Re: [gentoo-user] Grub won't boot SATA WinXP disk

[Mick]

On 22/04/06, maxim wexler <blissfix@×××××.com> wrote:
> I've done this on SATA and IDE drives and combos of
> the same and I never got XP to boot unless I used
> rootnoverify (hd0,0). Macro$haft insists on being
> first in my experience. FWIW.

The map command bypasses that little problem, by virtually fooling the
M$Windoze OS to see that it is in the first hard drive.

> Make a grub boot disk(if you haven't already) and
> practice until you find the proper sequence of
> commands; then you can put them into a conf file and
> do a grub-install. I'd do that first. A false move
> could wipe out your MBR.

So would an 'intentional' move to install Grub in the MBR of the first
device.  A boot floppy is handy, but as long as Grub boots normally
you can press 'c' to drop into a command prompt and use find to find
whatever partition you're after, or 'e' to edit individual entries in
the menu, until the particular OS boots.

> As I recall I completey destroyed the boot partition
> on a brand new HD while fumbling with GRUB. But it was
> still under warranty "Whew!"

Using the fixmbr command from a WinXP installation CD would restore
it.  Better though to install Grub's boot code in the MBR.  BTW, the
fixboot command will restore the partition boot sector in a hosed
WinXP partition.  None of this will help with a hardware failure of
course, and I am at a loss as to how any software manipulation that
Grub can perform would damage a hard drive.

In conclusion, I agree with Christopher's suggestion that the only way
to make WinXP boot from any other than the first drive is to use the
map command.  A point to note is that WinXP is installed on the third
device so instead of hd1, hd0 you may want to try hd2, hd0.

Good luck.
--
Regards,
Mick

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