (instruction for 9.10)
7 - after that everything can be like in points 1-4
8 - but when after restore grub (point 6) i choose in grub position "hp recovery disk" the prosess of recovery starts
9 - in menu of recovery i choose "cancel"
10 - laptop reboot and it rebooting like there is no ubuntu, just like before ubuntu's instalation
then i can do point 5-6 and so on. if only I shutdown or restart from ubuntu to ubuntu everything is ok. when i start xp after shotdown or restart it - grub dissapearing

my laptop's BIOS is rather simple. it not have many options. what kind of option I should find and check?

dstew
March 25th, 2010, 10:34 PM
After you re-install grub, and boot Ubuntu, can you boot Ubuntu over and over again, without any problem? If so, then something is happening to your boot setup when you run XP, I think. From your descripton (you only get "grub loading" then nothing) it sounds like the MBR has the short grub loader stub, but the rest of the grub loader has been removed. When you start the Windows recovery mode, it seems like even the MBR now gets "fixed".

I do not know exactly what is happening, but it sounds like Windows is detecting that there is a foreign boot loader on the disk, and trying to remove it. Maybe it is an anti-virus program. Sometimes these scan for boot sector viruses, and maybe the anti-virus program is confusing the grub boot loader for a virus, and removing it. Just a guess. It is in any case it is a strange problem.

Thinking about it, I don't think it is a BIOS problem. It seems to be something that comes from running XP.

zaanton
March 25th, 2010, 10:44 PM
yes, after install Ubuntu or after re-install grub, and boot Ubuntu, I can boot Ubuntu over and over again, without any problem.

for further details: I use Avira Antyvir. Thanks for your interest in my problem.

dstew
March 26th, 2010, 01:25 PM
I don't know much about Avira. Look at its settings and see if it scans for and repairs boot sector viruses. Try disabling this feature. You might try disabling completely or removing the antivirus program too.

zaanton
March 29th, 2010, 10:40 AM
ok, problem solved - it was PC angel in windows. i had to turn it off in msconfig. Thx for help.