Linux Format forums

rallen32 · Joined: Mon Jul 30, 2012 11:21 am Posts: 6

hi I am new...and old...old as in age new as in gnulinux. i have dual boot mint and windows7. rarely use windows but have been playing with comand line trying to compile dccnightmare without much luck but now i cannot boot into windows. it just says it isnt there. I can see it from mint and move around there but not boot into it. any help/ideas? dccnightmare questions too but dual boot for now...

oh and keep it simple please like me
here is fdisk ls

bob@bob-PORTEGE-R700 ~ $ sudo fdisk -l
[sudo] password for bob:

Disk /dev/sda: 500.1 GB, 500107862016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 60801 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x7ed84752

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 1 52 409600 7 HPFS/NTFS
Partition 1 does not end on cylinder boundary.
/dev/sda2 52 35305 283173886+ 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda3 35305 60802 204801025 5 Extended
/dev/sda5 35305 59792 196690944 83 Linux
/dev/sda6 59792 60802 8109056 82 Linux swap / Solaris
bob@bob-PORTEGE-R700 ~ $
thanks
bob

Dutch_Master · LXF regular Joined: Tue Mar 27, 2007 2:49 am Posts: 2354

As long as it's there, you can recover it by re-installing Grub (the bootloader)

rallen32 · Joined: Mon Jul 30, 2012 11:21 am Posts: 6

thanks. i tried it and got warnings only ...

bob@bob-PORTEGE-R700 ~ $ su
Password:
bob-PORTEGE-R700 bob # grub-install /dev/sda5
/usr/sbin/grub-setup: warn: Attempting to install GRUB to a partition-less disk or to a partition. This is a BAD idea..
/usr/sbin/grub-setup: warn: Embedding is not possible. GRUB can only be installed in this setup by using blocklists. However, blocklists are UNRELIABLE and their use is discouraged..
/usr/sbin/grub-setup: error: will not proceed with blocklists.

MartyBartfast · Posted: Mon Jul 30, 2012 6:02 pm Post subject:

I think you need

rallen32 · Joined: Mon Jul 30, 2012 11:21 am Posts: 6

Hi there, thanks for your efforts but this does not work either. The command ran successfully saying 'installation finished. no error reported' but had no effect. I get the boot screen options and when i choose windows it says

error: no such device E2869C4E869C2557
error: no such disk

towy71 · Posted: Mon Jul 30, 2012 9:29 pm Post subject:

You might find that /dev/sda1 is a rescue partition and the bootable partition is /dev/sda2 but my poor old brain can't remember what way to fix that in these new-fangled grub2 thingies Wink

_________________
still looking for that door into summer

nelz · Posted: Mon Jul 30, 2012 9:40 pm Post subject:

rallen32 · Joined: Mon Jul 30, 2012 11:21 am Posts: 6

sudo update-grub removed the Windows7 boot option from the list

nelz · Posted: Tue Jul 31, 2012 12:20 am Post subject:

Does

rallen32 · Joined: Mon Jul 30, 2012 11:21 am Posts: 6

nothing....

bob-PORTEGE-R700 bob # sudo os-prober
bob-PORTEGE-R700 bob #

nelz · Posted: Tue Jul 31, 2012 9:55 am Post subject:

os-prober is called by grub-mkconfig to find non-Linux installations. It is failing to find your Windows system, which is why it is not included in the GRUB menu.

It appears that your Windows setup has been damaged, this may be as simple as the boot flag not being set on its partiton. You may need to boot your Windows rescue disc/partition and run fixmbr - or whatever it's called for your Windows version - before booting a live CD and reinstalling GRUB.
_________________
Unix is user-friendly. It's just very selective about who it's friends are.

rallen32 · Joined: Mon Jul 30, 2012 11:21 am Posts: 6

thank you... i was beginning to think (very vaguely) along those lines at least that i'd have to do something with Windows first and i know from the past it mucks up my Linux side. Will have a try and post back if i still have an OS to do it. ha ha! thanks for all the advice its always good to speak to Linux folk.
bob