Windows bootloader, GRUB Geom Error

[CIAduck]

Hello,

I am new and experimenting with Ubuntu (Hardy 8.04).

Nevermind the reason, but I need my Windows XP bootloader to be the main thing in the MBR.



Here is my problem. I have 3 internal harddrives (all IDE), and the 3rd one is dedicated to linux.

I used Super GRUB Disk to make it so that Windows is in the MBR and that it chainloads Ubuntu (this ran GRUB setup on (hd2)). I loaded up Ubuntu and went in to the terminal, here is what I did:

df:


Filesystem 1K-blocks Used Available Use% Mounted on
/dev/sdc1 38147944 2314868 33910500 7% /
varrun 1548748 100 1548648 1% /var/run
varlock 1548748 0 1548748 0% /var/lock
udev 1548748 68 1548680 1% /dev
devshm 1548748 48 1548700 1% /dev/shm
lrm 1548748 43044 1505704 3% /lib/modules/2.6.24-16-generic/volatile
/dev/sdd1 488384000 344951580 143432420 71% /media/My Book
/dev/scd0 4086 4086 0 100% /media/cdrom0

Then I made a copy of the boot sector:

dd if=/dev/sdc1 of="/media/My Book/sdc1.lnx" bs=512 count=1

"My Book" is an external USB WD HDD.

Then I loaded up Windows XP and copied the file to my 'C:' drive.
I modified my boot.ini file to include:

C:\sdc1.lnx="Linux - Ubuntu"

When I click on my new option in the loader it returns the error: GRUB Geom Error

Here is what my "fdisk -l" looks like:


Disk /dev/sda: 20.4 GB, 20416757760 bytes
240 heads, 63 sectors/track, 2637 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 15120 * 512 = 7741440 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x69737369

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 1 2637 19935688+ 7 HPFS/NTFS

Disk /dev/sdb: 200.0 GB, 200049647616 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 24321 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x8eedf44e

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sdb1 1 24321 195358401 7 HPFS/NTFS

Disk /dev/sdc: 41.1 GB, 41110142976 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 4998 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0xe1ce0553

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sdc1 1 4787 38451546 83 Linux
/dev/sdc2 4788 4998 1694857+ 5 Extended
/dev/sdc5 4788 4998 1694826 82 Linux swap / Solaris

Disk /dev/sdd: 500.1 GB, 500107862016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 60801 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0xf49c60bc

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sdd1 1 60801 488384001 7 HPFS/NTFS

The strange thing is, when I do this process but use GRUB in the MBR instead: I can get to the Windows bootloader, then I can use the Linux option, and it takes me back to the GRUB, and I could go back and forth all day.

Thanks in advance!
CIAduck

[daengbo]

Hello,

I used Super GRUB Disk to make it so that Windows is in the MBR and that it chainloads Ubuntu (this ran GRUB setup on (hd2)).
Then I made a copy of the boot sector:


dd if=/dev/sdc1 of="/media/My Book/sdc1.lnx" bs=512 count=1

From what you've written, it looks like you installed Grub to /dev/sdc, but you've taken the first 512 blocks from /dev/sdc1. Is this accurate? They're not the same.

Try this how-to:
http://www.geocities.com/epark/linux/grub-w2k-HOWTO.html
You'll need to adjust some of the parameters, but it should work otherwise.

[CIAduck]

I have actually tried both.

The sdc entry will give me a blank screen and then go back to the Windows bootloader, and the sdc1 screen gives me the GRUB Error. So naturally I assumed that it was the sdc1 entry that I needed.

Is it possible that GRUB needs to be installed on the boot drive? How would I go about doing that when it is NTFS format? The only way I know is to have GRUB on the linux drive and make a copy like this to the windows bootloader.

What am I doing wrong? From what I've read a Geom Error deals in drive orders and physical locations, but I'm sure I have everything in the correct place.

[daengbo]

Did you try following the advice in the howto I linked to?

[CIAduck]

Thanks daengbo!

It worked, you were right. It wasn't loading GRUB from the Windows bootloader because it was on a different physical disk.

That is why I was able to have GRUB in the MBR and it would work, because windows is on the same physical boot disk. But having GRUB on a different disk than the one that was booting the MBR made it not work.

Thanks for the link, it was very helpful!

~CIAduck

[xzero1]

Did you try following the advice in the howto I linked to?Maybe Ubuntu Screencasts would host your videos. They have nothing on 8.04.
http://screencasts.ubuntu.com/

[daengbo]

CIAduck: No problem.
xzero1: The videos really need to be redone.

[adrian15]

Thanks daengbo!

It worked, you were right. It wasn't loading GRUB from the Windows bootloader because it was on a different physical disk.


It worked? It should not work because that howto does not take in account the 2nd hard disk problem.

This howto takes the problem into account:

http://www.supergrubdisk.org/wiki/Howto_Boot_Grub_from_windows.

What CIAduck did you do? What was explained on that howto or more things?

Thank you.

adrian15