Hi,
On laptop were Windows XP and OpenSuse 10.2, user upgraded Windows XP to 8 and boot menu disappeared. I tried to fix GRUB with installation media but it wasn’t finished successfully
http://naforum.zapodaj.net/thumbs/e9adfdeab0ff.jpg](http://naforum.zapodaj.net/e9adfdeab0ff.jpg.html)
list partitions (maybe windows add next partition…)
http://naforum.zapodaj.net/thumbs/70eb5e92a0a8.jpg](http://naforum.zapodaj.net/70eb5e92a0a8.jpg.html)
How to fix GRUB?
10.2 is exceedingly old current version is leap 42.1. But since everything appears to be old on this machine best guess is the Windows changed the boot flag to itself you need to set the boot flag to the Linux boot in this case I think partition 2. Should be able to do it from Windows partition managent
Partition 2 (/dev/sda2) appears to be an extended partition, so that’s not a likely boot candidate.
Partition 5 is also unlikely, since it’s a swap partition.
SInce you can boot into Grub from the installation media, I would try the “find” command and look for:
menu.lst
grub/menu.lst
/boot/grub/menu.lst
It should find at least one of those and report back both the drive and partition (in Grub nomenclature) where it found the file.
Assuming grub finds the file, set that partition as root (e.g. “root (hd0,6”).
At that point you can use the “configfile” command to load menu.lst so you have the normal boot menu (FOR THIS ONE INSTANCE).
Unfortunately, I suspect that something seriously bad occurred during the upgrade from XP -> 8.
IIRC, Grub Legacy can’t boot from a logical partition in an extended partition. I do know that only Primary partitions can be active (have the boot flag set).
You only have 1 Primary partition, and it’s where Windows 8 exists (NTFS, partition 1).
I don’t have a lot of hope, sorry.
ron
Actually in a grub 1 generic MBR boot the grub code is put on the extended if the boot partition is in the extended. Generic boot code will not boot to a logical partition. Should really not be a problem unless originally grub installed to the MBR in which case there is no grub for Linux since Windows over wrote it.
Now that I think on it 10.2 may have put grub in the MBR by default.
So you need to reinstall grub
Her is some general info It has been too long for me to remember the details
https://en.opensuse.org/SDB:Repair_MBR_after_Windows_install
Thank you for answer
*mount /dev/sda3 /mnt
mount --bind /dev /mnt/dev
mount --bind /proc /mnt/proc # maybe superfluous
mount --bind /sys /mnt/sys # maybe superfluous
mkdir /mnt/mounts # could be needed if booted with rescue openSUSE 13.1
mount --rbind /mounts /mnt/mounts # could be needed if booted with rescue openSUSE 13.1
chroot /mnt
grub2-install /dev/sda
exit
*
reboot…and boot menu has appeared, but system stopped during starting
http://naforum.zapodaj.net/thumbs/6aeb23808c41.jpg](http://naforum.zapodaj.net/6aeb23808c41.jpg.html)
In safe mode system starting OK
I ran automatically fixing from installation media but nothing changed
You followed the instructions for Grub2, but I strongly suspect that Grub Legacy (grub v0.97) was what was actually installed by openSUSE10.2.
That being said, you got far enough along in the boot process that the kernel (not grub) is running from initramfs, so grub is not the problem here.
I have a question: Why was openSUSE 10.2 installed to a FAT32 (/dev/sda3) partition?
I would never install a different OS into a partition where Windows could muck around with the files.
Back to the point- it’s been a loooong time since I’ve used 10.2, but I seem to recall that the system recovery from the installation media allowed for an interactive repair, where it would report the problems it found and allow you to fix them manually. If that’s correct, that report may provide clues as to why the system can’t complete the boot process.
Good luck,
ron
I don’t think that grub2 was even available in 10.2,was it??
Those instruction should not have worked at least the grub2-install step should have failed. the chroot stuff is fine but you must use instruction for legacy grub not grub2
You can not install to a FAT or any other file system it simply will not work because the permissions do not exist in MS file systems.
Resolved! I added partition with Windows 8 to /boot/grub/menu.list and ran auto repair from installation media and everything work properly. Thank you for help
