Recovering Arch from Grub prompt (GRUB4DOS)

jddantes · 2013-11-06 11:55:00

Long story short, I needed to install Windows 8 with my Arch already installed, wiping out the bootloader (I don't get what actually happens so I might be wrong here on the technical side).

I've tried different methods, from using programs like EasyBCD to command-line work (detailed here https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php … #p1344396), and I've reached the conclusion that perhaps I need to work on the GRUB prompt itself. As described in that link, I might have been on to something with

root (hd0, 2)
setup (hd0)

except that the command setup cannot be found.

Also, I'd like to point out that sometimes my computer boots into a black-and-white list (kinda like GRUB), and sometimes it uses the metro-style "Choose an Operating System", the one with the light blue background.

Any help please? I'd just like to get my Arch setup back.

Last edited by jddantes (2013-11-06 11:56:37)

GloW_on_dub · 2013-11-06 13:01:34

Try the super grub disc :
http://www.supergrubdisk.org/

also it is not Installation related.

Last edited by GloW_on_dub (2013-11-06 13:02:04)

cfr · 2013-11-07 02:52:55

Could you decide which of the two threads you want to pursue this in? It is going to get very confusing, very fast if you use both. I realise you didn't start the other one, but you've posted more information there than here. Maybe you should ask for this to be merged there?

You haven't actually said how you boot arch. I gather you use grub. Do you boot in BIOS mode or EFI? Are you using grub or legacy grub? Because grub in Arch now means grub2 but the commands you are trying to use at the grub command line are, I think, for legacy grub. (Note that I've never used legacy grub so I'm just guessing here.)

https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Gr … ue_console
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Gr … mand_shell

For using the live media, I suggest looking at the relevant part of the Beginners' Guide.

Either you are not being very systematic about this or you are not explaining what you've tried systematically. I'm not certain which. (For example we don't know anything about your partitioning or whether you are using GPT, what your layout is, what filesystems you are using.)

ewaller · 2013-11-07 03:04:03

cfr wrote:

Could you decide which of the two threads you want to pursue this in? It is going to get very confusing, very fast if you use both. I realise you didn't start the other one, but you've posted more information there than here. Maybe you should ask for this to be merged there?

I closed the other thread. Let's continue here.

fassil · 2013-11-08 10:42:13

Hi,

I recently dualbooted a "cousin" distrib with 8 Oem in full EFI (gpt partitioning) & the only way I found (without renaming .efi or chrooting Grub) was to use rEFInd as bootmanager (a bit like GAG earlier), & let it manage with bcdedit in "redmond" part.
It's not so fast at boot, but the two systems are independants.

A+

Last edited by fassil (2013-11-08 10:43:22)

jddantes · 2013-11-22 16:05:13

Okay so here are the specifics: GRUB 2, MBR, EFI.

I have three partitions (the first two are for Windows) and Linux is on sda3.

On the grub prompt, I enter:

set root=(hd0,2)
chainloader +1
boot

Unfortunately, this comes up:

Windows Boot Manager

...

File: \Boot\BSC
Status:0xc000000f
Info: The Boot Configuration Data for your PC is missing or contains errors.

Also, I tried to recover it with an Arch LiveUSB. The first step was to mount (which was successful; I confirmed it with lsblk) it:

mount /dev/sda3 /mnt

and then chroot:

arch-chroot /mnt

but it returned saying that "mount point /mnt/proc does not exist"

Grub-install fails (/boot/grub not readable) and I looked around, I guess it has something to do with fstab (https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=171376). I checked my fstab and it shows nothing; I'm wondering if this is normal as I'm booting from a LiveUSB.

Do I try to recover it with an Arch LiveUSB or can recovery be done from the GRUB prompt?

Last edited by jddantes (2013-11-22 16:38:45)

srs5694 · 2013-11-22 17:57:25

jddantes, I recommend you run the Boot Info Script and post the RESULTS.txt file that it generates. Be sure to either use code tags or post it to a pastebin site and post the URL to your pastebin page here; do not post RESULTS.txt directly without code tags! The Boot Info Script collects a lot of detailed diagnostic information in one output file, which makes it easy to see exactly how your system is configured. This is much better than reading summaries (which invariably leave out important details) or asking you to run a dozen different diagnostic tools.

cfr · 2013-11-23 02:55:07

Note that there is an AUR package for that script. But if it is just a script, it is probably easier to download it since you are working from the live media.

jddantes · 2013-11-24 08:51:57

I ran this on a live Lubuntu; it had no gawk so it used awk busybox instead.

                  Boot Info Script 0.61      [1 April 2012]


============================= Boot Info Summary: ===============================

 => Syslinux MBR (4.04 and higher) is installed in the MBR of /dev/sda.

sda1: __________________________________________________________________________

    File system:       vfat
    Boot sector type:  SYSLINUX 4.04 2011-04-18
    Boot sector info:  Syslinux looks at sector 1053216 of /dev/sda1 for its 
                       second stage. SYSLINUX is installed in the  directory. 
                       The integrity check of the ADV area failed. No errors 
                       found in the Boot Parameter Block.
    Operating System:  
    Boot files:        /syslinux/syslinux.cfg /ldlinux.sys

============================ Drive/Partition Info: =============================

Drive: sda _____________________________________________________________________

Disk /dev/sda: 7731 MB, 7731314688 bytes
237 heads, 1 sectors/track, 63714 cylinders, total 15100224 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes

Partition  Boot  Start Sector    End Sector  # of Sectors  Id System

/dev/sda1    *          2,048    15,099,903    15,097,856   b W95 FAT32


"blkid" output: ________________________________________________________________

Device           UUID                                   TYPE       LABEL

/dev/loop0                                              squashfs   
/dev/sda1        8E5A-F18E                              vfat       MYLINUXLIVE

================================ Mount points: =================================

Device           Mount_Point              Type       Options

/dev/loop0       /rofs                    squashfs   (ro,noatime)
/dev/sda1        /cdrom                   vfat       (ro,noatime,fmask=0022,dmask=0022,codepage=437,iocharset=iso8859-1,shortname=mixed,errors=remount-ro)


========================= sda1/syslinux/syslinux.cfg: ==========================

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
# D-I config version 2.0
include menu.cfg
default vesamenu.c32
prompt 0
timeout 300
ui gfxboot bootlogo
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

================= sda1: Location of files loaded by Syslinux: ==================

           GiB - GB             File                                 Fragment(s)

            ?? = ??             ldlinux.sys                                    1
            ?? = ??             syslinux/chain.c32                             1
            ?? = ??             syslinux/gfxboot.c32                           1
            ?? = ??             syslinux/syslinux.cfg                          1
            ?? = ??             syslinux/vesamenu.c32                          1

============== sda1: Version of COM32(R) files used by Syslinux: ===============

 syslinux/chain.c32                 :  COM32R module (v4.xx)
 syslinux/gfxboot.c32               :  COM32R module (v4.xx)
 syslinux/vesamenu.c32              :  COM32R module (v4.xx)

=============================== StdErr Messages: ===============================

./bootinfoscript: line 1646: [: 2.73495e+09: integer expression expected
  No volume groups found

Last edited by jddantes (2013-11-24 08:52:41)

srs5694 · 2013-11-24 16:58:08

Your Boot Info Script output shows just a single ~8GB disk on your computer. This looks suspiciously like a live disk, so my suspicion is that the disk you used lacks drivers for your disk controller -- or perhaps there's a bug in the Boot Info Script that's preventing it from showing your hard disk. If the former, it's conceivable that the same driver problem is preventing installation of GRUB on your hard disk, so you should try to resolve the issue. There are at least two possible ways to proceed:

Use another live disk to do the GRUB installation (and to re-run the Boot Info Script, if you continue to have problems). Note that by "another live disk" I'm talking about the distribution on the disk, not the physical medium itself. The point is to find something with the driver that's needed to access your hard disk. When you boot, type "ls /dev/sd?" to see the disk devices. If the only device present is /dev/sda, then you've got a problem (unless you've booted from a CD-R or DVD with no USB flash drive plugged in).
Open the computer's case and move the cable connecting the hard disk to another connector on the motherboard. Many motherboards have two disk controllers, and on occasion, only one of them is well-supported in Linux. If the disk is connected to the unsupported controller, Linux won't be able to see the disk, but moving it to another controller will solve that problem. Consult the manual for your computer or motherboard, too; it may identify which connectors are which. Sometimes they're color-coded, too, which can be helpful. This solution is likely to be unavailable on laptops.

jddantes · 2013-12-20 08:49:17

I'm using a laptop, so I'm left with the first option. Typing "Is /dev/sd?" in the terminal results to "command not found". I resorted to "lsblk" and got this:

NAME   MAJ:MIN RM   SIZE RO TYPE MOUNTPOINT
sda      8:0    0 149.1G  0 disk 
|-sda1   8:1    0   350M  0 part 
|-sda2   8:2    0  73.9G  0 part 
`-sda3   8:3    0  34.8G  0 part 
sdb      8:16   1   7.2G  0 disk 
`-sdb1   8:17   1   7.2G  0 part /cdrom
sr0     11:0    1  1024M  0 rom  
loop0    7:0    0 627.4M  1 loop /rofs

sdb is my 8 GB USB. sda2 is Windows 8, and Arch is on sda3. I have unallocated space as I freed up memory I previously used when experimenting with Linux From Scratch.

jddantes · 2013-12-20 08:53:08

I ran it again, and it showed other devices:

                  Boot Info Script 0.61      [1 April 2012]


============================= Boot Info Summary: ===============================

 => Syslinux MBR (4.04 and higher) is installed in the MBR of /dev/sda.
 => Syslinux MBR (4.04 and higher) is installed in the MBR of /dev/sdb.

sda1: __________________________________________________________________________

    File system:       ntfs
    Boot sector type:  Windows Vista/7: NTFS
    Boot sector info:  No errors found in the Boot Parameter Block.
    Operating System:  
    Boot files:        /bootmgr /Boot/BCD

sda2: __________________________________________________________________________

    File system:       ntfs
    Boot sector type:  Windows Vista/7: NTFS
    Boot sector info:  No errors found in the Boot Parameter Block.
    Operating System:  
    Boot files:        /bootmgr /Windows/System32/winload.exe

sda3: __________________________________________________________________________

    File system:       ext4
    Boot sector type:  -
    Boot sector info: 
    Operating System:  
    Boot files:        

sdb1: __________________________________________________________________________

    File system:       vfat
    Boot sector type:  SYSLINUX 4.04 2011-04-18
    Boot sector info:  Syslinux looks at sector 1053216 of /dev/sdb1 for its 
                       second stage. SYSLINUX is installed in the  directory. 
                       The integrity check of the ADV area failed. No errors 
                       found in the Boot Parameter Block.
    Operating System:  
    Boot files:        /syslinux/syslinux.cfg /ldlinux.sys

============================ Drive/Partition Info: =============================

Drive: sda _____________________________________________________________________

Disk /dev/sda: 160.0 GB, 160041885696 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 19457 cylinders, total 312581808 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes

Partition  Boot  Start Sector    End Sector  # of Sectors  Id System

/dev/sda1    *          2,048       718,847       716,800   7 NTFS / exFAT / HPFS
/dev/sda2             718,848   155,650,047   154,931,200   7 NTFS / exFAT / HPFS
/dev/sda3         155,650,048   228,614,143    72,964,096  83 Linux


Drive: sdb _____________________________________________________________________

Disk /dev/sdb: 7731 MB, 7731314688 bytes
237 heads, 1 sectors/track, 63714 cylinders, total 15100224 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes

Partition  Boot  Start Sector    End Sector  # of Sectors  Id System

/dev/sdb1    *          2,048    15,099,903    15,097,856   b W95 FAT32


"blkid" output: ________________________________________________________________

Device           UUID                                   TYPE       LABEL

/dev/loop0                                              squashfs   
/dev/sda1        2A7699B97699866B                       ntfs       System Reserved
/dev/sda2        7044B3C644B38CFA                       ntfs       
/dev/sda3        31df11a9-14a7-44f7-80c9-763ee40106c5   ext4       LFS Partition
/dev/sdb1        8E5A-F18E                              vfat       MYLINUXLIVE

================================ Mount points: =================================

Device           Mount_Point              Type       Options

/dev/loop0       /rofs                    squashfs   (ro,noatime)
/dev/sdb1        /cdrom                   vfat       (ro,noatime,fmask=0022,dmask=0022,codepage=437,iocharset=iso8859-1,shortname=mixed,errors=remount-ro)


=================== sda3: Location of files loaded by Grub: ====================

           GiB - GB             File                                 Fragment(s)

               =                boot/grub/stage2                               1

========================= sdb1/syslinux/syslinux.cfg: ==========================

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
# D-I config version 2.0
include menu.cfg
default vesamenu.c32
prompt 0
timeout 300
ui gfxboot bootlogo
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

================= sdb1: Location of files loaded by Syslinux: ==================

           GiB - GB             File                                 Fragment(s)

            ?? = ??             ldlinux.sys                                    1
            ?? = ??             syslinux/chain.c32                             1
            ?? = ??             syslinux/gfxboot.c32                           1
            ?? = ??             syslinux/syslinux.cfg                          1
            ?? = ??             syslinux/vesamenu.c32                          1

============== sdb1: Version of COM32(R) files used by Syslinux: ===============

 syslinux/chain.c32                 :  COM32R module (v4.xx)
 syslinux/gfxboot.c32               :  COM32R module (v4.xx)
 syslinux/vesamenu.c32              :  COM32R module (v4.xx)

=============================== StdErr Messages: ===============================

awk: cmd. line:36: Math support is not compiled in
./bootinfoscript: line 1646: [: 2.73495e+09: integer expression expected
  No volume groups found

Arch Linux

#1 2013-11-06 11:55:00

Recovering Arch from Grub prompt (GRUB4DOS)

#2 2013-11-06 13:01:34

Re: Recovering Arch from Grub prompt (GRUB4DOS)

#3 2013-11-07 02:52:55

Re: Recovering Arch from Grub prompt (GRUB4DOS)

#4 2013-11-07 03:04:03

Re: Recovering Arch from Grub prompt (GRUB4DOS)

#5 2013-11-08 10:42:13

Re: Recovering Arch from Grub prompt (GRUB4DOS)

#6 2013-11-22 16:05:13

Re: Recovering Arch from Grub prompt (GRUB4DOS)

#7 2013-11-22 17:57:25

Re: Recovering Arch from Grub prompt (GRUB4DOS)

#8 2013-11-23 02:55:07

Re: Recovering Arch from Grub prompt (GRUB4DOS)

#9 2013-11-24 08:51:57

Re: Recovering Arch from Grub prompt (GRUB4DOS)

#10 2013-11-24 16:58:08

Re: Recovering Arch from Grub prompt (GRUB4DOS)

#11 2013-12-20 08:49:17

Re: Recovering Arch from Grub prompt (GRUB4DOS)

#12 2013-12-20 08:53:08

Re: Recovering Arch from Grub prompt (GRUB4DOS)

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