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Grub4DOS and Windows XP boot.ini file

Posted: Mon Apr 02, 2012 9:59 am
by Disco Makberto
Hi, there!

Since some weeks ago, I started having problems with my Windows XP when I wanted to boot it owing to the fact that sometimes it boots and sometimes it doesn't. There are times that it takes 6 tries or more in order to boot Windows XP as opposed to other times that it takes just 1 or 2 tries. I attempted to fix the boot sector and the MBR using the Recovery Console to see if this was a solution, but the behavior remains the same. Common wisdom tells me that this will only get worse over time, up to the point that my Windows XP will be completely unbootable.

As Grub4DOS is an alternative boot loader that works with Windows XP, I would definitely like to give it a show to see if I can solve my problem, but I would like to add it to my Windows XP Boot Manager’s Multiboot Menu and not substitute the default Windows boot loader just in case the problem continues even if Grub4DOS is used. As for the multiboot menu itself, I guess it will be a dual boot menu just showing the default Windows XP boot loader and the Grub4DOS alternative boot loader. The tutorial says that "manually editing boot.ini is all that is required" to do what I am trying to achieve. However, I don't know how to do this. Could somebody please let me know? Also, where do I install Grub4DOS in order for it to work alongside the default boot loader?

Cordially,

Carlos Albert
Disco Makberto

Re: Grub4DOS and Windows XP boot.ini file

Posted: Fri Apr 06, 2012 3:04 am
by farter
Hi,

Sorry for the late reply.

You can copy grldr to the root of your boot drive (most likely c:) and add this line to c:\boot.ini

C:\GRLDR='Grub4DOS'


You can read the readme of grub4dos or browse through reboot.pro

Re: Grub4DOS and Windows XP boot.ini file

Posted: Sun Apr 08, 2012 7:43 am
by Disco Makberto
Dear Farter,

Thank you for your reply.

I did everything you told me, and I installed Grub4DOS, but I cannot get into Windows XP. Via Grub4DOS, I am getting the following options:

"find /menu.lst, /boot/grub/menu/lst, /grub/menu.lst
commandline
reboot
halt"

Nothing works to boot Windows XP, unfortunately, including different commands. Also, the default Windows boot list disappeared. Could you please be so kind to let me know how to proceed?

Regards,

Carlos Albert
Disco Makberto

Re: Grub4DOS and Windows XP boot.ini file

Posted: Mon Apr 09, 2012 2:35 am
by farter
The boot.ini should look something like this:

Code: Select all

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect /pae
C:\GRLDR="Grub4DOS"
Set the 'timeout' value to your liking. Don't remove or modify your original "Windows XP" lines, only append the grub4dos line.

If you don't know how to write your own menu.lst to boot XP, you should copy the 'menu.lst' file in grub4dos package to the root of your C: partition. There will be an option to search and boot XP after you boot into grub4dos.

Good luck.

Re: Grub4DOS and Windows XP boot.ini file

Posted: Tue Apr 10, 2012 3:27 am
by Disco Makberto
Hey, Farter!

The way you advised to set everything up worked, but I was hoping for a different outcome. You see, I can get into the Grub4Dos menu, and from there I can choose to boot Windows XP. Then again, this takes me to the default Windows XP method of booting, and as I told you in my first post, this doesn't work properly, for it takes me six or more tries to finally get into Windows XP. I was hoping to circumvent the default Windows XP method of booting so as to be able to get into Windows XP in just one try, that is to say, as it is expected normally, without trying six or more times. So, Farter, please let me know, is there something else that I can do?

Carlos Albert
Disco Makberto

Re: Grub4DOS and Windows XP boot.ini file

Posted: Wed Apr 11, 2012 3:33 am
by farter
Grub4dos does not do anything magic when booting xp, it just passes the boot process onto xp. If the latter is having trouble booting, grub4dos can not fix it.

I think you are trying to solve the problem from the wrong angle. You should find out why xp is having trouble booting. Maybe there is data corruption on disk, or hardware problem.

Re: Grub4DOS and Windows XP boot.ini file

Posted: Sat Apr 14, 2012 9:37 pm
by Disco Makberto
Hey, Farter!

Thanks for your reply.

I think that TestDisk does something similar to what I am looking for as it replaces the whole booting process with its own MBR, but I don't like it because it overwrites the default Windows XP booting process.

I tried about half-a-dozen anti-trojan/anti-viruses, and I supposedly am clean. Thus, it might be a corruption as you said. Though I have tried the Recovery Console before, and I don 't want to keep trying it. Alternatively, I might have a hardware-related problem, but if so I can do nothing right now due to economic constraints so as to be able to replace a part.

One way or another, I am happy with the Grub4Dos menu with options to reboot and halt. This is much better than the very limited Windows menu.

Cheers,

Carlos Albert
Disco Makberto