Grub error on dual boot installation of Open SUSE 11.4. Now cannot boot windows or openSUSE

English Install/Boot/Login
1

Hello,

I have tried installing openSUSE 11.4 on my desktop: 2tb HDD, 8GB ram, Intel i7 processor. I chose 11.4, because later linux installation (eg Ubuntu 11.4) had major internet problems because of a conflict with realtek network controller and linux 3.0 kernel (ie, ineternet connection doesn’t work, and the workarounds suggested that i tried don’t work).

I was unable to get the DVD iso to be read from the CD/DVD drive (? another problem I cannot find a reason for)- (kept going to a screen telling me no repository found), so installed from USB-HDD with the intention of replacing ubuntu with SUSE, alongside W7. During installation I was given a warning about the MBR? not lying entirely within 128GB?? and then I had a boot loader error and the installation could not complete. I can now no longer boot windows, nor opensuse. On boot up I get to the initial Open SUSE screen. If I choose to install from Hard Disk, the screen cycles back to the same page, and i get nowhere.

How do I get back to W7, and try to think again? I am not an expert in these matters (and may therefore need a bit of a detailed guidance through a solution), but am frustrated not to be able to get any linux installation to work.

Many Thanks

Howard

2

Since you seem to be online with some computer, you have got to create a bootable LiveCD, either KDE or GNOME from an ISO file you download, boot from the CD and run some commands we give you to tell us just what you ended up with after the first install being loaded onto your orginal PC. software.opensuse.org: Download openSUSE 12.1

Thank You,

3

THanks

I have managed to get a linux mint 12 live CD to load, and can open a terminal window:).

Howard

4

I would try a

fdisk -l

or, not know if you are root or not"

su -
password:
fdisk -l

What I would want, is to mount the actual / root partition to look at these files:

cat /boot/grub/device.map
cat /boot/grub/menu.lst
cat /etc/fstab

Or, to be root

sudo cat /boot/grub/device.map
sudo cat /boot/grub/menu.lst
sudo cat /etc/fstab

To post all of this info in order to see what it says. When you mount a partition, it might be /media for instance. So, this might make it as follows:

cat /media/boot/grub/device.map
cat /media/boot/grub/menu.lst
cat /media/etc/fstab

In the end, we would like to see what was placed into these files posted into a message here.

Thank You,

5

Thanks.

I have the following but need some guidance on mounting the root partition in a terminal and getting the subsequent details you refer to:

mint ~ # fdisk -l

Disk /dev/sda: 2000.4 GB, 2000398934016 bytes

255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 243201 cylinders, total 3907029168 sectors

Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes

Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes

I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes

Disk identifier: 0xec745eb0

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System

/dev/sda1 2048 206847 102400 7 HPFS/NTFS/exFAT

/dev/sda2 206848 2717358562 1358575857+ 7 HPFS/NTFS/exFAT

/dev/sda3 * 2717362174 3907028991 594833409 5 Extended

/dev/sda5 2758324224 2774708223 8192000 82 Linux swap / Solaris

/dev/sda6 2774710272 3907028991 566159360 7 HPFS/NTFS/exFAT

/dev/sda7 2717362176 2733731839 8184832 83 Linux

/dev/sda8 2733733888 2758311935 12289024 83 Linux

Partition table entries are not in disk order

Disk /dev/sdb: 16.0 GB, 16008609792 bytes

64 heads, 32 sectors/track, 15267 cylinders, total 31266816 sectors

Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes

Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes

I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes

Disk identifier: 0xd30461b0

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System

/dev/sdb1 * 0 9013247 4506624 17 Hidden HPFS/NTFS

Disk /dev/sdb1: 4614 MB, 4614782976 bytes

64 heads, 32 sectors/track, 4401 cylinders, total 9013248 sectors

Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes

Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes

I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes

Disk identifier: 0xd30461b0

 Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System

/dev/sdb1p1 * 0 9013247 4506624 17 Hidden HPFS/NTFS

Yours

Howard

6

If it’s all about looking for or installing Grub under openSUSE, you can apply the same method as the one described in this thread: http://forums.opensuse.org/english/get-technical-help-here/install-boot-login/473150-dual-boot-xp-opensuse-12-1-only-booting-xp.html. If you are on 11.4, you would just replace

[noparse]zypper ar http://download.opensuse.org/repositories/home:/please_try_again/openSUSE_12.1/  PTA[/noparse]

with

[noparse]zypper ar http://download.opensuse.org/repositories/home:/please_try_again/openSUSE_11.4/  PTA[/noparse]

while installing findgrub on openSUSE live system (you would need an openSUSE live CD though - not DVD!)