dual boot windows 7 and fedora 13

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1035999

If you have a look at step 5 i believe that may help :)

Hi

followed step 5 as suggested now get error 'BOOTMANGR missing'

attempted both root (hd0,0) and root (hd0,1)

fedora os is at root (hd0,2)

When it comes to boot manipulations, it is imperative to understand very well what one is doing, otherwise a complete system is easily rendered inoperational.

In the present case, you unfortunately followed the wrong guide. The guide was written for Linux systems where an additional Windows 7 gets installed, and the Windows bootloader overwrites the Linux Grub bootloader which then has to be reinstalled because Linux can no longer be booted. That is the exact opposite to your own case.

The correct instruction would have been to make you look into the grub.conf file and add boot information for chainloading the Windows bootloader.
By proceeding as you did, as I understand it, you instead made a twofold error:
1. you reinstalled Grub (which was already working) to the boot sectors of the Windows partitions, thus effectively overwriting any Windows boot code which might have been residing there, thus rendering Windows unbootable;
2. you overwrote the Grub information in the MBR (master boot record) in a way that makes it now look for its boot files on sda1 and/or sda2 where no Grub boot files are, thus rendering Linux unbootable as well.

Repairing these errors will require twofold action as well.

1. Boot your system from a Live CD, repeat the steps you took above (from the link), but this time install Grub to "root(hd0,2)".

Please take note of the following:
a) -- Make sure your partition setup actually is as you think it is; Windows 7 frequently makes use of a small hidden boot partition at the beginning of the drive - which, if it exists, would add +1 to all of your partitions, meaning that Fedora resides in sda4, not sda3. Also: the Fedora installation program could have set Fedora up on a logical partition (in which case it would be sda5) in order to be able to create an additional swap partition. So please run 'fdisk -l' first in order to get an impression of your actual partitioning scheme, then alter the 'root(hdx,x)' command accordingly.

b) -- It is imperative that you use a Fedora Live CD, not Ubuntu or some other popular distro, because most other current Linux distros use Grub2, and not the Grub Legacy that Fedora still uses. With Grub2, these steps will not work!

If all runs well, you will now be in the position you were in when you started this thread: Linux boots, but no Windows.

I shall deal with this in my next comment, but first let's make sure your regained Grub is safely backed up:
- copy the file /boot/grub/grub.conf to a USB flash drive or some other removable media;
- print its contents - we may need it later (on a Windows machine, if necessary: it's a simple text file);
- as root, run the command:
cp /boot/grub/grub.conf /boot/grub/grub.conf.bak

2. We are now going to try and make Windows boot again

In Fedora, as root, open /boot/grub/grub.conf for editing.
In the menu list (entries beginning with "title"), is there an entry for Windows that looks somewhat like this:

title Windows
     root (hd0,0)
     makeactive
     chainloader +1

If not so, add it. Save and reboot. Select the new Windows entry in the Grub boot menu. Does Windows 7 load?

If not so, this is not surprising and confirms the reports of problems I've read. The above entry would have booted any Windows up to Vista, but with Win7 Microsoft added needless complications.
Reboot to Fedora, open the menu file again and replace the above entry by this one:

title Windows 7
     rootnoverify (hd0,0)
     chainloader +2

Save and reboot. Select Windows 7 from the menu. Does it boot now? If yes: good, the trick is known by few people only, but it actually seems to work.
If not so: I fear we'll have to run a Windows 7 Startup Repair. Insert the Windows 7 DVD and follow this guide:
http://www.windowsreinstall.co.uk/win7enterprise/repairwin7startup/indexthumbs.htm

When done, two results are possible:
1. The Grub menu still shows on bootup, and the Windows 7 option now works.

2. The Grub menu is gone and Windows 7 loads automatically. In this case, install EasyBCD in Windows 7: http://neosmart.net/dl.php?id=1
and follow the documentaion here: http://neosmart.net/wiki/display/EBCD/Linux
If you find that EasyBCD will not offer you Linux as a bootable option rightaway, you may have to use its 'Neogrub' option. The boot menu entries required for your Fedora to be booted will be found in your grub.conf file (which you saved to flash drive and printed out, remember?)

Good luck.

torimar

Hi i have a feeling i've totaly mesed this up

at stage 4 of the link
the out put from grub is
grub> find /boot/grub/stage1
find /boot/grub/stage1
 (hd5,0)
grub>

so i did
su grub
grub> root (hd5,0)
grub> setup (hd0)
grub> quit

on reboot all i got was a orange super grub splash screen taking the only option gave a second screen with options like linx auto linx manual windows auto etc

taking linux auto (I thing) didn't do anything except reboot

on reboot the system hangs at "verify DMI pool"
 

i've included the output from fdisk -l i beleave windows is at /dev/sda1 and the stage1 file is at /dev/sda5

root@localhost liveuser]# fdisk -l

Disk /dev/sdb: 2000.4 GB, 2000398934016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 243201 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: 0x88dca560

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sdb1               1      243202  1953512448    7  HPFS/NTFS

Disk /dev/sdc: 2000.4 GB, 2000397852160 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 243201 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: 0xa59c2689

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sdc1   *           1      243202  1953511424    7  HPFS/NTFS

Disk /dev/sda: 160.0 GB, 160041885696 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 19457 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: 0xa59c26bc

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sda1   *           1        5100    40960000    7  HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda2            5100        5164      512000   83  Linux
/dev/sda3            5164       10322    41431040    5  Extended
/dev/sda4           10322       19457    73383936    7  HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda5            5164       10322    41430016   8e  Linux LVM

Disk /dev/sdd: 2000.4 GB, 2000398934016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 243201 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: 0x5f28307e

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sdd1               1      243202  1953512448    7  HPFS/NTFS

Disk /dev/sde: 2000.4 GB, 2000398934016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 243201 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: 0x71857cb8
   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sde1               1      243202  1953512448    7  HPFS/NTFS

Disk /dev/sdf: 1028 MB, 1028653056 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 125 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: 0x00000000

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sdf1   *           1         126     1004480    b  W95 FAT32
Partition 1 has different physical/logical endings:
     phys=(124, 254, 63) logical=(125, 15, 18)

Disk /dev/dm-0: 3221 MB, 3221225472 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 391 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: 0x00000000

Disk /dev/dm-0 doesn't contain a valid partition table

Disk /dev/dm-1: 3221 MB, 3221225472 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 391 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: 0x00000000

Disk /dev/dm-1 doesn't contain a valid partition table

Disk /dev/dm-2: 36.8 GB, 36842766336 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 4479 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: 0x00000000

Disk /dev/dm-2 doesn't contain a valid partition table

Disk /dev/dm-3: 5570 MB, 5570035712 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 677 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: 0x00000000

Disk /dev/dm-3 doesn't contain a valid partition table
[root@localhost liveuser]# 
grub> find /boot/grub/stage1
find /boot/grub/stage1
 (hd5,0)
grub> 

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torimar:

Just read your second post again I ran a Windows 7 Startup Repair after i first got the error 'BOOTMANGR missing'

this is what distroyed the grub menu

As I presumed, the partition setup on your main HDD was not like you thought it was. Your data and your main Linux are in fact on logical partitions inside an extended.

I've contemplated the issue for a while now.
To cut a long story short: some things really have gone wrong here, and some things have been wrong from the start. I keep telling people to *not* use LVM (logical volume management), as unfortunately proposed by most modern Linux installers, on a multi-boot system. That makes things overcomplicated and impedes all easy repair steps.

To corroborate my statement, no /boot/grub/stage1 is presently found inside your sda5 (= hd0,4) - presumably because the grub shell can't read those logical volumes without a device manager running.
Instead, a /boot/grub/stage1 is found on hd5,0 - which is sdf, the sixth(!) of your hard drives. Whatever it is that you have there, it's got nothing to do with your Fedora/Win7 setup. Could be a SuperGrub Disk, because that's what you got after trying to boot from it.

Please: disconnect all external drives/media that you can disconnect! They are only a disturbance.
Please also only use the Fedora Live CD - no SuperGrub or anything else fancy.

As I see it, you have two options:

1. Reinstall Fedora doing it properly for multi-booting this time. You will not loose much or anything because you haven't yet used it. Please reply here if you choose this option, so I may give you some preparatory hints.

2. Reinstall Grub to the logical volume containing Fedora. This should, ideally, only take a minute or two, but it has 3 drawbacks: a) I never did it myself because I don't use LVM; b) there is no guarantee this will actually fix things; c) even if it works subsequent editing of the grub menu in order to make Windows boot will be more complicated than necessary.

For option #2, boot off the Fedora Live CD, then issue these commands in a terminal:

mkdir -p /mnt/temp/boot
vgchange -a y
vgscan
lvdisplay
mount /dev/sda5 /mnt/temp/boot
mount /dev/VolGroup00/LogVol00 /mnt/temp
grub-install --root-directory=/mnt/temp /dev/sda

On a second thought:

If I were in your position, before doing anything else like reinstalling Grub or reinstalling Fedora, I'd try to find out if Windows still is bootable. After all, the Startup Repair did not work well although it removed the Grub code.
If Windows will no longer boot by itself, then obviously there isn't much hope that it will boot if invoked via Grub.

So please insert the Win7 DVD and run the Startup Repair a second time. If that won't do to make your system boot right into Win7, clear the MBR like described here: http://www.ehow.com/how_4836283_repair-mbr-windows.html

torimar
Attempted to clear & rebuild the the MBR to no avail
from your coments i think i'm going to go for a  clean install of both win 7 and Fedora this shouldn't be much of an issue as no data is stored within os partions 'MY Documments' has it's own partion
so the System disk is a fast 160GB sata drive split in 3 the other drives are simply large internal Data drives

before i do this i'll attempt a system restore from an img file if  this fails what steps should i follow to acheive a muliboot system?

Thank you

torimar:

Hi the process you describe isn't something i can achieve during a couple of hours one evening so i'm going to leave it until the weekend

Just letting you know so your not thinking i didn't appreciate your help

Take your time.
These things should not be hastened.

torimar
Some success but didn't quite go according to plan
using get parted formatted the disk as advise installed Win 7 and got that working, installed EasyBCD.
Then created an image just in case.

Installed Fedora but it re adjusted the Extended / Linux partition no big deal.
Followed instructions about loading Grub (I Thought) but on reboot I now get the fedora / grub boot menu this has two option default fedora and other.

Selecting other then loads the EasyBCD menu with options to boot into windows

So I can boot into both but is a bit of a fad. I'm tempted to remove Easy BCD then edit Grub is this possible?

As to why this went wrong to start with my hunch is that before I installed Fedora I was using Unbuto attempting to recover data from an External hard disk that had failed and simply instead Fedora over the top.

I don't think that hunch of yours is correct: Ubuntu and Fedora use two different versions of Grub that are incompatible with each other.

I guess it actually went wrong at the instant where you missed the option to have Fedora install Grub not to the MBR, but to the boot sector of its root partition. As I said above, this option is very very easy to miss - even if you are aware of that fact. Whenever I have to install Fedora on a multi-boot system, I get a little nervous.

But as it looks, you still have two options:
Either a) get rid of EasyBCD and use only Grub, or b) re-install EasyBCD to the MBR (should be just a mouse-click).
Depends on what you want, really.

As to a)
Uninstalling EasyBCD form within Win7 should remove its boot menu, so that booting "Other" from the Fedor Grub should load Win7 rightaway. Never proceeded like this myself, but I can't imagine that removing EasyBCD will render Win7 unbootable or leave any unpleasant remnants.

As to b)
Before doing so, boot into Fedora and save your /boot/grub/grub.conf to external media as a text file. Best try and print it out, too. You might need its boot information for the EasyBCD Neogrub module.

The /boot/grub/grub.conf is also the file that lets you customize the Fedora boot menu; you could, for instance, change the "title Other" to "title Windows 7"; you could adjust the timeout, and the default boot option etc.

torimar:

Thank you for your help I was able to  re-install EasyBCD to the MBR so i now only have  one boot menu

I'm glad to hear you finally got there.

If the issue is solved would you mind closing the question?

Thank you