Windows not booting after installing 2nd distro

[mickwombat]

Hi,
I had setup my system for triple boot with Windows, F10 & Suse. I had the Windows partition and then installed F10 setting up Grub to load the other two.
All went fine and was able to choose to boot to Windows which worked.
I then installed Suse, choosing the bootloader to be on the partition for Suse. This installed fine and can now choose to boot into Suse which works. F10 still works as expected, but when I choose to boot Windows, I just end up with a Grub command line.
I can't see how the Windows partition could have been affected. I can still see all the files in there, but it just wont boot.

My grub.conf is fine, but for reference is

default=0
timeout=5
splashimage=(hd0,1)/grub/splash.xpm.gz
hiddenmenu
title Fedora (2.6.27.21-170.2.56.fc10.i686)
root (hd0,1)
kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.27.21-170.2.56.fc10.i686 ro root=UUID=d7ea3cc5-1e12-473f-b087-13771593b7d0 rhgb quiet
initrd /initrd-2.6.27.21-170.2.56.fc10.i686.img
title Fedora (2.6.27.5-117.fc10.i686)
root (hd0,1)
kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.27.5-117.fc10.i686 ro root=UUID=d7ea3cc5-1e12-473f-b087-13771593b7d0 rhgb quiet
initrd /initrd-2.6.27.5-117.fc10.i686.img
title SuSE
rootnoverify (hd0,7)
chainloader +1
title Windows XP
rootnoverify (hd0,0)
chainloader +1

Also for reference is my fdisk -l

[root@localhost /]# fdisk -l

Disk /dev/sda: 160.0 GB, 160041885696 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 19457 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x000a5e1f

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 32 2708 21503002+ b W95 FAT32
/dev/sda2 1 31 248976 83 Linux
/dev/sda3 * 2709 10781 64846372+ 5 Extended
/dev/sda4 10782 19457 69689970 83 Linux
/dev/sda5 2709 2963 2048256 82 Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sda6 2964 5527 20595298+ 83 Linux
/dev/sda7 5528 8133 20932663+ 83 Linux
/dev/sda8 8134 10781 21270028+ 83 Linux

Partition table entries are not in disk order

This is not really a Linux issue but does anyone know how I can 'repair' this Windows partition without affecting any other partitions. I don't have a Windows install CD. If I boot off FreeDOS, is there a command to repair the 'bootability' of the Windows partition only?

Many thanks

[barf]

I'm not 100% sure about this as I no longer have a multi-boot set up any more to check against but I think you have a surplus chainloader statement in there, Try commenting out the one above 'title windows xp'

[mickwombat]

The other Chainloader is for Suse. When I choose it, it goes to the Suse bootloader no probs. When I choose Windows, it just goes to Grub.....doesn't even bring up the XP splash screen. Windows does not appear to be bootable anymore after installing Suse. I have notice though, that Suse automounts the windows partition at, /windows/C. Not sure if that has anything to do with it
;-)

[SomeDamFool]

SuSE mounting Windows has nothing to do with whether Windows will boot or not. Are these OS's on different disks, or the same disk different partitions?
Mike

[glennzo]

Hey Mick. Have you resolved this issue? If not, I wonder why the Windows partition is FAT32 and not NTFS? I wouldn't imagine that a stock install of Windows would create a FAT32 partition. So in other words, why is it FAT32.

[Firewing1]

You can create a bootable floppy/USB/CD by using the NTLDR on your Windows partition:
http://www.windowsnetworking.com/art...Boot-Disk.html
You can format the floppy in Linux (make sure it's FAT, not ext3) and then copy the 3 required files over from your mounted XP partition. Once your XP is booting again, install the Microsoft Recovery Console and run 'fixboot' to reset your boot sector.

[mickwombat]

Hi

SuSE mounting Windows has nothing to do with whether Windows will boot or not. Are these OS's on different disks, or the same disk different partitions?

They are all on the same drive, with different partitions.

So in other words, why is it FAT32.

Just because alright. That's how I set it up a couple of years ago when ntfs support in Linux was limited.

I am now getting a 'GRUB Geom Error' which I know can mean something to do with the BIOS etc......but I think that is a red herring.

Just to re-iterate, Windows did boot fine and now is not. I tried adding the chainloader stuff for it in the Suse bootloader, but it still gives the same error. I think I might try to reinstall Grub.