Partition problem after merging 2 partition in WinXP

English Install/Boot/Login
1

After merging 2 partitions into 1 on dual boot system under Windows XP I have these settings:

Modified by YaST2. Last modification on Wed Nov 5 22:03:50 EET 2008

default 2
timeout 10
gfxmenu (hd0,7)/boot/message

###Don’t change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: linux###
title openSUSE 10.3 - 2.6.22.19-0.1 (default)
kernel (hd0,7)/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.22.19-0.1-default root=/dev/sda7 vga=0x31a resume=/dev/sda6 splash=silent showopts
initrd (hd0,7)/boot/initrd-2.6.22.19-0.1-default

###Don’t change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: failsafe###
title Failsafe – openSUSE 10.3 - 2.6.22.19-0.1 (default)
kernel (hd0,7)/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.22.19-0.1-default root=/dev/sda7 vga=normal showopts ide=nodma apm=off acpi=off noresume nosmp noapic maxcpus=0 edd=off 3
initrd (hd0,7)/boot/initrd-2.6.22.19-0.1-default

###Don’t change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: windows###
title Windows
rootnoverify (hd0,6)
chainloader (hd0,0)+1

###Don’t change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: floppy###
title Floppy
rootnoverify (hd0,6)
chainloader (fd0)+1

omitting empty partition (5)

Disk /dev/sda: 81.9 GB, 81964302336 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 9964 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x44b044af

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 1 2611 20972826 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda2 2612 9964 59062972+ f W95 Ext’d (LBA)
/dev/sda5 2612 8487 47198938+ 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda6 8595 8691 779121 82 Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sda7 8692 9964 10225341 83 Linux

Originally I had /dev/sda8 where was my LINUX root partition.
Now it is /dev/sda7, but in menu.lst I still have:
“kernel (hd0,7)/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.22.19-0.1-default” which if I am not wrong is “missing” sda8.

Also in GRUB:
grub> find /boot/grub/stage1
find /boot/grub/stage1
(hd0,7)

…still sda8 which I do not have anymore.
On the other hand when I updated the kernel I had to change menu.lst settings because GRUB said that can not mount partition (hd0,6)(which I think is the correct partition after merging) and I had to change it back to (hd0,7) to resolve the problem with booting in SuSE.

Can anyone suggest how to resolve this issue.
Thanks in advance…

2

What issue? From your post it seems Grub boots just fine from (hd0,7). That shouldn’t surprise you, because fdisk’s and Grub’s partition schemes, IIRC, aren’t necessarily similar, so “sda8” in fdisk parlance is not necessarily translated into “(hd0,7)” in Grub’s idiom.
Particularly if there are extended and even merged partitions involved.
At least that’s my humble opinion.

3

Boot into openSUSE and re-calibrate the file menu.lst by using Yast. I assume you can boot into openSUSE (If not tell me & I’ll show you how). Then for the re-calibration do this:

Go to Yast –> System –> Boot Loader. The Grub configuration screen comes up with the Tab “Section Management” activated. In the lower right is a drop-down selector labelled “Other”. Select from “Other” the option “Propose New Configuration” and then wait for Grub to analyse your partitions and display a new configuration. This may take a while. Important: When that finishes, activate the tab labelled “Boot Loader Installation” and select to “Boot from the Master Boot Record”. [Yast will often default to booting from the root or boot partition rather than from the MBR but that’s for experts only – always choose the MBR.] Then click Finish to save the changes and install the reconfigured Grub into the hard drive’s MBR. If you get a message that "The bootloader boot sector will be written to a floppy disk … don’t bother with the floppy – just click OK to proceed and install to the MBR. Reboot and you should be able to boot to openSUSE using the Grub menu screen.

Reference: GRUB Boot Multiboot openSUSE Windows (2000, XP, Vista) using the Grub bootloader.

4

I followed your instructions, but just only before finishing I got this message:

GNU GRUB  version 0.97  (640K lower / 3072K upper memory)

Minimal BASH-like line editing is supported. For the first word, TAB
lists possible command completions. Anywhere else TAB lists the possible
completions of a device/filename. ]
grub> setup --stage2=/boot/grub/stage2 (hd0) (hd0,6)

Error 17: Cannot mount selected partition
grub> quit

My current status is that I am able to boot in both OS with no problems.I think I have a problem, when a new kernel is updating, because menu.lst is changing to look for kernel at (hd0,6)<where it should be> , but not at (hd0,7)<where it should not be, but it works>.

Here is the Yast suggestion for menu.lst:

Modified by YaST2. Last modification on Fri Nov 7 21:02:49 EET 2008

default 0
timeout 8
gfxmenu (hd0,6)/boot/message

###Don’t change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: linux###
title openSUSE 10.3
root (hd0,6)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.22.19-0.1-default root=/dev/sda7 resume=/dev/sda6 splash=silent showopts
initrd /boot/initrd-2.6.22.19-0.1-default

###Don’t change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: windows###
title Windows
rootnoverify (hd0,6)
chainloader (hd0,0)+1

###Don’t change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: floppy###
title Floppy
rootnoverify (hd0,6)
chainloader (fd0)+1

###Don’t change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: failsafe###
title Failsafe – openSUSE 10.3
root (hd0,6)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.22.19-0.1-default root=/dev/sda7 showopts ide=nodma apm=off acpi=off noresume nosmp noapic maxcpus=0 edd=off 3
initrd /boot/initrd-2.6.22.19-0.1-default

###Don’t change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: Kernel-2.6.22.19-0.1-default###
title Kernel-2.6.22.19-0.1-default
root (hd0,6)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.22.19-0.1-default root=/dev/sda7 resume=/dev/sda6 splash=silent showopts
initrd /boot/initrd-2.6.22.19-0.1-default

I am ready for further investigation on this issue.
Thanks.

5

Before I try to reconcile the fdisk, boot.ini and so on — couple of questions:

1: Where did this come from: “omitting empty partition (5)”
2: can you give Yast’s view of the partitioning please. Yast → system → partitioner → full screen and “show details”. Take a screenshot and attach it as an upload (no need to try to display it, I’ll download it).

Sorry – looks like you can’t upload here, have to use one of the hosting places and just give a link.

6

Hi,
Run this command after you boot to suse. You need to be to su to do this

grub --batch --device-map=/boot/grub/device.map </etc/grub.conf

And try reinstalling grub

7

omitting empty partition (5)
is the first line of ‘fdisk -l’ output screen.
I will post a screenshot of partitioner later.

8

Here is the screenshot of YAST partitioner:
http://img407.imageshack.us/img407/7488/yast2000nu6.th.png](ImageShack - Best place for all of your image hosting and image sharing needs)

terziyski:~ # cat /boot/grub/device.map
(fd0) /dev/fd0
(hd0) /dev/sda
terziyski:~ # grub --batch --device-map=/boot/grub/device.map </etc/grub.conf

GNU GRUB  version 0.97  (640K lower / 3072K upper memory)

Minimal BASH-like line editing is supported. For the first word, TAB
lists possible command completions. Anywhere else TAB lists the possible
completions of a device/filename. ]
grub> setup --stage2=/boot/grub/stage2 (hd0) (hd0,6)

Error 17: Cannot mount selected partition
grub> quit

Any other suggestions ?