Windows Dual Boot with GRUB Legacy returns Error 18

secondplanet · 2016-08-27 22:49:06

I have just installed arch onto a laptop and configured BCDEdit to use the Windows Bootloader to boot into Arch. The Windows partition works fine. Booting into Arch, the GRUB legacy bootloader I have installed on the Arch partition (/dev/sda3) returns the "Error 18 Selected cylinder exceeds maximum supported by BIOS". I'm a bit stuck on what to do after this point, any help would be greatly appreciated...

For reference, here is "fdisk -l"

Disk /dev/sda: 298.1 GiB, 320072933376 bytes, 625142448 sectors
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disklabel type: dos
Disk identifier: 0xadab9b6c

Device     Boot     Start       End   Sectors   Size Id Type
/dev/sda1  *         2048 309725183 309723136 147.7G  7 HPFS/NTFS/exFAT
/dev/sda2       596445184 625139711  28694528  13.7G  7 HPFS/NTFS/exFAT
/dev/sda3       309725184 559286271 249561088   119G 83 Linux
/dev/sda4       559286272 594937855  35651584    17G  5 Extended
/dev/sda5       559288320 592842751  33554432    16G  b W95 FAT32
/dev/sda6       592844800 594937855   2093056  1022M 82 Linux swap / Solaris

Partition table entries are not in disk order.
Disk /dev/loop0: 320.9 MiB, 336502784 bytes, 657232 sectors
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes

And "menu.lst" from GRUB

# Config file for GRUB - The GNU GRand Unified Bootloader
# /boot/grub/menu.lst

# DEVICE NAME CONVERSIONS 
#
#  Linux           Grub
# -------------------------
#  /dev/fd0        (fd0)
#  /dev/sda        (hd0)
#  /dev/sdb2       (hd1,1)
#  /dev/sda3       (hd0,2)
#

#  FRAMEBUFFER RESOLUTION SETTINGS
#     +-------------------------------------------------+
#          | 640x480    800x600    1024x768   1280x1024
#      ----+--------------------------------------------
#      256 | 0x301=769  0x303=771  0x305=773   0x307=775
#      32K | 0x310=784  0x313=787  0x316=790   0x319=793
#      64K | 0x311=785  0x314=788  0x317=791   0x31A=794
#      16M | 0x312=786  0x315=789  0x318=792   0x31B=795
#     +-------------------------------------------------+
#  for more details and different resolutions see
#  https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/GRUB#Framebuffer_resolution

# general configuration:
timeout   30
default   1
color light-blue/black light-cyan/blue

# boot sections follow
# each is implicitly numbered from 0 in the order of appearance below
#
# TIP: If you want a 1024x768 framebuffer, add "vga=773" to your kernel line.
#
#-*

# (0) Arch Linux
title  Arch Linux  [/boot/vmlinuz-linux]
root   (hd0,2)
kernel /vmlinuz-linux root=/dev/sda3 ro nomodeset
initrd /initramfs-linux.img

# (1) Windows
# title Windows
# rootnoverify (hd0,0)
# makeactive
# chainloader +1

Head_on_a_Stick · 2016-08-27 23:23:20

secondplanet wrote:

I have just installed arch onto a laptop and configured BCDEdit to use the Windows Bootloader to boot into Arch.

Please share the commands used to accomplish this.

the GRUB legacy bootloader I have installed on the Arch partition

Why have you used an AUR package for the bootloader?

Why not use GRUB2?

"Error 18 Selected cylinder exceeds maximum supported by BIOS"

Have you checked the cable/connector?
https://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1327989

From the fdisk output, I presume that your Windows system is not installed in UEFI mode -- is this correct?

If you reverse the effects of the BCDEdit commands (and perhaps re-install the Arch bootloader to the disk), will Arch boot then?

Last edited by Head_on_a_Stick (2016-08-27 23:24:05)

secondplanet · 2016-08-27 23:35:22

Head_on_a_Stick wrote:

Please share the commands used to accomplish this.

Followed these instructions as they are https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Du … oot_loader

Why have you used an AUR package for the bootloader?
Why not use GRUB2?

The Wiki said to setup grub on a particular partition - so I looked up how to do this with GRUB2 and and there was a big warning label essentially saying "unlike GRUB legacy, it is highly advised not to setup on a specific partition". So, I used GRUB legacy under the assumption that the warning implied that GRUB legacy *could* be used to accomplish what I was trying to do here

Have you checked the cable/connector?
https://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1327989

Hmm... would you mind elaborating on this? I don't understand what this cable is and why checking it would help to be honest.

From the fdisk output, I presume that your Windows system is not installed in UEFI mode -- is this correct?

Yes

If you reverse the effects of the BCDEdit commands (and perhaps re-install the Arch bootloader to the disk), will Arch boot then?

I had it set up like this briefly, and it resulted in the blank blinky cursor screen. I will try it again though once I figure out how to reverse BCEdit, since there have been some little changes I made that might have an effect.

Head_on_a_Stick · 2016-08-27 23:39:39

secondplanet wrote:

Head_on_a_Stick wrote:
Have you checked the cable/connector?
https://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1327989
Hmm... would you mind elaborating on this? I don't understand what this cable is and why checking it would help to be honest.

https://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php … ost9590215

It's a (very) long shot but it worked for that guy *shrugs*

The Wiki said to setup grub on a particular partition

I find that unlikely, link please.

blank blinky cursor screen

https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Ke … odesetting

secondplanet · 2016-08-28 00:40:54

.

Last edited by secondplanet (2017-11-27 07:42:50)

Head_on_a_Stick · 2016-08-28 18:06:34

secondplanet wrote:

I find that unlikely, link please.
It's in the wiki link I've already posted, look in the "Note" with the bluish background.

Oh yes, so it is -- my apologies.

However, I would note the prominent, emboldened warning attached to that section and would further suggest that you try the "normal" method, to wit:
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Du … oot_loader

https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Ke … odesetting
Had the nomodeset parameter already set when I did that, should have mentioned.

Which "nomodeset" parameter?

There are three listed in the link...

I would advise further but apparently the nature of your graphics hardware is a closely guarded secret.

secondplanet · 2016-08-28 20:06:17

Head_on_a_Stick wrote:

However, I would note the prominent, emboldened warning attached to that section and would further suggest that you try the "normal" method, to wit:
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Du … oot_loader

True. When I started the install, I was set on doing it that way... now I'm not so attached to the idea. If I can't find a fix I will start over doing it the "normal" way, with GRUB2 as the bootloader for the whole system.

Which "nomodeset" parameter?
There are three listed in the link...
I would advise further but apparently the nature of your graphics hardware is a closely guarded secret.

Oh. I really didn't know that there were differences, I glossed over that bit and thought you would just add "nomodeset" on it's own. Now I know why that didn't work... it's a NVIDIA Optimus system. So I should have used "nomodeset i915.modeset=0 nouveau.modeset=0" according to the wiki. Thank for that!

Arch Linux

#1 2016-08-27 22:49:06

Windows Dual Boot with GRUB Legacy returns Error 18

#2 2016-08-27 23:23:20

Re: Windows Dual Boot with GRUB Legacy returns Error 18

#3 2016-08-27 23:35:22

Re: Windows Dual Boot with GRUB Legacy returns Error 18

#4 2016-08-27 23:39:39

Re: Windows Dual Boot with GRUB Legacy returns Error 18

#5 2016-08-28 00:40:54

Re: Windows Dual Boot with GRUB Legacy returns Error 18

#6 2016-08-28 18:06:34

Re: Windows Dual Boot with GRUB Legacy returns Error 18

#7 2016-08-28 20:06:17

Re: Windows Dual Boot with GRUB Legacy returns Error 18

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