Multi-boot problem :/

English Install/Boot/Login
#1

Im quite new to Linux, and am studying it at university so i decided to try and put it on my PC at home which currently runs, so far i am loving the experience (although installing my wireless was a pain in the arse!!) but now i try to boot windows 7 and i cant it says bootmgr is missing, this is the funny part, it was happening before (the message) but only if the win7 disk wasnt in. but even with it in it just wont boot, any ideas?

EDIT: also i have my windows 7 on one hdd and my open suse on another hdd, they arent on the same one.

#2

from linux post output of

fdisk -l  NOTE: -l is a small L not a one.
cat /boot/grub/menu.lst

run both in a terminal , likely will need root permissions.
on the fdisk output indicate what partition has windows.

#3

It sounds like you didn’t have the windows 7 drive connected when you installed opensuse, if you had opensuse should have added your windows to the boot menu when it installed grub, if it wasn’t connected there would be no windows entry when you booted off your opensuse drive

Being a self-proclaimed newbie, I’m guessing you wanted to make sure you didn’t screw up your windows when installing opensuse so unplugged the windows drive, and now you’re doing something like changing the hdd boot order in bios to try starting windows?

If I’m right, and most likely even if I’m not, you have basically two options, try fixing grub so it can boot your windows and for someone new to linux this can be quite a challenge, although it’s often such challenges that challenge us to learn, or reinstall opensuse with your windows drive still plugged in and letting the opensuse installer just set it up for you, which in all honesty would probably be quicker

When setting up a dual boot windows/linux machine the way you have I install windows, change the boot order so it boots off the linux drive (unless windows and linux are gonna be on the same physical drive), then install the linux and let the installer configure grub to boot both your linux and the windows, and I have grub install to the linux drive mbr

If that is, I wanted to put the opensuse linux and the windows on seperate hard drives, which would be unlikely, to me it makes more sense to put the operating systems on the same drive and all the user data on the other drive, by user data I mean you can put the linux /home and the windows Documents and Settings -or-Users folders on the same physical drive (there are even ways to make both systems share things like documents/music/video folders, and even browser/mail profiles), chances are that unless you have small drives you can keep backups of the operating systems on the userdata drive and vice versa, consider a userbackup partition on the system drive and a systembackup partion on the userdata drive

In that situation if either drive were to fail you could still recover both your operating systems and your data, as well as providing the convenience of sharing folders between systems

The reason I mention these things is that if you do opt for a reinstall over trying to fix grub, you would have the opportunity to re-think your drive/partition layout and what I’ve said may be food for thought, one thing it’s hard to have too much of is backup facilities … especially when trying new things :wink:

With your data on one drive and the systems on the other, you can afford to try anything you like and make allsorts of mistakes getting your linux and windows working the way you want without losing your stuff

#4

Basically to get multi-boot working you need to correctly edit your /boot/grub/menu.lst file in accordance with your system. To suggest how you can try, pse post yr output as per asked by LostFarmer. :slight_smile:
It would be e.g. chainloader (hd0,3)+1 but not for your case because your use 2 HDDs. More likely chainloader (hd1,1)+1 for you, anyway guessing won’t work, we need to know your system layout 1st.

Useful info @ to read:
7.4. Booting with GRUB

#5

hi sorry i have been at a funeral past 2 days :frowning:
isk /dev/sda: 160.0 GB, 160041885696 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 19457 cylinders, total 312581808 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: 0x2fb46f3c

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 2048 312575999 156286976 7 HPFS/NTFS/exFAT

Disk /dev/sdb: 82.0 GB, 81964302336 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 9964 cylinders, total 160086528 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: 0xe77ee77e

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sdb1 * 63600640 160086015 48242688 f W95 Ext’d (LBA)
/dev/sdb5 63602688 67811327 2104320 82 Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sdb6 67813376 105000959 18593792 83 Linux
/dev/sdb7 105003008 160055295 27526144 83 Linux

inux-2jtp:~ # cat /boot/grub/menu.lst

Modified by YaST2. Last modification on Wed Apr 13 11:11:02 BST 2011

THIS FILE WILL BE PARTIALLY OVERWRITTEN by perl-Bootloader

Configure custom boot parameters for updated kernels in /etc/sysconfig/bootloader

default 2
timeout 8
gfxmenu (hd0,5)/boot/message
##YaST - activate

###Don’t change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: linux###
title openSUSE 11.4 - 2.6.37.1-1.2 (default)
root (hd0,5)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.37.1-1.2-default root=/dev/disk/by-id/ata-Maxtor_6L080L0_L235NLFG-part6 resume=/dev/disk/by-id/ata-Maxtor_6L080L0_L235NLFG-part5 splash=silent quiet showopts vga=0x317
initrd /boot/initrd-2.6.37.1-1.2-default

###Don’t change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: failsafe###
title Failsafe – openSUSE 11.4 - 2.6.37.1-1.2 (default)
root (hd0,5)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.37.1-1.2-default root=/dev/disk/by-id/ata-Maxtor_6L080L0_L235NLFG-part6 showopts apm=off noresume nosmp maxcpus=0 edd=off powersaved=off nohz=off highres=off processor.max_cstate=1 nomodeset x11failsafe vga=0x317
initrd /boot/initrd-2.6.37.1-1.2-default

###Don’t change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: linux###
title Desktop – openSUSE 11.4 - 2.6.37.1-1.2
root (hd0,5)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.37.1-1.2-desktop root=/dev/disk/by-id/ata-Maxtor_6L080L0_L235NLFG-part6 resume=/dev/disk/by-id/ata-Maxtor_6L080L0_L235NLFG-part5 splash=silent quiet showopts vga=0x317
initrd /boot/initrd-2.6.37.1-1.2-desktop

###Don’t change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: failsafe###
title Failsafe – openSUSE 11.4 - 2.6.37.1-1.2 (desktop)
root (hd0,5)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.37.1-1.2-desktop root=/dev/disk/by-id/ata-Maxtor_6L080L0_L235NLFG-part6 showopts apm=off noresume nosmp maxcpus=0 edd=off powersaved=off nohz=off highres=off processor.max_cstate=1 nomodeset x11failsafe vga=0x317
initrd /boot/initrd-2.6.37.1-1.2-desktop

###Don’t change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: windows###
title Windows
map (hd1) (hd0)
map (hd0) (hd1)
rootnoverify (hd1,0)
makeactive
chainloader +1

###Don’t change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: hard_disk###
title Hard Disk
rootnoverify (hd0,0)
chainloader +1

#6

Sorry to here about the funeral.

I do not see any thing wrong except perhaps ‘maybe’ a missing partition at the start of sda1.

this is the funny part, it was happening before (the message) but only if the win7 disk wasnt in
are you saying if the Win7 hdd is removed you get the ‘bootmanager missing’ ? It should give you a grub error, not a win7 error.

If you remove the linux hdd or select the Win7 hdd as boot device in bios, does Win7 boot ?

Give comp specks. Make/Model/Desktop/Laptop/ect.

post : cat /boot/grub/device.map “I think that is the file name, I’m in XP so can not verify”

#7

what was happening was before i installed linux if i’d boot my pc up it would tell me bootmgr was missing so then i went to repair the installation and i put the disc in and suddenly no error, now when i boot up my pc before it hits grub if win7 disc isnt in it will say bootmgr is missing so i put the disc in reboot and it loads upgrub, i then go to choose windows and with the disc still in it says bootmgr is missing…

#8

sorry only just got back to my computer lol, the specs are 2gb ram ddr2 2.4 amd athlon x2 (dual core) and its got a gigabyte motherboard, its a custom pc i built myself. the output from what u asked me to input is:

(hd1) /dev/disk/by-id/ata-ST3160815AS_9RXC953R
(hd0) /dev/disk/by-id/ata-Maxtor_6L080L0_L235NLFG

#9

I think on your post at 5:26 , I understand what you are saying but do not understand what is happing.

To be sure

win7 disc
is the Win7 CD not the hdd with Win 7 installed ?

I think we need to be sure Win7 boots correctly , with out CD, when it is the only hdd in system. Need to verify if it is a Win7 only problem or a grub problem. Please remove the Maxtor ‘linux’ hdd and boot. Does it boot into Win7 correctly ?

Is your Win 7 cd just a restore cd or does it have the boot repair function ? (Do not have Win7 and not sure what is what )