Arch Linux

paldepind

Member

From: Århus, Denmark

Registered: 2010-02-17

Posts: 141

Dual boot GRUB problem

Hi!

I'm trying to setup at dual boot with Windows 7 and Arch Linux.

My partition scheme looks like this (I don't know why Windows uses two partitions but it does):

sda1: Windows
sda2: Windows
sda3: Linux root
sda5: swap
sda6: Linux home

I installed GRUB on sda3 but when I boot my computer it just goes straight into Windows.

And btw, I don't know why but in the bigging of my harddisk there's a few megabytes unused space.

toad

Member

From: if only I knew

Registered: 2008-12-22

Posts: 1,775

Website

Re: Dual boot GRUB problem

Grub1 or 2?

Either way, if grub is on a partition and not the mbr it makes sense that the mbr points to win and that you boot it. Either you'd better check the wiki on your grub version or play around with the M$ boot manager (if it exists - I don't actually know) to point to grub.

---

never trust a toad...
::Grateful ArchDonor::
::Grateful Wikipedia Donor::

perbh

Member

From: Republic of Texas

Registered: 2005-03-04

Posts: 765

Re: Dual boot GRUB problem

Unless you install grub on the MBR, another solution is to make partition #3 the 'bootable' partition. As it stands now - I'll bet you 10-to-1 that sda1 has the boot-flag!
You might find that updates to windows-7 will reset this - making sda1 the bootable one again. However, any 'live' cd can reset it again to sda3.

[edit] grrrrrrrrrr - too late!
[/edit]

Last edited by perbh (2010-04-22 13:47:19)

paldepind

Member

From: Århus, Denmark

Registered: 2010-02-17

Posts: 141

Re: Dual boot GRUB problem

I guess installing GRUB to the MBR would be the best solution. But how do I do that?

toad

Member

From: if only I knew

Registered: 2008-12-22

Posts: 1,775

Website

Re: Dual boot GRUB problem

you'd better check the wiki on your grub version

---

never trust a toad...
::Grateful ArchDonor::
::Grateful Wikipedia Donor::

paldepind

Member

From: Århus, Denmark

Registered: 2010-02-17

Posts: 141

Re: Dual boot GRUB problem

Unless you install grub on the MBR, another solution is to make partition #3 the 'bootable' partition. As it stands now - I'll bet you 10-to-1 that sda1 has the boot-flag!
You might find that updates to windows-7 will reset this - making sda1 the bootable one again. However, any 'live' cd can reset it again to sda3.

You where right that sda1 had the bootflag and I tried changing it. But every time Windows start it changes the bootflag to sda1. Stupid Windows

Anyway, reinstalled Arch and installed GRUB to the MBR instead of on a partition.

EDIT: I forgot to thank you guys for your help. Thanks

Last edited by paldepind (2010-04-22 14:34:17)