i had xp and and ubuntu (ubuntu installed inside windows) and opensuse. i used to get into xp throug opensuse boot screen. few weeks back my main opensuse login (not the failsafe) lost its graphical interface and today i tried to repair it with the live disk. i chose automatic repair. but now i lost my xp login link. please help. i have some important stuff in xp that i havent backed up yet. i know all the os’s are intact except opensuse(im typing this by logging through failsafe at this moment) please help. btw i think i’ve re-written my mbr by mistake when i tried the repair a few times. :’(:’(
If you are in suse now. Open a terminal and type: su
then your root password.
Now do:
fdisk -l
post result
and
cat /boot/grub/menu.lst
post result
Modified by YaST2. Last modification on Thu Jul 9 21:29:20 IST 2009
default 0
timeout 8
gfxmenu (hd0,10)/boot/message
##YaST - activate
###Don’t change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: linux###
title SUSE LINUX
root (hd0,10)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz root=/dev/disk/by-id/ata-SAMSUNG_HD252HJ_S17HJDWQB12825-part11 resume=/dev/disk/by-id/ata-SAMSUNG_HD252HJ_S17HJDWQB12825-part10 splash=silent showopts vga=0x317
initrd /boot/initrd
###Don’t change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: failsafe###
title Failsafe – SUSE LINUX
root (hd0,10)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz root=/dev/disk/by-id/ata-SAMSUNG_HD252HJ_S17HJDWQB12825-part11 showopts ide=nodma apm=off noresume nosmp maxcpus=0 edd=off powersaved=off nohz=off highres=off processor.max_cstate=1 x11failsafe vga=0x317
initrd /boot/initrd
Disk /dev/sda: 250.0 GB, 250059350016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 30401 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0xc808c808
Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 1 2550 20482843+ c W95 FAT32 (LBA)
/dev/sda2 2551 30400 223705125 f W95 Ext’d (LBA)
/dev/sda5 2551 10199 61440561 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda6 10200 17848 61440561 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda7 17849 22947 40957686 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda8 22948 28046 40957686 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda9 28047 30400 18908473+ 7 HPFS/NTFS
Disk /dev/sdb: 250.0 GB, 250059350016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 30401 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x20fe20fd
Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sdb1 1 5737 46082421 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sdb2 * 5738 30400 198105547+ f W95 Ext’d (LBA)
/dev/sdb5 5738 8924 25599546 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sdb6 8925 12111 25599546 b W95 FAT32
/dev/sdb7 12112 15298 25599546 b W95 FAT32
/dev/sdb8 15299 24222 71681998+ 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sdb9 24223 26772 20482843+ b W95 FAT32
/dev/sdb10 26773 27034 2104483+ 82 Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sdb11 27035 28413 11076786 83 Linux
/dev/sdb12 28414 30400 15960546 83 Linux
Which of the two drives is windows installed, if both have windows on, can you explain anything about what you have?
im not exactly sure on which. its in a seperate partition anyway and probably i had the oss put in two disks seperately when i formatted and installed them. evedrything was ok till ii ran the opensuse live disk today morning 
i only have 1 windows partition.
It might be worth looking in /boot/grub
and see if there is evidence of an old menu.lst
It might be like this: ~menu.lst
or menu.lst.old
if there is, right click and open with kwrite (in kde) or gedit (gnome)
post content here
The file /boot/boot/grub/menu.lst could not be loaded, as it was not possible to read from it.
If I was to hazard a guess it looks the first disk due to the first partition being marked as boot.
I would try a few experiments using command line grub…
At the first screen press esc
This will drop you to non-graphic mode, press c…
Now been a long time but hopefully someone will correct me…
When you’re at the grub prompt…
root (hd0,0)
chainloader +1
press b
You possibly may need a map hopefully a dual booter will jump in as it has been a long time since I had a dual boot and the old cells are going a little grey.
Edit
If not root
rootnoverify (hd0,0)
how do i open the boot.lst?
You need to use file manager super user mode
@FeatherMonkey
I’m not sure but this might be beyond our friends knowledge?
I have to log out for half an hour or so, maybe try this in the end of menu.lst
###Don’t change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: windows###
title Windows
rootnoverify (hd1,1)
chainloader (hd1,1)+1
kdesu kwrite /boot/grub.menu.lst
gnomesu gedit /boot/grub/menu.lst
be careful
I sort of agree but they are struggling with opening the file, at least this way it is similar without opening files 
thanks caf and feather monkey. i saved the new menu.lst. hope it works
If you choose 1,1 I don’t think it will as that looks like an extended partition try 1,0 or 0,0 my guesses any way. Was kinda of why I suggested trying with cli grub as no need to reboot test, edit reboot test.
Edit
Then when you find the correct incantation edit menu.lst.
didnt work. the windows link just got me into a blinking cursor
this my menu.lst
Modified by YaST2. Last modification on Thu Jul 9 21:29:20 IST 2009
default 0
timeout 8
gfxmenu (hd0,10)/boot/message
##YaST - activate
###Don’t change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: linux###
title SUSE LINUX
root (hd0,10)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz root=/dev/disk/by-id/ata-SAMSUNG_HD252HJ_S17HJDWQB12825-part11 resume=/dev/disk/by-id/ata-SAMSUNG_HD252HJ_S17HJDWQB12825-part10 splash=silent showopts vga=0x317
initrd /boot/initrd
###Don’t change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: failsafe###
title Failsafe – SUSE LINUX
root (hd0,10)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz root=/dev/disk/by-id/ata-SAMSUNG_HD252HJ_S17HJDWQB12825-part11 showopts ide=nodma apm=off noresume nosmp maxcpus=0 edd=off powersaved=off nohz=off highres=off processor.max_cstate=1 x11failsafe vga=0x317
initrd /boot/initrd
###Don’t change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: windows###
title Windows
rootnoverify (hd1,1)
chainloader (hd1,1)+1
i’ll wait. it’s really important that i get into windows somehow,
it is
/boot/grub/menu.lst
I gave you my suggestion either struggle though with cli grub and get rid of all that rebooting and editing.
Or edit I reckon you need 0,0 not 1,1 You didn’t give us a lot to work with you showed us then told us I don’t know where. So some guessing has to be done.