50 replies to this topic

[Pikachu]

Hi everyone,I have a problem booting my Windows Vista partition,I am using a laptop and I dual boot between Windows Vista and Linux Sabayon Distro.

Now,I can boot successfully into my Linux partition but I can't do the same with my Windows OS,I get an error message like the following:

Booting 'WIndows Vista'



acpi

Vista Loader 2.1.2



Done!

fallback 1

find --set-root /bootmgr



Error 17: file not found



Booting 'Windows NT/2000/XP'



fallback 2

find --set-root /ntldr



Error 17: file not found 



Booting 'enter command line'



Boot failed! Press any key to enter command line

Before that error,the screen flashes trying to boot but this error prevents it to.

Any solutions guys? I would appreciate it a lot because I have a school project pending.

Use any computer terms you can,I understand them.

Thanks for your time,Mario.

[Pikachu]

Any help?

[was_jaclaz]

Any help?

Post the contents of your menu.lst file.
In which order did you install the two OS?
Are you sure you are using grub4dos and not "legacy GRUB"?
How is the disk partitioned/formatted? (I mean which filesystems are used, what is your primary bootloader, etc.)


Read this also:
http://www.boot-land...?act=boardrules
expecially point b. of "common sense advice"



jaclaz

[Pikachu]

Post the contents of your menu.lst file.
In which order did you install the two OS?
Are you sure you are using grub4dos and not "legacy GRUB"?
How is the disk partitioned/formatted? (I mean which filesystems are used, what is your primary bootloader, etc.)


Read this also:
http://www.boot-land...?act=boardrules
expecially point b. of "common sense advice"



jaclaz

1)Where can I find this file?

2)I have Windows Vista Home Premium pre-installed with my laptop and then I installed Linux Sabayon Distro

3)It is Grub4dos I believe.

4)My windows partition is NTFS and my primary boot loader is GRUB

Sorry for the trouble and the double post,I am just too worried.

[was_jaclaz]

Hmmm.

I am not at all familiar with the Sabayon distro, but I doubt it uses grub4dos, for what I can see it uses the anaconda setup/install, which AFAIK uses GRUB.

Is your primary bootloader GRUB or grub4dos?

If it is grub4dos you should have in the root of your primary active partition a file "grldr" and a file "menu.lst".
If it is GRUB you may find only a file "menu.lst" in one of:
root
\boot\
\boot\grub
or a similar path.

This does not help me much:

4)My windows partition is NTFS and my primary boot loader is GRUB

My question was different:

How is the disk partitioned/formatted? (I mean which filesystems are used, what is your primary bootloader, etc.)

(I need to try understanding how your WHOLE disk is set, I need details on ALL partitions on it, need to know WHICH one is your Primary Active partition, etc.)


Does your machine have a floppy drive?

Or can you burn if needed a bootCD?



jaclaz

[Pikachu]

Hmmm.

I am not at all familiar with the Sabayon distro, but I doubt it uses grub4dos, for what I can see it uses the anaconda setup/install, which AFAIK uses GRUB.

Is your primary bootloader GRUB or grub4dos?

If it is grub4dos you should have in the root of your primary active partition a file "grldr" and a file "menu.lst".
If it is GRUB you may find only a file "menu.lst" in one of:
root
\boot\
\boot\grub
or a similar path.

This does not help me much:


My question was different:

(I need to try understanding how your WHOLE disk is set, I need details on ALL partitions on it, need to know WHICH one is your Primary Active partition, etc.)


Does your machine have a floppy drive?

Or can you burn if needed a bootCD?



jaclaz

I'll check out what kind of bootloader I have when I come back to school today.

I'm not sure about my whole disc,how do you find that out? My primary active is my Windows partition.

Nope no floppy drive.

Yeah I can burn a bootCD and boot it with my computer's BIOS.

EDIT: My bootloader is GNU GRUB and when I fail booting windows vista,I get GRUB4dos command line.

[Pikachu]

Does anyone know where I can find an ISO image of a bootCD (legal please) that fixes my problem?

[was_jaclaz]

Does anyone know where I can find an ISO image of a bootCD (legal please) that fixes my problem?

Yes, but the point is that "ISO images" of bootCD (legal or illegal) are generally not "magic items" that by themselves take control of your PC, find what the problem is and fix it.

The order in which one NEEDS to proceed is:
1) find what the problem is
2) find the cause of that problem
3) find a remedy to the cause of that problem
4) use a bootcd or whatever to apply the remedy

Having 4) above does not help much until you also have 1) to 3).

Particularly, it does not exist a "non-linux" "legal" "ISO image" of a bootCD capable of solving the problem, WHATEVER it might be, and since you are saying that you already can boot to Linux, I don't see the point of creating a bootCD to boot something that is the same (or very similar to) what you ALREADY can boot, without even troubling yourself with burning a bootCD.

I was thinking about making you create a grub4dos boot floppy or burn a grub4dos bootCD, but I would like to know how the heck is your drive partitioned and what the heck you have in your menu.lst.

If you are sure that you are into grub4dos when you fail booting, you do not need even a grub4dos floppy/bootCD.

Please, do confirm that you can access a grub4dos command line, then read this thread:
http://www.boot-land...?showtopic=3833
you should be able to get the hang of it.

Then report the output of the geometry command.

DO NOT, and I mean DO NOT, meaning DO NOT issue any other command, and DEFINITELY NOT the parttype one until you get some instructions from me or some other member, this is tricky business, and doing the wrong thing may worsen the situation.

jaclaz

[Pikachu]

Yes, but the point is that "ISO images" of bootCD (legal or illegal) are generally not "magic items" that by themselves take control of your PC, find what the problem is and fix it.

The order in which one NEEDS to proceed is:
1) find what the problem is
2) find the cause of that problem
3) find a remedy to the cause of that problem
4) use a bootcd or whatever to apply the remedy

Having 4) above does not help much until you also have 1) to 3).

Particularly, it does not exist a "non-linux" "legal" "ISO image" of a bootCD capable of solving the problem, WHATEVER it might be, and since you are saying that you already can boot to Linux, I don't see the point of creating a bootCD to boot something that is the same (or very similar to) what you ALREADY can boot, without even troubling yourself with burning a bootCD.

I was thinking about making you create a grub4dos boot floppy or burn a grub4dos bootCD, but I would like to know how the heck is your drive partitioned and what the heck you have in your menu.lst.

If you are sure that you are into grub4dos when you fail booting, you do not need even a grub4dos floppy/bootCD.

Please, do confirm that you can access a grub4dos command line, then read this thread:
http://www.boot-land...?showtopic=3833
you should be able to get the hang of it.

Then report the output of the geometry command.

DO NOT, and I mean DO NOT, meaning DO NOT issue any other command, and DEFINITELY NOT the parttype one until you get some instructions from me or some other member, this is tricky business, and doing the wrong thing may worsen the situation.

jaclaz

Nice! helps me a lot! it has the same problem as I do,my windows partition seems to be (hd0,2) because it's a notebook I confirmed it because it said that the partition is NTFS.

Now I'll follow those instructions in the other thread to see if I successfully boot.

Thanks a lot Jaclaz you are a GENIUS!

(I haven't resolved my problem but I know I will with your amazing advice!)

Here's the result of the geometry command (they were all the same (hd0,0+1+2)

Drive 0x80 (LBA):C/H/S=16383/255/63 Sector Count/size/=312581808/512



Partition num:0, Filesystem type unknown,Partition type 0x27

Partition num:1, Filesystem type unknown,Partition type 0xe

Partition num:2, Filesystem type unknown,Partition type 0x7

Partition num:4, Filesystem type NTFS,Partition type 0x83

Partition num:5, Filesystem type ext2fs,Partition type 0x8e



[This applies to (hd0,0),(hd0,1),(hd0,2)]

[Pikachu]

I have the Windows Vista "recovery disc" (not installation) and I am wondering if I can use the "bootrec" command.

Will that relieve the problem?

[was_jaclaz]

I have the Windows Vista "recovery disc" (not installation) and I am wondering if I can use the "bootrec" command.

Will that relieve the problem?

I won't even reply to that.

Here's the result of the geometry command (they were all the same (hd0,0+1+2)

Drive 0x80 (LBA):C/H/S=16383/255/63 Sector Count/size/=312581808/512



Partition num:0, Filesystem type unknown,Partition type 0x27

Partition num:1, Filesystem type unknown,Partition type 0xe

Partition num:2, Filesystem type unknown,Partition type 0x7

Partition num:4, Filesystem type NTFS,Partition type 0x83

Partition num:5, Filesystem type ext2fs,Partition type 0x8e



[This applies to (hd0,0),(hd0,1),(hd0,2)]

Hmmm,
what you posted does NOT make any sense, it seems like partition types were "shifted" are you SURE that what you posted is accurate?

Please, just in case, do review and double check the posted info.

However, let's see:

Partition num:0, Filesystem type unknown,Partition type 0x27

OK, it's a laptop, this is the hidden recovery partition.

Partition num:1, Filesystem type unknown,Partition type 0xe

This is a partition that has a different filesystem from what is "declared", 0E which is a FAT16 LBA mapped

Partition num:2, Filesystem type unknown,Partition type 0x7

This is a partition that has a different filesystem from what is "declared", which is 07 NTFS

Partition num:4, Filesystem type NTFS,Partition type 0x83

This is a partition recognized as NTFS but declared as 83 LINUX native (Ext2/Ext3)

Partition num:5, Filesystem type ext2fs,Partition type 0x8e

This is a partition recognized as LINUX native (Ext2/Ext3) but declared as 8E Linux Logical Volume Manager partition

Now, HOW was the drive partitioned before you started fiddling with Linux, or whatever partition resizer you used?

The first partition is normally hidden, so you would not have "seen" it normally.

Did you have just one drive letter (C:\) on hard disk or did you have two?

If there were two partitions/drive letters, were them both NTFS or one NTFS and one FAT16?

jaclaz

[Pikachu]

I won't even reply to that.

I'm sorry,please excuse my stupidity.

Hmmm,
what you posted does NOT make any sense, it seems like partition types were "shifted" are you SURE that what you posted is accurate?

Please, just in case, do review and double check the posted info.

Gah!!

I made a mistake,here's the actual results

Drive 0x80 (LBA):C/H/S=16383/255/63 Sector Count/size/=312581808/512



Partition num:0, Filesystem type unknown,Partition type 0x27

Partition num:1, Filesystem type unknown,Partition type 0xe

Partition num:2, Filesystem type NTFS,Partition type 0x7

Partition num:4, Filesystem type ext2fs,Partition type 0x83

Partition num:5, Filesystem type unknown,Partition type 0x8e

Human error xD

My laptop came with a "C:\" partition (Windows Vista) and an empty "D:\" (I have some temp files there)

[was_jaclaz]

I'm sorry,please excuse my stupidity.

Gah!!

I made a mistake,here's the actual results

No prob, I suspected as much .

Drive 0x80 (LBA):C/H/S=16383/255/63 Sector Count/size/=312581808/512



Partition num:0, Filesystem type unknown,Partition type 0x27

Partition num:1, Filesystem type unknown,Partition type 0xe

Partition num:2, Filesystem type NTFS,Partition type 0x7

Partition num:4, Filesystem type ext2fs,Partition type 0x83

Partition num:5, Filesystem type unknown,Partition type 0x8e

Human error xD

My laptop came with a "C:\" partition (Windows Vista) and an empty "D:\" (I have some temp files there)

Now this make much more sense.

Partition num:0 is OK, the hidden recovery one.
Partitions num:4 and 5 are OK, they are the new Linux ones.
Partition num:2 is most probably the second, empty or semi-empty one.

To make sure, when in grub4dos command line type:

find (hd0,2)/

and press [TAB]
you should be able to see listed the "some temp files there".

If the above is correct, there is a good probability that your partition num:1 is OK, but that a wrong partition ID has been written to the MBR.

Time to cross your fingers , then from grub4dos command line:

parttype (hd0,1) 07

[ENTER]

then:

geometry (hd0,1)

[ENTER]
if it worked, you should be able to see:

Drive 0x80 (LBA):C/H/S=16383/255/63 Sector Count/size/=312581808/512

Partition num:0, Filesystem type unknown,Partition type 0x27
Partition num:1, Filesystem type NTFS,Partition type 0x7
Partition num:2, Filesystem type NTFS,Partition type 0x7
Partition num:4, Filesystem type ext2fs,Partition type 0x83
Partition num:5, Filesystem type unknown,Partition type 0x8e

If this happens, go on with:

root (hd0,1)

[ENTER]

chainloader /bootmgr

[ENTER]

boot

[ENTER]

if there are no damages to the NTFS partition, you should be able to boot Vista.

jaclaz

[Pikachu]

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!

I DON'T KNOW HOW TO THANK YOU!!!

I can't send you any money because I am only 16,I could only give you my gratitude!

I don't know how to repay you!!!!

You are one of the smartest people I know I respect you.

Thanks for everything =)

[was_jaclaz]

Happy it worked.

You owe me a "virtual" beer, I guess that the distance and the need to wait a couple of years before you will be able to buy me one makes the idea of a "real" one a bit improbable.

Now, you should check your menu.lst file and see if the entry for Vista works or, if needed, change it....



jaclaz

[Pikachu]

Happy it worked.

You owe me a "virtual" beer, I guess that the distance and the need to wait a couple of years before you will be able to buy me one makes the idea of a "real" one a bit improbable.

Now, you should check your menu.lst file and see if the entry for Vista works or, if needed, change it....



jaclaz

No problem.

I'll be sure to check back in a couple of years ^^

I'll check it out thanks mate

[MyV]

Hi, the problem I have is with Windows XP professional but I thought it better to ask for help here rather than starting a new post since the symptoms are very similar to what Pikachu described before. I have also read this closed post http://www.boot-land...?...=3833&st=40. I seem to be getting the idea of what is going on but since jaclaz has suggested not to rush into using the 'parttype' command I rather wait to read any suggestions from the experts. Here is a summary of the problem and some information I have collected (Thanks in advance for any help provided):


1. When I start my PC, it goes to GNU Grub version 0.95 where I can choose between starting Linux or Windows XP Pro. I only have one physical drive partitioned for Linux and Windows.


2. I can boot Linux but when trying to boot Windows I get the typical black & white screen with the following message:

"We apologize for the inconvenience, but Windows did not start successfully. A recent hardware or software change might have caused this.

If your computer stopped responding, restarted unexpectedly, or was automatically shut down to protect your files and folders, choose Last Known Good Configuration to revert to the most recent settings that worked.

If a previous startup attempt was interrupted due to a power failure or because the Power or Reset button was pressed, or if you aren't sure what caused the problem, choose Start Windows
Normally.

Safe Mode
Safe Mode with Networking
Safe Mode with Command Prompt

Last Known Good Configuration (your most recent settings that worked)
Start Windows Normally"


3. Choosing any one of the five options given in the black & white screen won't boot windows and will show for a fraction of a second another screen with:

"Booting 'Microsoft Windows XP Professional'
root (hd0,0)
filesystem type unknown, partition type 0x7
savedefault
makeactive
chainloader +1"

after which it takes me to a blue screen with:

"A problem has been detected and windows has been shut down to prevent damage to your computer. If this is the first time you've seen this stop error screen, restart your computer. If this screen appears again, follow these steps. Check for viruses on your computer. Remove any newly installed hard drives or hard drive controllers. Check you hard drive to make sure it is properly configured and terminated. Run CHKDSK /F to check for hard drive corruption and then restart your computer.
Technical information:xxx STOP: 0X0000007B (0XF7C84640,0XC0000034,0X00000000,0X00000000)"

Restarting the computer and trying to boot windows only takes me back to the blue screen over and over.


4. Back to the GNU grub menu, I pressed 'c' to see the selected command in the boot sequence, which is:

"root (hd0,0)
savedefault
makeactive
chainloader +1"


5. Also in Grub, I have typed the 'root', 'geometry' and 'find' commands with these results:

root (hd0,0)

Filesystem type unknown, partition type 0x7

root (hd0,1)

Filesystem type ext2fs, partition type 0x83

root (hd0,2)

Filesystem type unknown, partition type 0x5

root (hd0,3)

Error 22: no such partition

root (hd0,4)

Filesystem type unknown, partition type 0x82

root (hd0,5)

Error 22: no such partition

geometry (hd0,0)

drive 0X80:C/H/S=833/240/63, the number of sectors=12594960, LBA
partition number: 0, Filesystem type unknown, partition type 0x7
partition number: 1, Filesystem type ext2fs, partition type 0x83
partition number: 4, Filesystem type unknown, partition type 0x82

Same results are shown with geometry (hd0,1), geometry (hd0,2) and geometry (hd0,4). Surprisingly, no information for partition 2 appears.

For partition (hd0,1) I typed

find /

Possible files are: lost+found etc media cdrom,
etc.

find --set-root /ntldr

Error 15: File not found

For all other partitions I get

find /

Error 17: cannot mount selected partition

[Mark D Calma]

Please help me please some grub keeps coming up on start up

Drive 0x80(LBA): C/H/S=1023/225/63, Sector Count/Size=16434495/512
Partition num: 0, active, Filesystem type is ntfs, partition type 0x07
Partition num: 1, Filesystem type is ntfs, partition type 0x07

****

Options if your HDD is larger than 1TB:
* Move your boot files to a smaller partition at the start of the HDD.
* Format the HDD and allow Windows 7 to create a 100MB boot partition.
* Shrink and move your partitions with GParted.

Options if you have an OEM/Recovery partiion"
* Format the whole HDD with Active@ Kill desk.
* if possible use EasyBCD to relocate the boot files.

Tools to use:
* EasyBCD to move your boot files.
* Active@ kill Disk (ISO) to format.
* GParted to resize, move & create partitions.

How to boot back into Windows :
* Boot from your Windows DVD and select "Repair your computer"
* Select Command Prompt
* Enter "bootsect /nt60 SYS / force" or "bootsect /nt60 All /Force"
* Reboot

This is my Sony Vaio Problem need HELP please!!!

[Wonko the Sane]

It would be easier if you could describe HOW/WHEN this started happening and WHAT OS was on that PC before.

 

I have NO idea what the things you posted in the second part come from, do you see them when booting?

 

However, you are seemingly booting to a form of grub4dos.

Press "c" and you should get to the grub> command prompt.

At it type:

geometry (hd0)

[ENTER]

You should get back this:

 

Drive 0x80(LBA): C/H/S=1023/225/63, Sector Count/Size=16434495/512
Partition num: 0, active, Filesystem type is ntfs, partition type 0x07
Partition num: 1, Filesystem type is ntfs, partition type 0x07

 

Now type:

find --set root /bootmgr

[ENTER]

(if your OS was Vista or later) 

OR:

find --set root /ntldr

(if your OS was XP or earlier).

 

If you don' see errors try (deepnding on the OS you had)

chainloader /bootmgr

[ENTER]

OR

chainloader /ntldr

If you see no errors, type:

boot

[ENTER]

 

Post what grub4dos provides as feedback (if the above sequence of commands does not work).

 

Wonko

[Hesam]

Hello.
I had the same problem for 1 hour ago. But i think i did something real STUPID. when i came to grub > i wrote this command. 1) rootnoverify (hd0,2 2) chainloader +1 3) makeactive 4) boot
After that my pc restarted an now i am in a black and white page and this is what it say. Error: Bootmgr is missing Press Ctrl+Alt+Del to restart

I have no fully understanding of computer but i know i have changed some places with eachother. I do not have any recovery cd or anythinf. I tried everything that comes upp when i push at ESC but no luck. Please hell me i have not any pc now for 2 days. And i am here with my iphone.
Thanks alot

[Wonko the Sane]

Restart the computer.

 

TWO possibilities:

1. you get to a grub> prompt
2. you don't

If 1, we can talk about attempting to make your computer boot again.

If 2, there is nothing that can be done, without a bootable CD/DVD or USB device (i.e. booting to *something else* than the internal hard disk)

 

Wonko

[Hesam]

First of all. Thank you for your time. Before when i restarted i came to grub> promt but after i did that stupid thing the onley place i come to is that bootmgr error.
If nothing can be done. I have lost all my lifes history in pc. I downloade Spyhunter and after it searches it asked me to restart and thats why i am here.
I have windows 7 ultimate 32.
How can i get a bottibls cd. Is there any place i can downloaded or get it ?
Thanks

[Wonko the Sane]

NO, rest assured, unless that program did some other "destructive" operation, all your data is perfectly OK , only you cannot boot to that PC until you repair it's booting mechanism.

To be very clear, what is now preventing your PC from booting is not the effect of that stupid tool running incorrectly the grub (most probably grub4dos) bootmanager, it is your entering it commands without knowing what you were doing.

Seemingly, BUT it MUST be verified BEFORE doing some other mistake, what you messed up - basically is the active status of a partition.

IF this is the case, the best tool/thing you can try is making a UBCD bootable CD:

http://www.ultimatebootcd.com/

Then, after having booted to it, you will need to inspect (following instructions, not "inventing commands" like you did before) the internal hard disk, so that we can understand what happened exactly, and find a way to get back first to the same grub> prompt you had before, and from it, restore the working of the boot part of the OS as it was before.

You will need another PC (with a CD/DVD writer) to download the UBCD .iso file and make a CD (or alternatively have, besides the PC, a USB stick with no data in it).

Alternatively, (and hopefully) a "normal" Windows 7 install CD (not necessarily "ultimate") may do, as well as *any* bootable Linux distro, as it seems like the only "damage" is that you managed to change the active partition.

Even a much simpler USB stick created with (say) RMPREPUSB (with grub4dos) may be enough. <- this is probably the simpler choice, but still you need a PC and a USB stick.

In other words, you need to *somehow* boot to *something*, then we'll see how to fix that issue.

 

Wonko

[Hesam]

Hei.
If i have understanded you correctly. I go to this site and downoad some boot tool for my windows and then move on.
OR i download some windows 7 program and move on to it ?
You see i am not so smart like you. As you know i wrote my own Code :-)
And i have to come back to this Grub > thing ?
Th aks again for your time my friend.

[Wonko the Sane]

Yes, basically what happened is that the  stupid tool you used has been very badly scripted and assumes that the machine on which it is run has a given partitioning scheme.

Most modern notebooks use a different one, having "OEM recovery partitions" or similar.

In these cases the thing fails, and defaults to a grub> prompt.

From this stage, it is normally possible to revert the previous state (by giving to the grub/grub4dos the "right" commands)  but seemingly you accidentally issued some commands that modified the status of the hard disk partitions by marking another partition as active.

 

In other words:

1. Original=boot to Windows 7
2. Modified=boot to grub/grub4dos
3. Current=NO boot

You need to boot to *something* and since there is no way on earth, in current situation to boot anything from the internal hard disk, you need to supply *something else* from the outside, i.e. boot from an external device/media, which once would have been a good ol' floppy drive, but nowadays is basically either a CD/DVD or a USB stick or hard disk.

 

There is nothing to "move on".

 

You need to have an external boot/media device, a set of options have been presented before you, with all due respect if you do not understand this, it would be much better if you call a friend, a relative that has some more experience with PC's or a paid for technician.

 

It is not "difficult", but if you don' t know how to download a file, and make from it a bootable CD/DVD or have a USB stick, download a program and run it on another PC (or you have not another PC and/or a CD/DVD burner on it and a CD/DVD blank disk and/or a USB stick) there is no sense in going on on this thread.

 

To use a car comparison, you just posted how your car does not start and you were suggested that it is possible that you have to clean your spark plugs, and pointed to several types of spark plug spanners, but if you do not know even how to open the bonnet/hood  of your car it is simply not possible that you will be able to make it start again any soon .

 

I can instruct you on how to use some specific tool, but you cannot pretend to have a crash course from "knowing nothing" to "advanced PC user" in no time and over a few forum posts.

 

Wonko