Grub Error 17 With Persistent Naming

mooreted · 2009-01-09 05:56:08

I have two SATA drives. One containing Windows XP and the other containing Arch Linux.

I have an IDE Cd-Rom drive.

I have a 500GB disk with data on it that I want. Thinking I could just hook it up and copy the files, I unplugged the CD-Rom drive and plugged in the HD. Now I get Grub Error 17.

My menu.lst is using persistent naming. It should work. Why doesn't it and how can I make this work?

I just want to hook up the drive, copy the files then unhook the drive.

Here is my menu.lst:

# 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
# http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/GRU … Resolution

# general configuration:
timeout 5
default 0
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
root (hd1,0)
kernel /vmlinuz26 root=/dev/disk/by-uuid/6c8a9ada-dc07-4095-a86c-e034cb0ed8e5 ro
initrd /kernel26.img

# (1) Arch Linux
title Arch Linux Fallback
root (hd1,0)
kernel /vmlinuz26 root=/dev/disk/by-uuid/6c8a9ada-dc07-4095-a86c-e034cb0ed8e5 ro
initrd /kernel26-fallback.img

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

kgas · 2009-01-09 08:52:06

I assume that your boot order is CD then hard disk. Since you removed the CD grub is making this error. Try to change the boot order in the BIOS and check that your problem is solved. Have look into this link also http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/grub-error-guide.xml

mooreted · 2009-01-09 09:44:18

Thanks.

Atm I'm tired of fighting with Linux for everything. I may try again one day, but I'm pretty fed up right now.

mooreted · 2009-01-09 20:38:53

Sorry, was ready to throw my computer in the road and run it over with my car 6 times..

After following the Wiki to rescue Grub the system wouldn't boot at all. Had to restore the Windows boot and mbr so I could use my computer.

Guess I'll have to reinstall.

Thanks for the help.

kgas · 2009-01-12 15:31:02

I have migrated from Win XP -> Ubuntu -> Arch Linux after getting full awareness of what the Linux is. IMHO Linux is a very good OS and build your system to your likeness.

You need not reinstall your system this wiki will guide you to re-install your grub. http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Reinstalling_GRUB

I was attracted to Linux because I saw my son running it on vmware. :-D You can get help not only in this forum there are many. Frustration will not solve any problem IMO.

nowahn · 2009-01-12 20:35:03

from grub web site :

17 : Cannot mount selected partition
This error is returned if the partition requested exists, but the filesystem type cannot be recognized by GRUB.

I think that your problem is :
- when you have your windows drive, your arch drive and your cdrom drive :
- windows drive is (hd0)
- arch drive is (hd1)
- when you have your windows drive, your arch drive and your data drive :
- data drive is (hd0)
- windows drive is (hd1)
- arch drive is (hd2)
(I think the BIOS sets IDE drives first)
grub is still searching files on (hd1), so it doesn't recognize it when the data drive is plugged
if that's true, one simple solution was to unplug the windows drive so that the arch drive is still (hd1) (only if grub is on the MBR of the arch drive and if you want to copy your data to the arch drive)
but now you have messed your bootloader, there are several ways to go :
- since you have restore the windows bootloader, copy your data from windows
easy if your data is on fat or ntfs. if not, I know that some utilities exist to read linux data from windows (google should help you)
- you have to install grub while all 3 drives are plugged
2 problems
- maybe you can't plug your cdrom drive while you data drive is plugged (then you could use a USB stick, either by writing an intall image on it, or by installing a base archlinux on it)
- you'll have to reinstall grub after unplugging the data drive
I hope this will help

PS : you don't say it, but I assume you didn't even reach the grub menu when booting (because from the menu you can boot manually from the grub command line)

mooreted · 2009-01-12 22:38:15

Yup, that's what happened. New data drive became hd0, Windows became hd1. Arch became hd2. Grub was trying to boot from hd0 which is not bootable.

When I tried to reinstall Grub it kept saying it could not install to that partition no matter what partition I used. It became quicker to just reinstall.

Now I'm back up again.

Next time I'll use my IDE to USB adapter (which I left at the office before).

Thanks everyone.

Arch Linux

#1 2009-01-09 05:56:08

Grub Error 17 With Persistent Naming

#2 2009-01-09 08:52:06

Re: Grub Error 17 With Persistent Naming

#3 2009-01-09 09:44:18

Re: Grub Error 17 With Persistent Naming

#4 2009-01-09 20:38:53

Re: Grub Error 17 With Persistent Naming

#5 2009-01-12 15:31:02

Re: Grub Error 17 With Persistent Naming

#6 2009-01-12 20:35:03

Re: Grub Error 17 With Persistent Naming

#7 2009-01-12 22:38:15

Re: Grub Error 17 With Persistent Naming

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