Help in switching Win's boot loader with Linux's

MasterGod · Post by **MasterGod** » Fri Mar 28, 2008 12:02 am

I had Windows XP installed.
Then Linux.
This made linux's boot loader the active one.
I was like this for a month or two.
Then today I entered XP's install, didn't actually installed it, just got to the part where I choose the partition I want to install XP on.
I did it to see how XP recognize Linux's partitions, just from curiosity and then I found out that it installed the Xp's boot loader or made it active (if it can't be installed over, I don't know how those things goes) and so I can't log into my Linux OS.
I've tried using the Live CD to see if all my files are there and they are, nothing is gone.
So how can I switch back to Linux's boot loader without reinstalling Linux?

Thanks.

Oh and it's Linux Mint which is based on Ubuntu 7.10.

FuzzYspo0N · Post by **FuzzYspo0N** » Fri Mar 28, 2008 6:34 am

Hey mastergod.

I think its just a matter of getting to a linux console from the boot disk. when it boots to the screen that says "hit enter" or type commands, press f1 or f5, this gives you all the options. it has all the repair stuff there, and not to sound cliche, but google is your friend.

http://www.google.co.za/search?hl=en&q= ... arch&meta=

got me quite a few answers without even reading

hessiess · Post by **hessiess** » Fri Mar 28, 2008 7:48 am

supagrubdisk is verry usfaal in these situations

night_hawk · Post by **night_hawk** » Fri Mar 28, 2008 9:10 am

I have a bit weirder fix to this

http://wiki.freespire.org/index.php/Usi ... _Freespire
That link is for Freespire (still Ubuntu-based though) and should work with most linux distros.

MasterGod · Post by **MasterGod** » Fri Mar 28, 2008 12:58 pm

FuzzYspo0N wrote:Hey mastergod.

I think its just a matter of getting to a linux console from the boot disk. when it boots to the screen that says "hit enter" or type commands, press f1 or f5, this gives you all the options.

That's the problem, I don't even get there.
When I start my computer all I see is Intel's logo and then the Windows loading screen with the little loading bar with the blue thing

The only way to get to a terminal is using the Live CD but then what to do?

@night_hawk: I like the Linux loader (I think it's called Grub) more

Edit:
@FuzzYspo0n: lol that's just what happened:

* Grub, by default, resides in the Master Boot Record(MBR). When you try to install some other boot loader or try to install/reinstall Windows, the grub information in the MBR will be overwritten. So, Grub might have to be reinstalled.

* When some/any part of partition information is changed, the grub configuration won’t be automatically notified of it and so, the grub configuration will remain as it is. There maybe many cases in which the partition information maybe changed like when you create an extra partition, which is something trivial and may or may not affect the grub boot loader. However, most of the times, changes in the partition information will result in errors when the grub boot loader is loaded. So, the grub configuration has to be updated and the easiest way is to reinstall Grub.

So thanks for asking google for me

P.S
Solution: http://roshan18.wordpress.com/2008/02/0 ... ot-loader/

MasterGod · Post by **MasterGod** » Fri Mar 28, 2008 1:54 pm

Great,

, now Grub loads but when I choose Linux / Linux recovery mode it doesn't get into the nice log-on screen but into a black terminal (dos-like)...

FuzzYspo0N · Post by **FuzzYspo0N** » Fri Mar 28, 2008 9:57 pm

try typing

Code: Select all

init 5

into the console? i dunno, its hard to guess

rooly · Post by **rooly** » Tue Apr 15, 2008 4:42 am

well, the simplest way is this:

slap in a live cd of any distro that has grub. when you get a chance, start a terminal and type (use sudo if necessary)

Code: Select all

 grub-install hd0

that should say a few things, the main one being "no errors detected"
next you need to type in (again with the sudo)

Code: Select all

update-grub

this will also say a few things, but just make sure nothing went wrong

you can now boot into your system.

if all went well you should get the nice pretty login window.

if it didn't, you can launch it from the terminal via (sudo again) "gdm". if you don't launch it with admin privlages, you won't have power control like shutdown or reboot, only switch user, lock screen, and logout. (maybe suspend, i don't remember)

btw, mint, last i heard, was based on ubu6.04.

MasterGod · Post by **MasterGod** » Tue Apr 15, 2008 11:27 am

Thanks but I already found a way to edit the boot configuration file so I changed the parameters I needed and it worked just fine

.

twilight17 · Post by **twilight17** » Tue Apr 15, 2008 2:34 pm

I'm gonna wipe my ubuntu install clean in about 9 days... (8.04 is coming out, and the last time I did an upgrade install it broke!)