[bigoli]

I'm using grub to dual-boot system(Windows 98 and Linux(Mepis)). When I choose to boot Windows 98 I receive the message:


booting 'Windows 98'
rootnoverify (hd0,0)
chainloader +1
makeactive
boot

Invalid system disk
Replace the disk, and then press any key

Windows 98 should boot, but doesn't.

I can boot Linux, and I have full access to /dev/hda1, where Windows 98 is loaded. If I use a boot floppy(Windows 98), I can do every thing except run Windows.

I think that somehow the computer's partition tables got corrupted. I get the tables printed below, first using fdisk(DOS), fdisk(Linux) and cfdisk(Linux). Notice how there are two boot drives.

Does anyone have any ideas on how I might fix my boot problem?

James Oliver

Output of fdisk using DOS:

Display Partition Information

Current fixed disk drive: 1
Partition Status Type Volume Label Mbytes System Usage
1 Ext DOS 8001 21%
C: 2 A Pri DOS MASTER 8244 FAT 32 22%
3 Non DOS 3004 8%

Total disk space is 38162 Mbytes( 1 Mbyte = 1048576 bytes)

Output of fdisk using Linux:

Poppy@1[~]$ fdisk /dev/hda

The number of cylinders for this disk is set to 4865.
There is nothing wrong with that, but this is larger than 1024,
and could in certain setups cause problems with:
1) software that runs at boot time (e.g., old versions of LILO)
2) booting and partitioning software from other OSs
(e.g., DOS FDISK, OS/2 FDISK)

Command (m for help): p

Disk /dev/hda: 40.0 GB, 40020664320 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 4865 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/hda1 * 1 1051 8442126 c W95 FAT32 (LBA)
/dev/hda2 1052 2071 8193150 5 Extended
/dev/hda3 2072 2454 3076447+ 83 Linux
/dev/hda5 1052 1115 514048+ 82 Linux swap
/dev/hda6 * 1116 1498 3076416 83 Linux
/dev/hda7 1499 2071 4602591 83 Linux

Command (m for help):


Output of cfdisk using Linux:

cfdisk 2.12

Disk Drive: /dev/hda
Size: 40020664320 bytes, 40.0 GB
Heads: 255 Sectors per Track: 63 Cylinders: 4865

Name Flags Part Type FS Type [Label] Size (MB)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
hda1 Boot Primary W95 FAT32 (LBA) 8644.77
hda5 Logical Linux swap 526.42
hda6 Boot Logical Linux ext3 3150.29
hda7 Logical Linux ext3 4713.09
hda3 Primary Linux ext3 3150.29
Primary Free Space 19831.16


[Bootable] [ Delete ] [ Help ] [Maximize] [ Print ]
[ Quit ] [ Type ] [ Units ] [ Write ]

Toggle bootable flag of the current partition

[tsunam]

well the only thing i ca see is that in my grub loading, makeactive is before chainloader +1 (which chainloader +1 passes it to windows bootup sequence) so boot should not be needed.