[CentOS] WinXP don't boot

Mon Jan 15 17:43:37 UTC 2007
Matthew Martz <mdmartz at gflug.net>

On Mon, January 15, 2007 11:29 am, Jordi Espasa Clofent wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> I've installed CentOS 4.4 in a box which previously had dual boot (XP
> SP2 and Ubuntu)
>
> I can run CentOS without problem but I can't boot XP SP2. When I try it
> the system simply hangs...
>
> [root at seth ~]# fdisk -l
> Disco /dev/hdb: 40.0 GB, 40020664320 bytes
> 255 cabezas, 63 sectores/pista, 4865 cilindros
> Unidades = cilindros de 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
>
> Disposit. Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
> /dev/hdb1               1        4865    39078081   83  Linux
> /dev/hdb4   *           1           1           0    0  Vacía
> La partición 4 no termina en un límite de cilindro.
>
> Disco /dev/sda: 160.0 GB, 160041885696 bytes
> 255 cabezas, 63 sectores/pista, 19457 cilindros
> Unidades = cilindros de 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
>
> Disposit. Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
> /dev/sda1               1       10445    83891399    7  HPFS/NTFS
> /dev/sda2           10446       10476      249007+  83  Linux
> /dev/sda3   *       10477       19203    70099627+  83  Linux
> /dev/sda4           19204       19457     2040255   82  Linux swap
>
> And...
>
> [root at seth ~]# cat /boot/grub/menu.lst
> # grub.conf generated by anaconda
> #
> # Note that you do not have to rerun grub after making changes to this
> file
> # NOTICE:  You have a /boot partition.  This means that
> #          all kernel and initrd paths are relative to /boot/, eg.
> #          root (hd1,1)
> #          kernel /vmlinuz-version ro root=/dev/sda3
> #          initrd /initrd-version.img
> #boot=/dev/hdb
> default=1
> timeout=5
> splashimage=(hd1,1)/grub/splash.xpm.gz
> hiddenmenu
> title CentOS (2.6.9-42.0.3.EL)
>         root (hd1,1)
>         kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.9-42.0.3.EL ro root=LABEL=/ rhgb quiet
>         initrd /initrd-2.6.9-42.0.3.EL.img
> #title CentOS-4 i386 (2.6.9-42.ELsmp)
> #       root (hd1,1)
> #       kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.9-42.ELsmp ro root=LABEL=/ rhgb quiet
> #       initrd /initrd-2.6.9-42.ELsmp.img
> #title CentOS-4 i386-up (2.6.9-42.EL)
> #       root (hd1,1)
> #       kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.9-42.EL ro root=LABEL=/ rhgb quiet
> #       initrd /initrd-2.6.9-42.EL.img
> title XP SP2
>         rootnoverify (hd1,0)
>         makeactive
>         chainloader +1
>
> And, finally...
>
> [root at seth ~]# cat /boot/grub/device.map
> # this device map was generated by anaconda
> (fd0)     /dev/fd0
> (hd0)     /dev/hdb
> (hd1)     /dev/sda
>
> Alls seems good but the problem stills there: no error messages, simply
> hangs...
>
> ¿Any clue?
>
> --
> Jordi Espasa Clofent
>
> PGP id 0xC5ABA76A #http://pgp.mit.edu/
> FSF Associate Member id 4281 #http://www.fsf.org/
>
You could always boot into the Windows Recovery console if it is windows
2000 or XP and run fixmbr and fixboot.  This will verify that you have a
correctly working boot sector for Windows.

Then you will need to boot into recovery mode off of a CentOS cd and run
grub-install.

This has worked for me in the past.

-- 
Matthew Martz
CentOS Mirror Admin
mdmartz at gflug.net