Can't login to windows xp after suse 11.1 install

[alexandremrj]

Hello everyone,

I can't seem to boot to windows xp after installation and then update from the openSUSE 11.1 live cd.

This is my /boot/grub/menu.lst

# Modified by YaST2. Last modification on Sun Apr 19 19:35:24 WEST 2009
default 0
timeout 8
##YaST - generic_mbr
gfxmenu (hd0,4)/boot/message
##YaST - activate

###Don't change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: linux###
title openSUSE 11.1
    root (hd0,4)
    kernel /boot/vmlinuz root=/dev/disk/by-id/ata-Hitachi_HTS541212H9AT00_HP0400BEGD827A-part5 resume=/dev/disk/by-id/ata-Hitachi_HTS541212H9AT00_HP0400BEGD827A-part7 splash=silent showopts
    initrd /boot/initrd

###Don't change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: windows###
title Windows
    rootnoverify (hd0,1)
    makeactive
    chainloader +1

###Don't change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: Vendor diagnostic###
title Vendor diagnostic
    rootnoverify (hd0,0)
    chainloader +1

###Don't change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: failsafe###
title Failsafe -- openSUSE 11.1
    root (hd0,4)
    kernel /boot/vmlinuz root=/dev/disk/by-id/ata-Hitachi_HTS541212H9AT00_HP0400BEGD827A-part5 showopts ide=nodma apm=off noresume nosmp maxcpus=0 edd=off powersaved=off nohz=off highres=off processor.max_cstate=1  x11failsafe
    initrd /boot/initrd

###Don't change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: memtest86###
title Memory Test
    kernel (hd0,4)/boot/memtest.bin

###Don't change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: linux###
title Kernel-2.6.27.21-0.1-default
    root (hd0,4)
    kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.27.21-0.1-default root=/dev/disk/by-id/ata-Hitachi_HTS541212H9AT00_HP0400BEGD827A-part5 resume=/dev/disk/by-id/ata-Hitachi_HTS541212H9AT00_HP0400BEGD827A-part7 splash=silent showopts
    initrd /boot/initrd-2.6.27.21-0.1-default

This is the output from fdisk -l:

Disk /dev/sda: 120.0 GB, 120034123776 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 14593 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0xb8f0ffa4

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sda1               1         637     5116671   12  Compaq diagnostics
/dev/sda2   *         638        7013    51215220    c  W95 FAT32 (LBA)
/dev/sda3            7584        8412     6658942+   c  W95 FAT32 (LBA)
/dev/sda4            8413       14593    49648882+   5  Extended
/dev/sda5            8413        9507     8795556   83  Linux
/dev/sda6            9699       14593    39319056   83  Linux
/dev/sda7            9508        9698     1534176   82  Linux swap / Solaris

Partition table entries are not in disk order

I know that FAT32 is bad but I can't do anything about it

/dev/sda1 boots fine to the system restore from Acer. when selecting Windows option on boot menu it simply flickers and returns to the menu. /dev/sda3 is non bootable, symply filesystem.

When using boot loader settings from YasT I go to other and press "Propose new configuration" it changes the menu but when pressing OK it asks for a floppy disk and doesn't save the configuration (so on new boot I return to the same).

Hope anybody can help

Thanks in advance

[ofvergara]

Same happened to me and i am still waiting for a solution.
in order to dual-boot correctly xp with opensuse, i had to downgrade to opensuse 10.3 and use lilo as my preferred boot manager.

any new version for grub or lilo didn't work on my system (versions from sled11, opensuse11 & opensuse 11.1).

for some strange reason, the lilo versions from SLED10 & opensuse 10.3 worked flawlessly, which is very weird and makes me wonder why older versions work while the new ones don't.

can you try to install lilo instead of grub?

later on i am going to start a thread on how to install sled11, OS11 or OS11.1 using the good ol' lilo from previous versions, if someone has ever achieved this feat, because i wish to accomplish this and don't know how to do it.

<OF>

[caf4926]

Windows menu to:

rootnoverify (hd0,1)
chainloader (hd0,1)+1

[alexandremrj]

caf4926:

I changed the windows menu on the configuration file and although the change sticked it didn't changed anything

[LostFarmer]

Can you mount sda2 ? If so post XP's boot.ini file.

[caf4926]

Well if the utility partition is working then the next should follow lets try just taking out the make active of the original so it looks like:

###Don't change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: windows###
title Windows
rootnoverify (hd0,1)
chainloader +1

###Don't change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: Vendor diagnostic###
title Vendor diagnostic
rootnoverify (hd0,0)
chainloader +1

[alexandremrj]

LostFarmer: I can mount sda2 without any problem. Here is my boot.ini from Windows XP

[boot loader]

timeout=15

default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS

[operating systems]

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Windows XP Media Center Edition" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect

caf4926: That was the original, without the make active, and it didn't work. I tried to use that to see if it would do anything.

[caf4926]

Have a look at swerdna's info
GRUB Boot Multiboot openSUSE Windows (2000, XP, Vista) using the Grub bootloader.

[LostFarmer]

Did you move or resize the XP partition to install Suse ?

Due to you being able to mount XP do not think there is a problem with the Volume Boot Record but can not see any other problem.
From a root terminal:

dd if=sda2 of=sda2vbr count=1 bs=512

xxd sda2vbr

post xxd's display.

Do you have a floppy drive in comp ?

[alexandremrj]

Hello,

LostFarmer,

dd if=sda2 of=sda2vbr count=1 bs=512
dd: opening `sda2': No such file or directory

I resized the XP partition for the instalation of openSUSE and I don't have a floppy drive (nor floppys for that matter )


caf4926,
i followed the link but i don't have the openSUSE DVD, and i don't have the net power to download it.


Thanks for all the help you guys are trying to provide