Windows Stopped Booting Through Grub

English Install/Boot/Login
1

Hello Everyone,

My Laptop Config is as follows.
Compaq Presario V3700
AMD Turion64
2GB Ram
Windows Partitions
/dev/sda1 == C: (WINDOWS)
/dev/sda2
/dev/sda5
/dev/sda6
Suse Partions
/dev/sda7 == /
/dev/sda8/ == /home
/dev/sda9/ == /swap

(command “uname -a” results :
Linux linux-y88e 2.6.31.12-0.2-desktop #1 SMP PREEMPT 2010-03-16 21:25:39 +0100 i686 athlon i386 GNU/Linux)

Initially i had Win Vista in my system, then installed openSuSE 11.2. Grub loader in use and KDE in use.

After installing Suse, with help from the forum i had configured Grub for Dual Boot and i was able to boot into both Vista & Suse smoothly.

My “/boot/grub/menu.lst” looks like this.

=================================================================

Modified by YaST2. Last modification on Fri Mar 26 23:33:15 IST 2010

THIS FILE WILL BE PARTIALLY OVERWRITTEN by perl-Bootloader

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

default 0
timeout 8
##YaST - generic_mbr
gfxmenu (hd0,6)/boot/message
##YaST - activate

###Don’t change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: linux###
title Desktop – openSUSE 11.2 - 2.6.31.12-0.2
root (hd0,6)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.31.12-0.2-desktop root=/dev/disk/by-id/ata-WDC_WD1600BEVS-60RST0_WD-WXE108N47319-part7 resume=/dev/disk/by-id/ata-WDC_WD1600BEVS-60RST0_WD-WXE108N47319-part9 splash=silent quiet showopts vga=0x318
initrd /boot/initrd-2.6.31.12-0.2-desktop

###Don’t change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: failsafe###
title Failsafe – openSUSE 11.2 - 2.6.31.12-0.2
root (hd0,6)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.31.12-0.2-desktop root=/dev/disk/by-id/ata-WDC_WD1600BEVS-60RST0_WD-WXE108N47319-part7 showopts apm=off noresume nosmp maxcpus=0 edd=off powersaved=off nohz=off highres=off processor.max_cstate=1 x11failsafe vga=0x317
initrd /boot/initrd-2.6.31.12-0.2-desktop

###Don’t change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: windows 1###
title Microsoft Windows Vista SP2
rootnoverify (hd0,0)
chainloader (hd0,0)+1

###Don’t change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: windows 2###
title Windows Recovery Mode
rootnoverify (hd0,1)
chainloader +1

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

=================================================================

I have been carrying out updates of both Vista & SuSE whenever i operate in them.

One (Not So) Fine Day, when i Choose from the Grub loader
“Microsoft Windows Vista SP2” option
it just din’t boot into Vista.
I have Tried many a time.

My First doubt was towards Vista only, so i choose the “Windows Recovery Mode” option from Grub.
It went into the Recovery mode. I ran Memory Tests on Windows Partition, took its own sweet time, whatever missing indexes and all it carried out and finally gave the Thumbs Up result.
After that, i carried out Startup Repairs, all came out well.
So, Yet again i restarted and tried to get in Vista. Nope, dint work.

It would be great if someone came out with a solution. It’s really painstaking to install Vista again and more Pain to install both SP’s and all Updates.
Moreover, i believe that, it is not the right solution to the problem.
If You need any more details, please let me know.

Thank You One & All.
Cheers!

2

I take it there are no error messages when trying to boot Vista? Did you try supergrubdisk?

Do you have a Vista DVD?
If not you can get a repair disc here
Windows Vista Recovery Disc Download — The NeoSmart Files

I suspect you may need to fix the bootsector code for windows

Guide on how here
Winhoes no longer likes to boot after fresh install - Page 4 - openSUSE Forums

then re-install grub
Re-Install Grub Quickly with Parted Magic - openSUSE Forums

3

Just a bit more background:

Windows recovery mode is a menu item that boots to the second partition on the drive. Windows vista is a link to boot the first partition.

When you boot to the second partition (windows recovery mode) what operating system boots up?
Previously, when you booted to the first partition (windows vista) what operating system used to boot up?
What do you say is in sda1, the first partition (presumably vista)?
What do you say is in sda2?

Can you please post here the response you get when you run this console command:

sudo /sbin/fdisk -l

Thanks

PS – just noticed caf4926 reply – go with that.

4

To Swerdna:

In my Laptop intially itself(in the box), there was an option to recover direct from the Harddrive instead of using a Recovery Disc, they had preloaded recovery files into a partion of the harddisk. I believe /dev/sda2 is that partion.
And yes, I have installed Windows Vista in /dev/sda1.

Here is the result you had asked for:

Disk /dev/sda: 160.0 GB, 160041885696 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 19457 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x0013264b

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 1 5223 41953716 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda2 5224 6509 10329795 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda3 * 6510 19457 104004810 f W95 Ext’d (LBA)
/dev/sda5 6510 11623 41078173+ 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda6 11624 14249 21087984 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda7 14250 16206 15719571 83 Linux
/dev/sda8 16207 18816 20964793+ 83 Linux
/dev/sda9 18817 19457 5148801 82 Linux swap / Solaris

Thank You for the Quick Response.

5

OK then, interesting that the recovery partition follows the winows artition.

From that info I advise: follow caf4926 & reinstall vista’s loader, then openSUSE’s

6

To caf4926:

I don’t have a Windows Vista DVD, they(Compaq) had asked to create Recovery DVD’s using Recovery Manager which i have got, or to use the Recover from Hard disk itself, which is the “Windows Recovery mode”, i told about.
Thank you for the input, i will go through the Guides.
Thanks Again for the Quick Response.

7

To Swerdna:

Ok then. Will do as guided. Will Get back to you after that.

Thank You.

8

@Kamesh_inin
@swerdna

I just see there are 2 boot flags in that fdisk.

John: Could this throw things out. Personally I’m not sure. I have never had this before.

It seems unlikely to be an issue, as grub is loading isn’t it

9

$ caf4926:

Sorry, i coudn’t understand anything from your last reply. Could you explain a bit more.

10

In your fdisk

/dev/sda1   *           1        5223    41953716    7  HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda2            5224        6509    10329795    7  HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda3   *        6510       19457   104004810    f  W95 Ext'd (LBA)
/dev/sda5            6510       11623    41078173+   7  HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda6           11624       14249    21087984    7  HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda7           14250       16206    15719571   83  Linux
/dev/sda8           16207       18816    20964793+  83  Linux
/dev/sda9           18817       19457     5148801   82  Linux swap /  Solaris

see the * = boot flag

Look at mine

/dev/sda1               1        9017    68163763+   7  HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda2   *        9017       20674    88124527    5  Extended
/dev/sda5            9017        9437     3172806   82  Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sda6            9437       12212    20980858+  83  Linux
/dev/sda7           12212       17065    36692428+  83  Linux
/dev/sda8           17065       20674    27278338+  83  Linux
11

Carl: the second one was put there when Kamesh_inin installed openSUSE. The installer shifted the flag from sda1 to sda3 (the extended partition). Then Kamesh_inin used the repair things in sda2 which would have popped a flag back on sda1, making two flags. Maybe that’s screwing with the boot mechanism, maybe not. The thing to do is:

  1. remove the flag on sda3 with cfdisk
  2. let Yast bootloader module “propose new config” but make sure it selects to put the loader in the MBR (not on the extended partition, see the appendix in my tutorial)
  3. see if windows sda1 boots then – if not, it’s time to go to the windows install DVD repair facility, get windows loader to work and redo the Yast thing following the route you suggested.