I had to install the GRUB boot loader to my MBS when I installed Debian 'etch'. This was because the Debian installer couldn't figure out that there was another operating system on the HDD. Now, however, I cannot boot my windows system.

I know that GRUB can be modified so it can boot Windows, even if it couldn't be found the first time. How would I go about doing this?

I have a compaq presario r3000, amd64, and I have 4 parts on my hdd:
C:\ - windows system drive - NTFS
D:\ - 20 GB disk for optional windows components and personal docs - NTFS
E:\ - 2 GB Swap Data for Debian
F:\ - root drive for Debian - Ext3 file system


any help is much appreciated, as always ^_^

can you post your grub.conf?
you should have something like this:

Well, this part I left alone:

And this part I took out the single user mode (I don't use it) and replaced it with this:

Will this work?

>Will this work?
Try it. :cheesy: (It should)

The windows part will work but debian wont, i dont think. You didnt specify the partition for grub to use as the real root, i use sda3 so thats what I put (yours is probibly different). Also I leave out the root (hd0,0) part and just use it directly in the kernel line. Alsa you should be defining ro in /etc/fstab and not grub, IMHO, just makes things easier down the line if you need to mount the partition when you rebuild your kernel.

This is an example of what I would do, obviously change your video card settings accordingly. I also compile in framebuffer support into my kernels as well as terminal fonts, eyecandy is good =].

Well... Debian still works, but Windows will not. It doesn't matter what I numbers I put in (hd0,0) it still won't work. If I change the first number (which my professor told me was the partition number) it tells me that HDD doesn't exist, and if I change the second number it just cannot do it. I haven't gone through up to 5,6,7 on either, and I don't think I changed the first number more than 0,1,2.

Do I need to switch to LILO? Do I need to install something so GRUB can handle NTFS file systems? I don't know! I'm completely lost.

Gparted told me that the disk I want is a partition of a bigger partition(wtf?), and this was my distribution. (if it helps):

/dev/hda2/:
/dev/hda7/: Linux-Swap
/dev/hda5/: (Windows System Partition)
/dev/hda6/: (Windows Extraneous Files)
/dev/hda1/: Debian system root partition

PS and my GRUB doesn't use a grub.conf, it uses a menu.lst (I know, it's odd)

I think it was referring to Logical and Extended Partition(s).

Well, since your Windows partition is at /dev/hda5, I would suggest setting the line in menu.lst to (hd4,0) or (hd5,0), and see what happens.

Personally, I think LILO is easier to setup, so that's what I use. GRUB is more popular because it has more features and most people don't have to set it up, anyway. But since GRUB is almost properly configured, it's worth trying to get it to boot Windows.

@joe: shouldnt it be (hd0,4) if iwinblows is on the first disk, fifth partition?

Whoops, I was mixed up! It should be (hd0, 4) if you want to refer to the first disk, fifth partition.

ok. Well, I don't know what to say. I have tried to boot using every combination of the first ten digits in both sides of the comma. I never get a boot. What can ya do, huh? Seems like it just doesn't want to work. Do I have to specify the root=/........ next to anything? or should it be working? I just don't get it anymore...