Need grub2 help on 10.04 concerning dual boot

[ajm8127]

On my work computer I needed to set up a dual boot environment to do some Linux embedded development. I decided to use a new hard drive because I really didn't want to resize my NTFS partition. I moved my windows drive to channel SATA1 and plugged the new, empty drive into SATA0. The 10.04 install went smoothly. The problem arose when I went to load windows. I select it from the grub menu and get the following errors:



no such device: 568c325f8c323a37
no such partition.

here is the output of the 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 #1 for /boot/grub.
=> Windows is installed in the MBR of /dev/sdb

sda1: __________________________________________________ _______________________

File system: ext4
Boot sector type: -
Boot sector info:
Operating System: Ubuntu 10.04.1 LTS
Boot files/dirs: /boot/grub/grub.cfg /etc/fstab /boot/grub/core.img

sda2: __________________________________________________ _______________________

File system: Extended Partition
Boot sector type: -
Boot sector info:

sda5: __________________________________________________ _______________________

File system: ext4
Boot sector type: -
Boot sector info:
Operating System:
Boot files/dirs:

sda6: __________________________________________________ _______________________

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

sdb1: __________________________________________________ _______________________

File system: vfat
Boot sector type: Dell Utility: Fat16
Boot sector info: No errors found in the Boot Parameter Block.
Operating System:
Boot files/dirs: /COMMAND.COM

sdb2: __________________________________________________ _______________________

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

=========================== Drive/Partition Info: =============================

Drive: sda ___________________ __________________________________________________ ___

Disk /dev/sda: 250.1 GB, 250059350016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 30401 cylinders, total 488397168 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes

Partition Boot Start End Size Id System

/dev/sda1 * 2,048 97,656,831 97,654,784 83 Linux
/dev/sda2 97,658,878 199,313,407 101,654,530 5 Extended
/dev/sda5 97,658,880 195,313,663 97,654,784 83 Linux
/dev/sda6 195,315,712 199,313,407 3,997,696 82 Linux swap / Solaris


Drive: sdb ___________________ __________________________________________________ ___

Disk /dev/sdb: 80.0 GB, 80000000000 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 9726 cylinders, total 156250000 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes

Partition Boot Start End Size Id System

/dev/sdb1 63 96,389 96,327 de Dell Utility
/dev/sdb2 * 96,390 156,232,124 156,135,735 7 HPFS/NTFS


blkid -c /dev/null: __________________________________________________ __________

Device UUID TYPE LABEL

/dev/sda1 6d01c0f1-0f8e-40cc-9508-11d66d6dd997 ext4
/dev/sda2: PTTYPE="dos"
/dev/sda5 9de2900d-a329-4bd4-9377-e040c402541f ext4
/dev/sda6 cf9bee71-94f1-4665-b8a4-76784f6a5e93 swap
/dev/sda: PTTYPE="dos"
/dev/sdb1 07D7-0905 vfat DellUtility
/dev/sdb2 568C325F8C323A37 ntfs
/dev/sdb: PTTYPE="dos"
error: /dev/sdc: No medium found
error: /dev/sdd: No medium found

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

Device Mount_Point Type Options

/dev/sda1 / ext4 (rw,errors=remount-ro)
/dev/sda5 /home ext4 (rw)


=========================== sda1/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 $prefix/grubenv ]; then
load_env
fi
set default="0"
if [ ${prev_saved_entry} ]; then
set saved_entry=${prev_saved_entry}
save_env saved_entry
set prev_saved_entry=
save_env prev_saved_entry
set boot_once=true
fi

function savedefault {
if [ -z ${boot_once} ]; then
saved_entry=${chosen}
save_env saved_entry
fi
}

function recordfail {
set recordfail=1
if [ -n ${have_grubenv} ]; then if [ -z ${boot_once} ]; then save_env recordfail; fi; fi
}
insmod ext2
set root='(hd0,1)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 6d01c0f1-0f8e-40cc-9508-11d66d6dd997
if loadfont /usr/share/grub/unicode.pf2 ; then
set gfxmode=640x480
insmod gfxterm
insmod vbe
if terminal_output gfxterm ; then true ; else
# For backward compatibility with versions of terminal.mod that don't
# understand terminal_output
terminal gfxterm
fi
fi
insmod ext2
set root='(hd0,1)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 6d01c0f1-0f8e-40cc-9508-11d66d6dd997
set locale_dir=($root)/boot/grub/locale
set lang=en
insmod gettext
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/light-gray
### END /etc/grub.d/05_debian_theme ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/10_linux ###
menuentry 'Ubuntu, with Linux 2.6.32-24-generic' --class ubuntu --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os {
recordfail
insmod ext2
set root='(hd0,1)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 6d01c0f1-0f8e-40cc-9508-11d66d6dd997
linux /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.32-24-generic root=UUID=6d01c0f1-0f8e-40cc-9508-11d66d6dd997 ro quiet splash
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.32-24-generic
}
menuentry 'Ubuntu, with Linux 2.6.32-24-generic (recovery mode)' --class ubuntu --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os {
recordfail
insmod ext2
set root='(hd0,1)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 6d01c0f1-0f8e-40cc-9508-11d66d6dd997
echo 'Loading Linux 2.6.32-24-generic ...'
linux /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.32-24-generic root=UUID=6d01c0f1-0f8e-40cc-9508-11d66d6dd997 ro single
echo 'Loading initial ramdisk ...'
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.32-24-generic
}
### END /etc/grub.d/10_linux ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/20_memtest86+ ###
menuentry "Memory test (memtest86+)" {
insmod ext2
set root='(hd0,1)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 6d01c0f1-0f8e-40cc-9508-11d66d6dd997
linux16 /boot/memtest86+.bin
}
menuentry "Memory test (memtest86+, serial console 115200)" {
insmod ext2
set root='(hd0,1)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 6d01c0f1-0f8e-40cc-9508-11d66d6dd997
linux16 /boot/memtest86+.bin console=ttyS0,115200n8
}
### END /etc/grub.d/20_memtest86+ ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/30_os-prober ###
menuentry "Dell Utility Partition (on /dev/sdb1)" {
insmod fat
set root='(hd1,1)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 07d7-0905
drivemap -s (hd0) ${root}
chainloader +1
}
menuentry "Microsoft Windows XP Professional (on /dev/sdb2)" {
insmod ntfs
set root='(hd1,2)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 568c325f8c323a37
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 ###

=============================== sda1/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 nodev,noexec,nosuid 0 0
# / was on /dev/sda1 during installation
UUID=6d01c0f1-0f8e-40cc-9508-11d66d6dd997 / ext4 errors=remount-ro 0 1
# /home was on /dev/sda5 during installation
UUID=9de2900d-a329-4bd4-9377-e040c402541f /home ext4 defaults 0 2
# swap was on /dev/sda6 during installation
UUID=cf9bee71-94f1-4665-b8a4-76784f6a5e93 none swap sw 0 0
/dev/fd0 /media/floppy0 auto rw,user,noauto,exec,utf8 0 0

=================== sda1: Location of files loaded by Grub: ===================


13.0GB: boot/grub/core.img
8.7GB: boot/grub/grub.cfg
13.0GB: boot/initrd.img-2.6.32-24-generic
.2GB: boot/vmlinuz-2.6.32-24-generic
13.0GB: initrd.img
.2GB: vmlinuz

================================ sdb2/boot.ini: ================================

[boot loader]

timeout=30

default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOW S

[operating systems]

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect

=======Devices which don't seem to have a corresponding hard drive==============

sdc sdd

The only thing that stands out to me is the boot.ini file. It says the windows partition is on drive0, partition 2. With the configuration I have post Ubuntu install, the Windows partition is sdb2 (hd1,2)

Any help would be appreciated!
Thanks

[Quackers]

Try swapping the drives over again, and run sudo update-grub once Ubuntu loads. See if that enables XP to boot from grub. I suspect that you could also change the boot.ini as an option.

[ajm8127]

I tried swapping the drives and the Windows boot loader took over. I could try to boot with a live CD and run the update grub command that way. Would that actually overwrite the windows boot loader on the MBR of the windows drive? If the windows boot loader never gets overwritten, the computer will always only boot to windows with the windows drive plugged into SATA0, right?

[Quackers]

I would suggest that you go into your bios settings and set things so that your Ubuntu hard drive is the first boot device (or at least before the Windows hard drive), then reboot and Grub menu should then appear. As the drives are now reversed (and boot.ini is now correct), you could just try booting Windows from the grub menu.

[ajm8127]

I would suggest that you go into your bios

Of course. I don't know why I didn't think of that.

I tried it, and with the BIOS on this particular machine (Dell) it does not give you the option of specifying a boot order for the SATA drives. It only allows you to change the order of devices like CD_ROM, PATA, and SATA, but not individual drives on the PATA and SATA interfaces.

I tried modifying boot.ini, and that did not work either. It seems that grub is having the issue, and that boot.ini is not related to the problem. This makes sense as grub2 is the boot loader, so boot.ini should never be read by NTLDR (windows boot loader).

I suppose I can try moving the windows drive back to SATA0, with the linux drive on SATA1. Then if I can install grub2 to the Windows drive, that may work. However, it still does not make sense that grub is having trouble finding the windows partition. I don't want to go to all this trouble without knowing it will work. The real question is why is grub having trouble finding the windows partition?

[Quackers]

I thought you had already swapped the drives back, so that the Windows drive is on SATA0. If it is not on SATA0 then boot.ini is wrong. It's not that grub can't find the Windows partition. It's boot.ini that can't find it, as I understand it. If the Windows drive is on SATA1, boot.ini is looking at the wrong drive.
I understand the bios problem, mine is the same. As a result I have grub installed in the mbr of both hard drives. The only problem with that is that grub over-writes the Windows bootloader, so if the Ubuntu drive is taken out, Windows won't then boot. You then need a Windows repair disc to replace grub with the Windows bootloader.

[ajm8127]

I did swap the drives, but because I couldn't change the boot order of the SATA drives, I could only access windows through NTLDR. Grub is completely by-passed in this configuration because it is on the linux drive, which is connected to SATA1.

After that I swapped them back and tried to modify boot.ini on the windows drive to reflect that the windows drive is device 1, and the linux drive is device 0. This still did not work, and grub reported the same error. That is why I think boot.ini has nothing to do with the problem. I could be wrong though, as I'm not an expert, but as I understand it, "no such device" is a grub error.

This (http://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/linux-general-1/problem-with-dual-boot-ubuntu-10-04-windows-7-no-such-device-no-such-partition-839297/) thread on another forum sound very much like my problem. I think I will try to do this.

[ajm8127]

nope, still no luck.

I added
GRUB_PRELOAD_MODULES="part_msdos" to /etc/defualt/grub and ran
sudo update-grub and the problem persists.

I am about ready to swap windows back to SATA0 and linux to SATA1 then install grub on the windows drive, but I'm not convinced that will fix the problem.

[Quackers]

That other thread may have been due to a GUID partition table being used.

Actually, similar circumstances to yours occurred about a week ago with somebody else. The outcome for that user was to edit 30_os-prober file (IIRC) to read the wrong drive! That worked! This made no sense to me, but the user was happy with the outcome.
I too, am no expert with grub's finer details (or Window's loaders), but as I understand it, grub first loads and then when Windows is chosen from the grub menu, control then passes to the Windows loader. Which part gives the error "no such device" I am not sure, though your assumption does seem reasonable :-)
Maybe a guru will appear and clear this up for us :-)

[ajm8127]

Alright, I fixed it.

Even though I didn't think that the SATA interface cared where your bootable drive was plugged in (be it SATA, SATA1, SATA2, etc.) I changed the windows drive to SATA2, then rebuild grub.cfg with update-grub. This did not work.

As per Quackers' suggestion, I then manually edited grub.cfg to use (hd2,2) for the bootable windows partition. I restarted and it worked! I have no idea why, but I don't really care.

This does tell use something else though. The boot.ini file doesn't seem to be having a problem even though rdisk(0) is defined as where the windows partition resides.

Thanks to Quackers for the suggestion and his time.

[Quackers]

No problem at all and I'm glad that worked.
However, if you edited grub.cfg directly, the next time grub is updated your changes may be over-written. One way to make the changes permanent is to make a manual entry in /etc/grub.d/40_custom.
Unfortunately the guide that I was going to refer you to seems incomplete :-( and, as this is something I have not done myself, I am unable to give specific instructions. Basically I believe you would copy the whole stanza that you have just edited and paste that into /etc/grub.d/40_custom, then run update-grub, then turn off the 0s-prober, but there may be slightly more to it than that. I will have a look for more accurate details and post back. Just don't run update-grub in the meantime :-)

[Quackers]

If you scroll down to the Custom Menu Entries heading in the guide below it will help you :-)

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Grub2#Custom%20Menu%20Entries

[ajm8127]

Awesome, thanks.