Jump to content











Photo
- - - - -

No GRLDR error via USB Boot

grldr grub4dos usb boot

  • Please log in to reply
19 replies to this topic

#1 poddex

poddex

    Newbie

  • Members
  • 10 posts
  •  
    Russian Federation

Posted 06 March 2017 - 12:54 PM

Hello everyone. Need help.

I have an 640-GB USB Bootable WD Hard Drive with Grub4DOS and some useful tools for my work. Over 3-4 years all works fine, sometimes (3-4 times) grub brakes, but every time I restored it via BOOTICE (Installed Windows NT 5 MBR then installed Grub5Dos MBR and boot came back again - it simply rewrited).

But at the last week my boot sector was brake again and the BOOTICE-method doesn't help me: even after Grub installing I get the NO GRLDR error (while grldr-file was on the hard drive).

What I did for resolving this issue:

- trying to reformat my HDD via Acronis (of course, with copying all my 460GB-data to another harddrive) , then installed Grub4DOS. All works fine  for 3 times, but after 3 boots I get NO GRLDR again.

- trying to reformat with RMPREPFORUSB and installed Grub via RMPREP - result is the same (NO GRLDR after 3 boots).

Of course, I checked my harddrive for errors and bad-sectors - nothing bad!

Somewhat breakes the MBR Boot record, can't trace it, so the questions:

- how can I protect the MBR Boot record (Grub boot record) from changes and writes?

- how can I quckly restore Grub Boot record WITHOUT repartitioning or reformatting? There is a lot of pain to copy all my work data (over 400 GB) every time I trying to restore boot. How can I drop the NO GRLDR error without reformatting?

Thanks a lot for all your help!!!



#2 steve6375

steve6375

    Platinum Member

  • Developer
  • 7566 posts
  • Location:UK
  • Interests:computers, programming (masm,vb6,C,vbs), photography,TV,films
  •  
    United Kingdom

Posted 06 March 2017 - 12:57 PM

Are you only testing by booting from a real system?

Did you test using QEMU or VirtualBox to boot from the USB HDD?



#3 poddex

poddex

    Newbie

  • Members
  • 10 posts
  •  
    Russian Federation

Posted 07 March 2017 - 04:20 AM

Yes, of course, I also tested it with QEMU every time I restored my harddrive and before a real testing. QEMU works fine, at least 3 real test works fine but after that I got NO GRLDR error.

Somewhat breaks the MBR, I can't trace it.



#4 poddex

poddex

    Newbie

  • Members
  • 10 posts
  •  
    Russian Federation

Posted 07 March 2017 - 06:05 AM

Now, when launching QEMU, there is an error in the attach:

https://yadi.sk/i/kB4rQiKw3FBXWn



#5 tinybit

tinybit

    Gold Member

  • Developer
  • 1175 posts
  •  
    China

Posted 07 March 2017 - 07:32 AM

Can you try it with WEE? ---- WEE can be installed by BOOTICE as well.

 

The grub4dos MBR is not recommended. Instead, either fbinst or WEE should be used.

 

For USB boot devices without EBIOS support, fbinst(developed by Bean) or multimbr(developed by me) should be used.

 

For USB boot devices with EBIOS support, WEE should be used.

 

The source code of WEE: https://github.com/c...r/grubutils/wee

 

Usually you want to use this menu script for WEE:

 

https://github.com/c...reset_menu_used

 

The source code of fbinst: https://github.com/c...rubutils/fbinst

 

multimbr can be found here:

http://reboot.pro/to...are-interested/



#6 Wonko the Sane

Wonko the Sane

    The Finder

  • Advanced user
  • 16066 posts
  • Location:The Outside of the Asylum (gate is closed)
  •  
    Italy

Posted 07 March 2017 - 08:41 AM

If I may, the grub4dos MBR code in itself is not the actual issue.
From the report *something* must be corrupting it.
Not only, it must be corrupting it in such a way that it still somehow works up to the point where it prints out the "No GRLDR" message.
So the issue, whatever it is, must be affecting one of the first 16 sectors of the hard disk, but NOT the first one.
Replacing the current MBR with *any* multi-sector MBR code will likely produce a similar issue, once said that by comparing a copy of the first 16 sectors (taken right after install/refresh) with a copy of the first 16 sectors (taken right after a No GRLDR found message) may give some hints on what is happening, I would instead suggest to use a "normal" 1 sector in size MBR, and (even if it is one step more) load the GRLDR through a BOOT.INI entry (via either NTLDR or BOOTMGR), at least temporarily until the cause of the corruption is found.
An alternative could be (though it is a little more complex to setup) to use the UMBR here:
http://reboot.pro/to...-11#entry197690
which is also a 1 sector MBR code.

:duff:
Wonko

#7 steve6375

steve6375

    Platinum Member

  • Developer
  • 7566 posts
  • Location:UK
  • Interests:computers, programming (masm,vb6,C,vbs), photography,TV,films
  •  
    United Kingdom

Posted 07 March 2017 - 09:25 AM

Could you explain about what is on the USB disk, how many files, what are you booting to these 3 times and on what system, etc.

 

For instance, can you boot to QEMU 3 times from a fresh USB HDD and then see that it goes bad?

 

Can you make a minimal USB HDD of just grub4dos and perhaps a simple menu and boot that 3 times before it goes bad?

 

Did you run chkdsk after it has gone bad?

 

If you make a fresh USB HDD and boot to grub4dos command console and type

blocklist /grldr

 

what does it report?

 

To quickly restore grub4dos, just run RMPrepUSB - Install grub4dos - Yes=MBR and No=PBR.



#8 poddex

poddex

    Newbie

  • Members
  • 10 posts
  •  
    Russian Federation

Posted 07 March 2017 - 03:26 PM

To quickly restore grub4dos, just run RMPrepUSB - Install grub4dos - Yes=MBR and No=PBR.

I already tested it, this method doesn't work.

Ok, now I'm copying all my files to another HDD taken from my friend. I will empty the disk for lab tests and multiple reformat until I find the issue of my problem.

Just wait for some minutes (it's over 400GB data) and I'll be back shortly.


Edited by poddex, 07 March 2017 - 03:28 PM.


#9 steve6375

steve6375

    Platinum Member

  • Developer
  • 7566 posts
  • Location:UK
  • Interests:computers, programming (masm,vb6,C,vbs), photography,TV,films
  •  
    United Kingdom

Posted 07 March 2017 - 04:31 PM

OK - so it must be a problem with the grldr file or filesystem.

Did you try re-writing the grldr file?



#10 poddex

poddex

    Newbie

  • Members
  • 10 posts
  •  
    Russian Federation

Posted 07 March 2017 - 07:01 PM

Did you try re-writing the grldr file?

Already tested this method, no results.

So, I just copied all my data to another HDD and reformated my hard drive with RMPREP, then installed Grud4dos via RMPREP and tested in QEMU firsly - all is fine.

Then makes 2 real tests: one on the computer block (Phenom II X4 config) and on the Lenovo notebook - all is fine again (not only booting, I also ran my WinPE from USB and all works fine).

Then I attached HDD to my notebook again and ran QEMU again - all is fine for now. 4 test overall.

But I also took USB MBR info from clean HDD (after preparing in RMPRER) and after installing grub4dos!

So, I begin to copy some of my data back, and then will waiting for the error. I want took USB MBR info when error will appear again. So we wiil able to see the difference between work-config and error-config.



#11 steve6375

steve6375

    Platinum Member

  • Developer
  • 7566 posts
  • Location:UK
  • Interests:computers, programming (masm,vb6,C,vbs), photography,TV,films
  •  
    United Kingdom

Posted 07 March 2017 - 07:31 PM

Why not use RMPrepUSB - Drive->File to make a backup file of the first say 3000 sectors.

If it goes bad, you can restore the sectors and see if it fixes it again.

If it does not fix it, then the problem is nothing to do with the MBR or PBR or boot code.



#12 poddex

poddex

    Newbie

  • Members
  • 10 posts
  •  
    Russian Federation

Posted 07 March 2017 - 07:41 PM

Thanks for that! I will use and test it. Maybe it is an answer on my question.



#13 poddex

poddex

    Newbie

  • Members
  • 10 posts
  •  
    Russian Federation

Posted 07 March 2017 - 08:14 PM

Why not use RMPrepUSB - Drive->File to make a backup file of the first say 3000 sectors.

If it goes bad, you can restore the sectors and see if it fixes it again.

If it does not fix it, then the problem is nothing to do with the MBR or PBR or boot code.

Can't find this action. Please, tell me, where is it?



#14 steve6375

steve6375

    Platinum Member

  • Developer
  • 7566 posts
  • Location:UK
  • Interests:computers, programming (masm,vb6,C,vbs), photography,TV,films
  •  
    United Kingdom

Posted 07 March 2017 - 08:18 PM

http://www.rmprepusb...?attredirects=0

 

Image Tools - Drive -> File



#15 tinybit

tinybit

    Gold Member

  • Developer
  • 1175 posts
  •  
    China

Posted 10 March 2017 - 12:45 AM

Wouldn't there be any reply/feedback/confirmation?



#16 poddex

poddex

    Newbie

  • Members
  • 10 posts
  •  
    Russian Federation

Posted 10 March 2017 - 07:15 AM

Now all works fine. I'm trying heavy workload (many reboots on many machines) on my USB-HDD and waiting for error described above.

So I got the suggestion to backup first 3000 sectors, maybe it solves my problem.

I took MBR USB info for find a difference between "before error" and "after error".

For now I'm waiting when error NO GRLDR appeares again, then, I think, we will able to find an issue, why this error appears and why reinstalling GRUB can't resolve it.



#17 steve6375

steve6375

    Platinum Member

  • Developer
  • 7566 posts
  • Location:UK
  • Interests:computers, programming (masm,vb6,C,vbs), photography,TV,films
  •  
    United Kingdom

Posted 10 March 2017 - 09:11 AM

Maybe the problem was to do with the state of the filesystem when you made the backup and if you restore an image you just put back the 'bad' filesystem? Was it a file or disk/partition backup?

You still haven't explained what you were booting to in the 3 or 4 times before it went bad...



#18 poddex

poddex

    Newbie

  • Members
  • 10 posts
  •  
    Russian Federation

Posted 10 March 2017 - 09:25 PM

Still no problems after last reformat. Waiting for this error again.

I was booting some fd-images (floppy - memtest, mhdd, other...) and Live DVD based on Windows XP (Alkid Live), 1-2 iso (Acronis and Kaspersky Rescue Disk). There is my typical workaround that I used for 3-4 years and I wonder why the NO GRLDR error begins to appear only at last 2 weeks (overall it appears 3-4 times - and 3-4 tiimes I reformat my HDD to solve this problem. Copying GRLDR file, repeated installing of Grub4Dos via BOOTICE doesn't help me). I didn't know about the MBR Sector copy via RMPREP (thanks for that, maybe it alows me to solve the MBR-problem without reformat a whole HDD), but I used the MBR-copy via BOOTICE and it doesn't help me - error didn't solve after restoring MBR from backup made by BOOTICE (by the fact - original MBR didn't restored, NO GRLDR remained the same, I don't know why).



#19 steve6375

steve6375

    Platinum Member

  • Developer
  • 7566 posts
  • Location:UK
  • Interests:computers, programming (masm,vb6,C,vbs), photography,TV,films
  •  
    United Kingdom

Posted 10 March 2017 - 09:32 PM

You said originally that you used Acronis to restore the files on the USB drive. When you did that, the error would re-appear.

You still haven't answered my question - was this an image restore or a file restore?

If it was an image restore, then it would have made an exact copy with all files in the same position as before.

If it was a file restore, then all the files would be re-ordered in a completely different placement.



#20 poddex

poddex

    Newbie

  • Members
  • 10 posts
  •  
    Russian Federation

Posted 10 March 2017 - 10:02 PM

O, maybe, I was incorrect in my explains, I didn,t used Acronis for restore the partition after NO GRLDR error, I booted Acronis ISO from my HDD (typicall workaround), I made an antry in menu.lst for this, it's just for my work.

When I encountered a boot GRLDR error, I copied all files to another HDD, format the drive and installed the Grud4Dos via BOOTICE, then copied files back. The second method was to make a MBR-backup via BOOTICE and restore MBR from this backup when the error was encountered again, third method - make a Grub4Dos install via RMPREP, when error encountered - repeatedly install Grub, but all these methods didn't help me.







Also tagged with one or more of these keywords: grldr, grub4dos, usb boot

0 user(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 0 guests, 0 anonymous users