no OS will boot-solved

[roundrighfarn]

Greetings,
Just yesterday I installed MInt 10 alongside a Windows 7 on my Acer travelmate laptop. After some initial difficulties ( after a couple install attempts with a bad .iso, I found my hard drive had 9 partitions, so I used windows to erase/combine them and reinstalled Mint with a good .iso ) I got Mint 10 up and running and working well. I was dismayed to discover that Netflix does not support Linux and rebooted in Windows to watch a movie. The screen that allows you to select the OS came up fine, I selected Windows and was good to go.

This morning, I tried to reboot in Linux but was unable to. I am able to access BIOS, and boot from the Mint DVD, however, when I try to boot from the hard-drive all I get is a black screen with an unresponsive prompt in the upper left corner. Where do I go from here?

[seeley]

Hi!
First: I would never edit partitions from a running OS!
That means: if you only have Windows installed, don't use Windows.
To assist you, please first read my help (link1 below) and post some relevant outputs ("parted", "findGrub";...)
2. "alongside" is no good idea, most user with similar problems used that automatism.
seeley

[DrHu]

I was dismayed to discover that Netflix does not support Linux and rebooted in Windows to watch a movie

Netflix options when using Linux..
http://how-to.wikia.com/wiki/How_to_wat ... _Instantly)_in_Linux

This morning, I tried to reboot in Linux but was unable to. I am able to access BIOS, and boot from the Mint DVD, however, when I try to boot from the hard-drive all I get is a black screen with an unresponsive prompt in the upper left corner. Where do I go from here

Which bootloader are you using, windows OS or some other type

You will have to work with the bootloader you are using to determine how you intend to boot any OS installed (windows, then Linux)
http://apcmag.com/the_definitive_dualbo ... bystep.htm

[roundrighfarn]

Thanks seeley,
I used Windows to alter the many partitions that Mint created and left the Windows partitions untouched. As for more info, even if I knew how to use the CLI, I can't get there right now since neither OS is booting.

Thanks DrHu,
I'm not sure what boot loader I'm using. Is there a key I can hold while trying to boot that will let me access this info? All I can do right now is access BIOS which doesn't seem to tell me anything.

I followed your links to the dual install instructions, and they were basically what I did

[newbie_noob]

Thanks seeley,
I'm not sure what boot loader I'm using. Is there a key I can hold while trying to boot that will let me access this info? All I can do right now is access BIOS which doesn't seem to tell me anything.

I don't think you can get that info from the bios, I think you should boot from a live-cd to find that.

[seeley]

Hi!
Please do that:

To assist you, please first read my help (link1 below) and post some relevant outputs ("parted", "findGrub";...)

seeley

[roundrighfarn]

Thanks seeley,
Here the info

Code: Select all

/dev/sda: No GRUB 7c3c
/dev/sda1: No GRUB 55aa
/dev/sda2: No GRUB 55aa
/dev/sda3: No GRUB 7c3c
/dev/sda4: No GRUB 00
/dev/sda5: No GRUB 00
/dev/sda6: No GRUB 00
/dev/sda7: No GRUB 00
/dev/sda8: No GRUB 00


Code: Select all

Disk /dev/sda: 250.1 GB, 250059350016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 30401 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0xf2bd3f90

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sda1               1        1698    13631488   27  Unknown
/dev/sda2   *        1698        1710      102400    7  HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda3            1710        7137    43590510+   7  HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda4            7137       30402   186872833    5  Extended
/dev/sda5            7137       28458   171258178   83  Linux
/dev/sda6           29637       30402     6141952   82  Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sda7           28458       29580     9013248   83  Linux
/dev/sda8           29580       29637      452608   82  Linux swap / Solaris



Code: Select all

Model: ATA Hitachi HTS54502 (scsi)
Disk /dev/sda: 250GB
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/512B
Partition Table: msdos

Number  Start   End     Size    Type      File system     Flags
 1      1049kB  14.0GB  14.0GB  primary   ntfs            diag
 2      14.0GB  14.1GB  105MB   primary   ntfs            boot
 3      14.1GB  58.7GB  44.6GB  primary   ntfs
 4      58.7GB  250GB   191GB   extended
 5      58.7GB  234GB   175GB   logical   ext4
 7      234GB   243GB   9230MB  logical   ext4
 8      243GB   244GB   463MB   logical   linux-swap(v1)
 6      244GB   250GB   6289MB  logical   linux-swap(v1)


Warning: Unable to open /dev/sr0 read-write (Read-only file system).  /dev/sr0
has been opened read-only.
Error: /dev/sr0: unrecognised disk label                                 



[seeley]

Hi!
First I should know: You have VISTA or W7 (sda1, 2: System and Recovery?)
There are some conflicts; I must know, if and how often you tried to install GRUB"2" (and where? MBR / Parttion?).
Maybe GRUB has to be repaired.
seeley

[roundrighfarn]

The system has window 7, however, the one time that I got to the screen which allowed you to select the operatingn system you wanted to boot, something having to do with VISTA was also there as a choice, maybe it said VISTA loader, or something like that, I don't remember exactly and can't get back there now.

As for the installation of GRUB2, I'm going to assume that every time you try to install Mint, you install grub2. In this case, there were 3 attempts to install mint with a bad .iso, then one more with a new, good .iso. then again, the bad .iso failed every time in the copying files phase, so perhaps grub only got installed once (by the good .iso)

Other than trying to install the .iso, I have never tried to install grub by itself, or done anything specifically with grub alone.

Hope this helps, let me know if you need more info

[seeley]

Hi!
Before we continue, I must know where your root partition is: sda5 or sda7 - without that knowledge we can not go on.
You could read in my help (link1 below), III G: To install Grub (next steps).
I must leave our house now and will be back in about 4 hours.
seeley

[roundrighfarn]

Ok, tried to mount the boot, root and home partitions and installed grub per your CLI instructions, got an error saying something like "could not find boot, install successful" (sorry this is not exact, don't have it in front of me anymore)

Now when I start the computer it loads GNU grub version 1.98... Minimal BASH-like line editing is supported.....

now what?

[seeley]

Hi!
You know for sure:
1. You have an own boot (sda.?) and a root partition sda.?) and no own home partition?
2. It seems that you installed Grub"2" with success (if you want you could verify it with "findGrub")

Now when I start the computer it loads GNU grub version 1.98... Minimal BASH-like line editing is supported.....

seeley

[seeley]

Hi!
It seems that you had tried to install GRUB"2" into the MBR of sda and in the partition sda3.
Maybe your grub.cfg is broken / corrupt. You should try to access /boot/grub/grub.cfg from a live medium and post it.
seeley

[roundrighfarn]

I typed /boot/grub/grub.cfg in the terminal from the live DVD.
It says "bash: /boot/grub/grub.cfg: No such file or directory

[seeley]

Hi!
First you must find your root partition and then, to see the file, type

Code: Select all

cat /boot/grub/grub.cfg

copy it into your POST A REPLY.
seeley

Edit: If you have an own boot partition, then the file is on that partition.

[roundrighfarn]

how do I find my root partition? maybe you root partition is the same as root folder? when I try to access this is tells me I don't have permission, so I do a su -, but when when prompted for my password is does not accept the password I created and used when the OS was working

[seeley]

Hi!
As you can read in my help:

Code: Select all

sudo su

to get root.
My day is ending, we continue tomorrow.
seeley

[seeley]

Hi!
Please try the suggestions and report.
There are more than half a dozen possibilities and we must test one after another; it depends on fortune which one will succeed.
seeley

[roundrighfarn]

Ok< I'm thoroughly confused. Can't find grub.cfg anywhere; Have no idea which partition is what.

I'm ready to start over, supposedly alt-f10, allows me to restore the laptop to factory settings, but that doesn't work either.

[seeley]

Hi!
Don't capitulate! We will try other approaches.
Some posts before you wrote to see a command line; please boot again and try to catch each detail, especially, if you see GRUB_ or grub>_ or grub rescue>_ or _,...
seeley