[clue-tech] Abortive install - Xubuntu 7.10 (Alternative)

[Collins Richey]

On Dec 1, 2007 7:35 AM, . <owl5138 at indra.com> wrote:
> With the purpose of evaluating an alternative to Windows, I attempted to
> install Xubuntu Linux 7.10 on my old computer. I had previously "played"
> with the live CD.
>
> Dell Dimension XPS T500
> Pentium III 500mhz
> 256mb ram
>
> After several hours of churning away, during which I *think* that most of
> the  OS and programs were installed, the computer froze with a black
> screen and the words "GRUB Loading stage1.5 _" in the upper left hand
> corner.
> I was expecting to see some kind of dual-boot screen.
>
> In what appears to be a mis-guided attempt to correct the mess and return to
> the previous condition, I re-formatted the partition in which Linux was
> installed.
> There doesn't seem to be an "un-install" procedure.
>
> Well, as you might guess (or why would I be writing?) that didn't work.
>
> Upon boot-up, the "GRUB..etc." message appears and the computer
> fails to respond. ( Actually, "ctrl-alt-del" results in a re-boot with the
> same result.)
> Can you help me to restore my computer to some level of usefulness?
> Needless to say, I look upon a re-install of Windows as a last resort.
> (ancient Windows 98SE)
>

Yes. Grub is still in the mbr of your harddrive, but you destroyed the
supporting data that grub needs to boot anything by formatting the
partition.

Basically two choices:

1. If you have (or you can borrow) a Windows boot disk (floppy,
cdrom), boot from it and run 'fdisk /mbr'. This will restore the
master boot record to allow you to boot from windows again.

2. complete a Linux install that will write the grub information again
(/boot/grub/ directory and the grub loader to the mbr). This could be
almost any distro - DSL (damn small linux) or Puppy Linux would be
quick choices..

Actually there is a third choice, you could boo also need to create a
/boot/grub/menu.lst by hand as below.


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

Good luck!


-- 
Collins Richey
     If you fill your heart with regrets of yesterday and the worries
     of tomorrow, you have no today to be thankful for.