Hello all,
After a 100% successful install of SuSE 11.1, when I take the CD out and restart the PC, instead of seeing GRUB, all I see is a black screen with a cursor flashing at the top left.
Nothing boots at all.
Is there an easy fix for this? I should also still have an NTFS partition with XP on it to be selectable too.
Thanks, Seb
You say CD is what you used? NOT the DVD?
Boot the live CD again and install again is probably going to be quickest for you. At this point: Installation/11.1 Live CD - openSUSE
See the ‘Booting’ section - Click on it and from here: http://files.myopera.com/carl4926/albums/671478/17.png
Go to the TAB 'Bootloader Installation here: http://files.myopera.com/carl4926/albums/671478/19.png
and set as in that Pic; MBR
That should do it
I do apologise, i meant the DVD
Thank you for your response
Then with the DVD you can boot and choose Installation but then at this screen choose repair: Installation/11.1 DVD Install - openSUSE
Then use expert in that, and go to Booting and set the Grub to MBR as in previous pics.
See if that does it
Thanks that seems to work, only now there is no Window XP loader showing. I can use GRUB to boot SuSE 11.1, but it cant finy my XP partition - even after a fresh search using the yast tools.
Is there anything I can do for you guys to show my config?
Now post the contents of this
/boot/grub/menu.lst
kdesu kwrite /boot/grub/menu.lst
or
gnomesu gedit /boot/grub/menu.lst
And open a terminal type su, then your root password and then do:
fdisk -l
post the result
Contents of grub/menu.lst:
# Modified by YaST2. Last modification on Wed May 13 17:15:06 BST 2009
default 0
timeout 8
##YaST - generic_mbr
gfxmenu (hd0,5)/boot/message
##YaST - activate
###Don't change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: linux###
title openSUSE 11.1
root (hd0,5)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz root=/dev/disk/by-id/ata-ST3160812AS_4LS1X0K5-part6 resume=/dev/disk/by-id/ata-ST3160812AS_4LS1X0K5-part5 splash=silent showopts
initrd /boot/initrd
###Don't change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: floppy###
title Floppy
rootnoverify (fd0)
chainloader +1
###Don't change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: failsafe###
title Failsafe -- openSUSE 11.1
root (hd0,5)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz root=/dev/disk/by-id/ata-ST3160812AS_4LS1X0K5-part6 showopts ide=nodma apm=off noresume nosmp maxcpus=0 edd=off powersaved=off nohz=off highres=off processor.max_cstate=1 x11failsafe
initrd /boot/initrd
title Windows bootloader menu # <-- Windows XP
rootnoverify (hd0,0)
chainloader (hd0,0)+1
(the final windows XP title was an earlier manual text entry attempt of mine which does not work/boot)
Result of fdisk:
Disk /dev/sda: 160.0 GB, 160000000000 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 19452 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x41ab2316
Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 1 7146 57392212 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda2 * 7146 19452 98855946+ f W95 Ext'd (LBA)
/dev/sda5 7146 7407 2104483+ 82 Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sda6 7408 10018 20972826 83 Linux
/dev/sda7 10019 19452 75778573+ 83 Linux
Thanks guys!
title Windows bootloader menu # <– Windows XP
rootnoverify (hd0,0)
chainloader (hd0,0)+1
This looks correct for your fdisk output. You say it does not work. But what happens? error message?
If you select the Windows XP option in GRUB, the screen goes black briefly, then returns to GRUB after about 1 second 
No error messages are displayed at all.
Thank you for the link.
Unfortunately I have already tried that guide - which has lead me to the position I’m in now. It looks like the XP partition is still there, I just cant get it to boot.
Please help me, I’m desperate to get this system working 
You could try restoring the MBR for XP with your XP cd
if (windows) doesn’t (boot) because Grub code has lodged in the MBR you can easily replace it with Windows boot code and get back on track as follows:
• Windows 2000/XP on the computer: Boot from the XP/2000 installation disk and proceed to the final screen where you have the option to Repair Your Computer. Press “R” for Repair and log onto the Windows installation. When the command prompt appears, enter the command fixmbr. Confirm “yes” and you will receive confirmation of the reinstallation of Windows bootstrap code into the MBR. Enter exit and the computer will reboot.
Once you do this windows will boot, but not SUSE
Then do as before in post #2 and #4 to get the grub back
and try XP again with the same setting in the menu
Well that didn’t go too well
Tried fixmbr in Windows XP recovery mode, and nothing would boot after that.
So then I tried fixboot, and all it said when trying to boot was “Invalid partition table…”, and wouldn’t boot obviously.
I’ve since got SuSE running again by using its recovery tools, but it just wont recognise the XP partition when I get GRUB to “Propose a new configuration”.
Am I fighting a lost cause here?
Thanks, Seb
Hmm, my menu.lst looks a little different -
###Don’t change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: windows 1###
title other
rootnoverify (hd0,0)
chainloader +1
Maybe give that a try, see what happens.
I tried your suggestion, thank you.
But when you select it from GRUB, it comes up with a black screen saying “NTLDR is missing…”
Any ideas?
Yes. That is a windows file needed for booting windows, which is why I said to fix windows MBR. Windows needs repairing first. You might find it easier just to start again.
Yeah I think that time has come. Shame I don’t have the original XP cd for this machine. Probably means shelling out for a new copy of XP - wonderful
Let this be a warning to all people - burn your SuSE DVD image at 4x or less!
If you have a product key you should be ok if you can get an OEM CD. I have one, but I’m in the UK.
Do some googling
I do have an OEM CD and a product key which i bought legally. But I have it installed on my home PC - am I allowed to install the same copy on my work PC? Sounds dodgy to me 
I got that same message after an update in windows vista! An update that I didn’t even ask for, which took the whole night to finish, and when I came to reboot it was broken!
It was that stupid “updating in the background” nonsense I believe.
Was xp updating and got interrupted mid-way? That would explain the missing ntldr (not that I’m a windows expert!).
Plus, did you do the fixboot and fixmbr with the same version CD that you installed with? Maybe that is why it didn’t fix it properly.
I would search the net for an answer to that before you re-install, you never know your luck :).
But don’t forget, you can backup all your windows stuff by mounting the partition under suse and copying it before re-installing.
And, if you only need windows to do simple things (not games), you could possibly use a Virtual Machine instead of a proper install. It might be easier.