99 replies to this topic

[mandie]

did a search on all hard drive and it wasn't found....

[was_jaclaz]

still trying to search for the file but not finding it. i think it could have been mounted on a virtual drive.... should i try to do a system restore to an earlier point?

No, wait a bit for it (though as far as I know it won't have ANY effect on this problem).

If grldr is/was on a Virtual Drive of some kind, re-booting, or, better switching the PC off and then switch it on again, should get rid of it, and system should boot normally.

You may want to check the "Show System and Hidden files" on, (or whatever it is called on VISTA) in order to see grldr.

Or do it the "poor man's way", i.e. copy the menu.lst file to BOTH C:\ and D:\ root.

jaclaz

[mandie]

well i've done a system restore and....... it went through the grub stuff and loaded ok (thank goodness) so i presume everything is ok. Would really like to get rid of it altogether so if I can find a vista disk and i reinstall, should that get rid of the grub stuff? Again, thank you SO Much for your help and patience..... you are awesome. Hubby and I are going to Outback, you;re welcome to join us, we're in Florida

[was_jaclaz]

@mandie
Thank you very much for your kind invitation, but until someone makes available a Star-Trek transporter thingy I guess it would be rather inconvenient for me to call at you during the weekend from some 5,017 miles away.
http://www.convertun...rlando, Florida

However, only too happy to have helped solving the booting problem.

@ktp
You may note that the happy ending in this case is due to the concurrent presence of:
1) A (hopefully) knowledgeable grub4dos user (yours truly)
2) Some luck
3) An exceptionally "responsive" and "accurate" user at the other end. I suspect, without any offence to fellow male members , that mandie being a women helped, a man would have probably lost his patience and hammered the damn thingy into pieces long before post #21 .
Most probably without having actually read them, mandie complied thoroughfully to points f. of "Common Sense Advice":
http://www.boot-land...?act=boardrules

Now, back to topic, I guess that to make sure that mandie gets rid of the unneeded grub4dos setup, she needs to make sure:
1) that the MBR is the "standard" Vista one
2) that the bootsector on (hd0,1) partition is the "standard" Vista one
3) that the (hd0,1) partition is ACTIVE

What would be the easiest way to accomplish the above - for number 3) we can use the makeactive directive within grub4dos - if it was XP I would have suggested booting to Recovery Console and issue a fixmbr and a fixboot commands but with Vista?

Most probably using this WinRE thingy:
http://www.911cd.net...o...c=20993&hl=
http://neosmart.net/...-disc-download/
and bootrec
http://support.micro...kb/927392/en-us

Would be the best thing to do, but since mandie can boot in "full" Vista, aren't there any easier GUI methods/programs avoiding the rather large download and the burning of the CD?

jaclaz

[mandie]

Outback was awesome last night, sorry you couldn't make it. Actually once I was able to get back into Vista I did a reinstall back to factory settings. Granted I did not necessarily need to do this because it was booting back into vista, just didn't want any more problems. As most of my programs were installed on D, i didn't lose that much. Again, I want to thank you immensly for your help, and your patience, to help me out. Would you like a teenager for payment... I can put him on the next starship to you. Have a great day.

[was_jaclaz]

Would you like a teenager for payment... I can put him on the next starship to you.

LOL! Though I am sure that your son/daughter is/are wonderful, I have got enough cats typing on my keyboard:

and they actually appear to cause less damage....

Have a great day.

Will do, thanks.

jaclaz

[pings_nOOb]

alow...
i have da same problem with mandie but after followin da great instruction...i manage 2 boot into my windows vista but i cant make it 2 boot into windows on its on....
i have 2 type all da instruction over n over again...

i've try 2 find grldr in da drive C & D with search in hiddin files enabled but i stil cant find da file...
i tried 2 do da 'poor mans way' or somthin but then i realise....
whr do i find this root folder? should i panic rite now?

tx guys

[was_jaclaz]

Try searching for menu.lst.

Change the entries in it.

"root" is the first directory on a drive "tree", i.e. C:\ or D:\

grldr searches for menu.lst usually in:
"root"/menu.lst
"root"/grub/menu.lst
"root"/boot/grub/menu.lst

But what you should really do is to get rid of that WAREZ release, and re-install a properly licensed OS.

Beside the booting and Legal problems, GOD only knows what can be in that release, like virii, malware and whatnot.


jaclaz

[pings_nOOb]

hi jaclaz....
didnt xpect a 'very' fast reply from u...lol
so sorry 4 da late reply

i've tried searchin for menu.lst...cant find em
tried lookin for grub folder also cant find....
i also tried searchin for grldr but also cant find....

i tried to boot to my cd vista installer to use the repair function...but can't boot into cd....

i cant see problem regardin warez and license problem...cuz my vista was preinstalled with my acer 4520...(or is it)

i understand crystal clear ur instruction but my problem is i cant find the files needed
is it possible the files corrupted? or has been deleted?

im so dizzy with this bcoz im not use to this problem...
im sorry if i sound so dumb...

[was_jaclaz]

Point is that grub4dos does NOT come pre-installed on any laptop (or desktop for that matter), so the problem is probably derived by attempting to use a WAREZ release of Vista that comes with grub4dos and a poorly crafted setting:
http://www.boot-land...?showtopic=4615

However, somehow, somewhere, grldr and menu.lst have to be on your hard disk.

Try booting to grub4dos, press the "c" (command line) and type:

find (

and press the TAB key
grub4dos will return something like:

fd hd0 cd rd

now type

h

and press the TAB key
command will autocomplete to:

find (hd0,

type

0)/

and press the TAB key
grub4dos will list all files on first drive (hd0) first partition (hd0,0).

Repeat the above for other partitions (hd0,1), (hd0,2) etc.

They must be somewhere, maybe you cannot see them when booted into Vista because they are set as "hidden" or "system" or both, try changing the settings in Explorer to show all files, then change the attributes of those files.

It is unfortunately very difficult to help you in troubleshooting and fixing the problem, as said here:
http://www.boot-land...opic=3833&st=28

We need a "foolproof" (no offence intended ) way to restore a normal booting, and this procedure would be different according to how and where grub4dos is installed, without nore info it is possible that the "wrong" method will make your system unbootable.

Then there is another problem, why can't you boot from CD?

Does it never boot from CD/DVD (check BIOS options) or it is the CD/DVD media you have that is not working?

Can you not try using this:
http://www.boot-land...?showtopic=3806
or this, that should be even easier to create:
http://neosmart.net/...-disc-download/
http://www.911cd.net...showtopic=20993


jaclaz

[smane]

Hey

Jaclaz, thanks a lot for the help. I'm having a similar problem. I went home for a few days and got back today to find my computer isn't working. I am not much computer guru and have never heard of Grub4dos, but I keep getting the same error message as Mandie did. My house-mate says he only downloaded music (which I highly doubt) from the net using my computer, but from my experience music doesn't stop your operating system. The computer is running Vista. I've done you said in the first posts, but I ran into a problem here :

After typing in 'root (hd' and so on and so forth I typed in find / which bought me to this:

Possible files are: Document_and_Settings drivers grldr hiberfil.sys IO.SYS IPH.PH kav menu.lst MSDOS.SYS MSOCache MyWorks NTDETECT.COM ntldr NVIDIA pagefile.sys Program_Files Program_Data sqmdata00.sqm sqmdata01.sqm sqmdata02.sqm sqmdata03.sqm sqmdata04.sqm sqmnoopt00.sqm sqmnoopt01.sqm sqmnoopt02.sqm sqmnoopt03.sqm sqmnoopt04.sqm System_Volume_Information Tango temp Users Windows config.sys $drvmig$ $INPLACE.TR $Recycle.Bin

As a side note my NTFS is on (hd0,0). Hopefully someone can give me a hand. I have exams this week and need to use my PC.

Please Help

Cheers

[was_jaclaz]

Well, that should be easy.

Start the PC.

At the menu.lst display press "c" for command line.

Type:

find --set-root /ntldr

[ENTER]

Type:

chainloader /ntldr

[ENTER]

Type:

boot

[ENTER]

And your (XP?) system should boot as previously.

Once you have booted open with Notepad C:\menu.lst
and make sure that you have in it (or add to it) an entry like:

title Boot XP

find --set-root /ntldr 

chainloader /ntldr

OR:

title Boot XP

root (hd0,0)

chainloader /ntldr

You can delete other menu entries.

jaclaz

[smane]

Thanks jaclaz

I did as you said and after typing 'chainloader /ntldr' it brought up "Will boot NTLDR from drive =0x80, partition 0x0 (hidden sectors =0x3f) I typed in boot.

It then brought up "Invalid Boot.ini.file" Booting C:\windows and froze.

You wrote XP, but I have vista is there another code I should use instead.

Thanks again for the help.

[smane]

By the way on my menu.lst is says "vista." On the bottom it gave me two choices of either 'e' or 'c' when i type 'e' it takes me to another menu.lst which has chainloader /bootmgr. Not sure if this will help. This couldn't have happened at a worse time.

[was_jaclaz]

I thought you were double booting Xp and Vista, my bad.

But from what you posted I can see no bootmgr file on (hd0,0), nor the /boot directory.

So there are several possibilities:
1) whatever your friend downloaded also wiped out your install, at least partially
2) what you currently see as (hd0,0) WAS a hidden partition
3) you have more partitions on the drive
4) you have more than one drive and they have been switched

Try :

find --set-root /bootmgr

chainloader /bootmgr

boot

Repeat the

root (hd0,0)

find /

[TAB]

for other partitions and other drives:
(hd0,1) (hd0,2) (hd0,3) etc.
(hd1,0) (hd1,1) (hd1,2) etc.

and post results (if any)

jaclaz

P.S.:
Short explanation:
ntldr is the system file that together with NTDETECT.COM can start NT/2K/XP/2003
bootmgr is the system file that together with the \Boot\BCD or with file in \EFI\Microsoft\Boot\ can start Vista

[smane]

Okay I did as you said and this is what I got

root (hd0,
Possible partitions are:
Partition num 0, Filesystem type is ntfs, partition type 0x7
Partition num 2, Filesystem type is unknown, partition type 0x7

root (hd0,0)
Filesystem type is ntfs, partition type 0x7

find /
Possible files are: Document_and_Settings drivers grldr hiberfil.sys IO.SYS IPH.PH kav menu.lst MSDOS.SYS MSOCache MyWorks NTDETECT.COM ntldr NVIDIA pagefile.sys Program_Files Program_Data sqmdata00.sqm sqmdata01.sqm sqmdata02.sqm sqmdata03.sqm sqmdata04.sqm sqmnoopt00.sqm sqmnoopt01.sqm sqmnoopt02.sqm sqmnoopt03.sqm sqmnoopt04.sqm System_Volume_Information Tango temp Users vstaldr vstaldr.img Windows config.sys $drvmig$ $INPLACE.TR $Recycle.Bin

find --set-root /bootmgr
Error 17: File not found



Earlier today I was searching through google and came upon this site http://www.gnu.org/s...DOS_002fWindows. Seems like interesting stuff, I think I've more about Grub4dos today than I have for my exams. I know computers are funny and hide stuff so I tried this out.

grub> unhide (hd0,0)
grub> hide (hd0,1)* I didn't do this part since I don't want to hide anything
grub> rootnoverify (hd0,0)
grub> chainloader +1
grub> makeactive
grub> boot

My hopes went up, but were quickly shattered after seeing this.


Boot 'Vista Loader'

map --mem (hd0,0)/vstaldr.img (fd0)
Fat12 BPB found with 0xEB (jmp) leading the boot sector.

probed C/H/S = 80/2/18, probed total sectors =2880

=floppies_orig=0, harddrives_orig=1, floppies_curr=1, harddrives_curr=3
map --hook

Error 41: The int13 handler already on hook

Booting 'Windows Vista'
find --set-root /bootmgr

Error 17: File not found

Press any key to continue...

*Once I press any key it takes me to menu.lst which now has two choices of Vista Loader and Windows Vista

**I figure you'll need to know some info on the PC. The PC has 250Gbs it's not partitioned, because I remember seeing the entire 250 Gbs on the C drive. It's about a year old, bought it from another student who was leaving the country, he told me he had re-formatted the computer. Since I've had I've only purchased 1gb of RAM for the PC. I've never had a single problem with it till now.

Since it had NTDETECT.COM and ntdlr do you reckon it previously had XP on the PC?

P.S. I've taken my housemates laptop in the mean time. I'm also willing to auction him off to the highest bidder, he doesn't do much around the house, but he's an okay cook.

Thanks for the help again, really apperciate it.

[was_jaclaz]

Hmmm, you are running then a "cracked" version of Windows Vista.

This is VERY deprecated, besides being illegal.

One of the "effects" of the crack is that it uses a version of grub4dos renamed "vstaldr", but this nonetheless, chainloads /bootmgr.

You need to repair the install, and to do this you need an original Vista DVD.

By the way, and just for the record, issuing semi-random commands in grub4dos (taken from a GRUB, NOT grub4dos, related page) is one way to possibly complicate the matter , for the record, since your (hd0,0) was already detected as 07, it was NOT hidden, as if it were it would have been detected as 17, and most probably it was ALREADY active, so in this specific case NO harm were done.

I guess you could find more appropriate help in a dedicated Vista forum, the problem you are experiencing is not a grub4dos problem, but rather it is that you are actually missing some needed bootfiles, i.e. bootmgr and the /boot/BCD.

jaclaz

[smane]

Thanks for the help.

Sorry I didn't know it was an illegal copy of vista, I assumed since its a Dell its a legit version because it already comes pre-installed. Since grub4dos isn't my problem can you please recomment me a good vista forum? Also how do I stop grub4dos from booting?

Thanks again for all the help and sorry for the confusion

[was_jaclaz]

Most "respectable" (that often are the same as "reliable") forums won't help you as soon as it is clear that you have not a proper license and original media....

This should be the procedure:
http://www.mydigital...sta-boot-error/

but you need an original Vista DVD in order to repair and try to copy to your system the missing files.

Maybe Dell support can send you one with the Dell part (or service) number that should be somewhere on a tag on your PC.



jaclaz

[ilko]

If you don't get Vista DVD you may use this, 120MB ISO with Vista recovery only:
http://www.pcworld.c...escription.html
http://neosmart.net/...-disc-download/

There was a direct link on Neosmart's site, not via torrent, but cannot find it now. If you Google for 'vista recovery cd' you should find it.

Since it's posted on pcworld.com too I believe there shouldn't be a problem with the forum or MS rules.

edit: here it is:
http://coblitz.codee...ry_Disc_x86.iso

[was_jaclaz]

Since it's posted on pcworld.com too I believe there shouldn't be a problem with the forum or MS rules.

No, no problem as I see it.
http://www.911cd.net...o...=20993&st=5

Didn't know it could be "enough" to fix the problem by smane.

Besides copying bootmgr to the hard drive root, what would be the procedure to repair (actually re-create) a BCD?

jaclaz

[ilko]

...Besides copying bootmgr to the hard drive root, what would be the procedure to repair (actually re-create) a BCD?...

If Rapair->Startup Repair is used I think there is no need to copy bootmgr, it should copy it if missing.
However, there were reports, where the automatic repair doesn't work properly, in particular fixing bootsector to invoking bootmgr one. In this case there are the manual ways as described in these Microsoft articles :

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/927392
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/927391

For rebuilding BCD store only, "bootrec /RebuildBcd" should do it.

For all the above actions Vista Recovery Cd is sufficient, there is x64 version available too, thanks to whoever made it publicly available.

[was_jaclaz]

However, there were reports, where the automatic repair doesn't work properly, in particular fixing bootsector to invoking bootmgr one. In this case there are the manual ways as described in these Microsoft articles :

Just for the record, newish release of MBRFIX:
http://www.sysint.no...ting/mbrfix.htm

should be able to fix bootsectors too.

And JonF was so kind as to update the pseudo-GUI for it:
http://www.winbuilder.net/download.php
http://www.boot-land...?showtopic=4892
(though this particular feature has not yet been included)


jaclaz

[Saquar]

Hi, I'm having similar problems with a work computer(desktop) after my brother installed grub4dos on it, my OS is Vista as well. I got the same error 17 as the first guy, but here's what it says about my HD:

geometry (hd0,0)
drive 0x80(LBA): C/H/S=43777/255/63, Sector Count/Size=703282608/512
Partition num: 0, Filesystem type unknown, partition type 0x2a *was originally 0x42
Partition num: 1, Filesystem type unknown, partition type 0x42

geometry (hd0,1)
Same as above

only 2 partitions. and neither are mountable

* I was following this guide earlier and tried to make it work and typed:
parttype (hd0,0) 42
and that's how I got 0x2a

This is a work computer, and the only one authorized to run specialized software that connects to some pretty sensitive equipment, any help would be appreciated

[Wonko the Sane]

This is a work computer, and the only one authorized to run specialized software that connects to some pretty sensitive equipment, any help would be appreciated

And you let it at the mercy of your (little?) brother?

42 is (besides THE answer to the ultimate question about life, the universe and everything ) the ID for "Dynamic Disks".

grub4dos won't create these "special" kind of partition out of nowhere, there must have been previously created.

It's - to say the least - peculiar that a system has been installed on a "dynamic disk" only.

I need more details in order to be able to suggest you a course of action:
http://www.petri.co....p_2000_2003.htm

If the dynamic disk is NOT a spanned, striped, mirrored or part of a RAID set, it can be "recovered" relatively easily.

In any case you need an alternative way of booting, like a bootCD of some kind or a floppy disk.

The "normal" procedure, again for a "normal" volume, NOT spanned, striped, mirrored or part of a RAID set, is to simply change the partition type to 07.

Be aware that IF the volume is booted as 07 AND it is any of spanned, striped, mirrored or part of a RAID set, corruption may occur.


Wonko