Question

Linux Rescue = How to reinstall GRUB into the MBR?

Asked by: prabhukrishnan

I had a dual boot Redhat Linux 8.0 / Windows XP system using GRUB boot loader
I have had to reinstall Windows XP.
I don't have a boot disk for linux as I don't have a floppy drive.

I typed "linux rescue" with the linux setup disk and it mounted the original linux partition to /mnt/sysimage

I need help to re-install GRUB into the MBR from the linux rescue prompt.
I need to use my original grub.conf, Right ?

Thanks in advance
Prabhu

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Asked On
2003-05-15 at 15:16:08ID20617927
Tags

grub

,

rescue

,

mbr

,

how

,

reinstall

Topic

Linux Setup

Participating Experts
3
Points
50
Comments
9

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    Answers

     

    by: b_vishwajitPosted on 2003-05-15 at 16:15:12ID: 8537121

    hello prabhukrishnan,
                           You can do that easily, there should be a way for it. Before that check boot.ini of your new xp system. Right click on my computer and then click on properties and then click on advanced tab in the properties pane. Then under advanced tab click on start up and recovery. Then you should get a new pane, in that pane click on drop down menu under Default operating system. If you are lucky linux should be there in that properties pane. Make that default and that should fix your grub as well. Restart your system. If this is not the case then you will probably have to edit GRUB manualy. Hope it works.

     

    by: b_vishwajitPosted on 2003-05-15 at 16:27:15ID: 8537172

    You can also try "chroot /mnt/sysimage" if that is your linux partition.

     

    by: b_vishwajitPosted on 2003-05-15 at 16:28:12ID: 8537176

    I mean at linux rescue mode prompt.

     

    by: b_vishwajitPosted on 2003-05-15 at 16:31:54ID: 8537194

    Once you successfuly use that command then you can use "update-grub" which should rewrite the boot loader. Once you do this reboot your system. Any how first try that windows option. Your grub has been overwritten by reinstallation of xp.

     

    by: b_vishwajitPosted on 2003-05-15 at 16:33:52ID: 8537199

    This is the solution I found from internet:

    You can run the "grub-install /dev/hda" to restore it. You can also boot
     the grub from a grub floppy, possibly press "c" to get to the commandline
     and type "setup (hd0) (hd0,0)" where (hd0,0) means /dev/hda1. There the
     "setup" command looks for directory /boot/grub or /grub containing the
     grub's files.

     

    by: lsttechPosted on 2003-05-16 at 04:09:25ID: 8539452

    You can try this -
    you will have to manually mount your system. Then edit your grub.conf, and then grub-install /dev/hda (or whatever your boot drive is).

     

    by: lsttechPosted on 2003-05-16 at 04:34:06ID: 8539567

     

    by: jleviePosted on 2003-05-16 at 05:48:26ID: 8539947

    Assuming that the system was dual booting via grub before re-installing XP it is pretty easy to restore the boot loader. Do:

    1. Boot into "linux rescue" mode

    2. Execute "chroot /mnt/sysimage"

    3. Execute "/sbin/grub-install"

    4. Reboot the system

     

    by: prabhukrishnanPosted on 2003-05-16 at 13:47:40ID: 8543289

    Thanks a lot to all the experts for the help.

    chroot /mnt/sysimage
    /sbin/grub-install --root-directory=/dev/hda

    reinstalled the boot loader


    Cheers,
    Prabhu



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