[HLUG] Broken Boots

Thu Sep 22 15:11:12 UTC 2011

1. Don't know - but I imagine there is a way to do this
2. Don't know.
3. No - but it would be possible to copy a bit for bit image of it back this way - had you taken a backup before it happened.
4. Yes - look in /boot/grub/grub.conf - you will be able to see which drive/partition it is trying to boot from. 

-----Original Message-----
From: herefordshire-bounces at mailman.lug.org.uk [mailto:herefordshire-bounces at mailman.lug.org.uk] On Behalf Of Chris Owens
Sent: 22 September 2011 12:26
To: Herefordshire Linux Users Group.
Subject: Re: [HLUG] Broken Boots

  Gentlemen many thanks;

George: The fear Index has risen to the stage where everything is backed 
up - thanks

Julian:    Have got into the BIOS via [F1] at power-up, reset it to 
Default Settings but can't find any place that has obvious re-sets for 
Hibernation/Suspension.
              Loss of function of the 'Access IBM' button (see previous 
post) may provide a couple of clues. Normally this should give access to 
Rescue Partition, BIOS or
              Proceed to Normal Boot but Bug #19634 certainly in older 
versions of Ubuntu blocks the first and last choices which is what led 
me to believe that 'Access
              IBM' was the way to access the BIOS. Further apparently 
any over-write/corruption of the MBR completely blocks its function 
which is the current situation.

Tony:     As to the cause of all this I am sure you are absolutely 
correct - it is almost 100% certain the battery went flat at some stage 
during an Ubuntu (not
             Windows) suspend or hibernation.

     Before applying the nuclear option, is there 1. Anyway of checking 
the content of the MBR against what it should be and/or restoring it 
from the Linux side

2. Why does the Windows Rescue CD only give the option to Run Windows 
(which it doesn't) and not allow a fresh

     Install (which it used to). After all the Ubuntu 10.04 Live Disc 
still allows both choices. Could corruption of MBR

       give this situation.

3. Is there any way of running a Windows install into /dev/sda1 from a 
Linux terminal.

4. Is there any way to see where the boot-loader is pointing and which 
one is the recovery partition

     I am sure these questions (especially No 3) reveal a profound 
ignorance of computer science for which I can only apologise  but then 
this is what keeps me young - well sort of. Seriously though it is very 
instructive for me to dig into this a bit. So far my ill informed guess 
is it is a problem with MBR

Thanks again

Chris

On 22/09/11 09:49, Tony Sales wrote:
> Sounds to me like the laptop was in hibernate or suspend mode and the battery ran out - this may have caused file corruption on the Windows partition or bootsector explaining why Windows won't boot but Ubuntu will. However this doesn't explain why the Windows recovery CD won't boot. Another possibility is that somehow the grub bootloader is pointing to the wrong partition for Windows - possibly trying to boot from the recovery partition? Either way if you have the Windows recovery disk it might be best just to wipe the partitions and start again - after backing up any files from the windows partition using Ubuntu.
> ________________________________________
> From: herefordshire-bounces at mailman.lug.org.uk [herefordshire-bounces at mailman.lug.org.uk] on behalf of Chris Owens [cowens at clara.co.uk]
> Sent: 21 September 2011 14:18
> To: info at lifespacedesign.co.uk; Herefordshire Linux Users Group.
> Subject: Re: [HLUG] Broken Boots
>
>    Hi Pete
>
>       Thanks for such a quick reply. I think you are at least partly on
> the right lines. Great man.
>
>       Powered down and took out the battery for couple of minutes. Result
> the machine now recognises and boots from the live Ubuntu 10.04 CD but
> still no luck with the Windows CD, when it just asks 'Press any key to
> load CD' and then goes straight through to the Grub Menu. Trying to
> start Windows from there ends up with the Blue Screen we all know so
> well. So still a bit stuck but thanks all the same.
>
>       BTW it is a lap-top so am a bit reluctant to change the Hard Drive
> even if I had one spare.
>
> Chris
>
> On 21/09/11 12:54, Pete Linnell wrote:
>> Chris,
>> Looks at first blush that the machine is in hibernate or standby. Have
>> you tried/done any of the following;
>>
>> Insert a different HDD
>> Power down/remove battery
>>
>> I am not suggesting you should do either of these, but if you have it
>> would tell us a little more, including locating the issue between BIOS
>> and boot sector.
>>
>> Maybe you could bring it along next week ? there is bound to be
>> someone that knows what they're doing about ;)
>>
>> Pete
>>
>> On 21/09/11 12:37, Chris Owens wrote:
>>>   Hi Folks
>>>
>>>      Sorry to trouble you with a tricky one.
>>>
>>> Have been running Windows XP and Ubuntu 10.04 on an IBM T40 no probs
>>> for over a year - in fact almost forgot about Windows. Then fiddled
>>> with Power Management to try and optimise Energy use in downtimes
>>> with little success. Re-boots and/or Wake ups completely shambolic,
>>> anything from completely successful restart with open programmes etc
>>> to several kernel panics. Gave up but then noticed Windows no longer
>>> accessible and I cannot re-load it.
>>>
>>>      Present situation
>>>          1. On Power Up T40 boots straight to Grub Menu in say 20 secs
>>> no sign of usual Hard Drive/Memory start up messages.
>>>          2. Pressing Access IBM to enter BIOS no longer works but BIOS
>>> can still be entered using F2. (BIOS Version 2.12 (1RET85WW) Device
>>> Boot Order: Floppy>
>>>              CD-ROM>  HD  confirmed
>>>          3. Selecting Ubuntu 10.04 from Grub Menu boots normally to a
>>> fully functional system.
>>>                      os-prober confirms /dev/sda1:MS Windows XP
>>> Prof:Windows:chain
>>>                      GParted partitions look OK
>>>                      Windows partition accessible quite normally from
>>> Ubuntu
>>> BUT  4. Selecting Windows XP from Grub Menu boots to a Windows B&W
>>> Screen requesting type of Windows Start up Safe Mode, Normal Boot etc
>>> all of which
>>>              lead to Blue Screen of death with insufficient time to
>>> note down 'problem' hex-dec addresses but the first is STOP: 0x0000007B.
>>>
>>>          5. Interrupting Windows XP boot from Grub Menu (pressing
>>> Access IBM button) returns: Authentication of System Services failed.
>>> <ESC>  to Resume. Press
>>> <ESC>  and you get back to Grub Menu
>>>
>>>          6. Starting up with either Windows XP or Ubuntu Live CD has
>>> no effect. T40 ignores content of the CD-ROM Drive and goes straight
>>> to Grub Menu.
>>>
>>> I am sorry this is a bit of a rambling post but I haven't a clue what
>>> the problem is or how to fix it but would very much appreciate any help
>>>
>>> Thanks everybody
>>>
>>> Chris
>>>
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>>> List: https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/herefordshire
>>
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