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non-system disk or disk error

Posted: Tue Nov 13, 2012 12:05 am
by muzbox
Hi there,
i'm relatively new, but learning fast....

Here's my problem:

I have just installed Linux Mint 13 on my HP notebook. I previously had a dual boot with Ubuntu running alongside Windows 7, I have now installed Mint in the Ubuntu partitions (a '/', a 'home' and a 'swap'), leaving the two Windows partitions the same.

Mint installed fine off a live CD, and runs really well, BUT GRUB won't boot (Grub menu won't appear) when I turn my computer on....
When I turn on, after the HP logo shows, there's an immediate message : 'Non-system disk or disk error' and something like 'replace and press any key to continue'. This is where things stop...

Here's what's interesting though, I can boot into my hard-drive installed Linux Mint or Windows via Grub (ie, Grub shows up) IF I have the live CD in at startup and then select 'Boot from Local Drive' from the Linux Mint menu that appears (other options include boot from live cd, mem test, check integrity of DVD etc).
When i choose 'boot from local drive', GRUB appears and Mint runs fine off the hard drive (i can eject the live CD and Mint keeps running).
So for some reason, GRUB only appears when I do this, not when the computer starts normally....

I have tried reinstalling GRUB, and run grub-update (including by chrooting with some help from a friend), and Grub responds in the terminal by listing the Windows an Mint boot options, but it just won't show when the computer turns on.... Grub is installed in the MBR... just can't work out what's going on...

I'm fine to keep booting with the live cd in the my notebook, it's just a little inconvenient.

Does anyone have any ideas or suggestions?

Re: non-system disk or disk error

Posted: Tue Nov 13, 2012 12:51 am
by caf4926
Boot to your installed system with the cd

open a terminal and do

Code: Select all

sudo update-grub

Code: Select all

sudo grub-install /dev/sda
reboot with no cd

Re: non-system disk or disk error

Posted: Tue Nov 13, 2012 7:17 am
by muzbox
caf4926 wrote:Boot to your installed system with the cd

open a terminal and do

Code: Select all

sudo update-grub

Code: Select all

sudo grub-install /dev/sda
reboot with no cd
Thanks for the suggestion,

I had tried that already, and just tried it again then, with no change - the same error still occurs, GRUB won't boot.

Re: non-system disk or disk error

Posted: Mon Nov 19, 2012 3:53 pm
by keghn
Hello.
When you installed Mint what install option did you use, was it duel intall, or cutome install, or
"do something else " install?
Have you tried boot-repair?:

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Boot-Repair

Re: non-system disk or disk error

Posted: Tue Dec 04, 2012 7:55 am
by muzbox
Well that was easy....
boot repair live CD worked a treat.
Thanks!!