GRUB,GRUB,GRUB

[757200ba]

Hello guys, yes its me again!!!!
Just guess what happen this morning when i turn the pc on.GRUB, GRUB, GRUB!!!!
I,ve done that write ZERO thing, and it worked.But now what is going on, i havent done anything with linux or particions or any other operating system.
WHAT TO DO!!!!    
Do i have to trash the hard drive??
What!!!!!

[ctjoyce]

So I'm taking it that your PC keeps crashing, and you have no idea whats going on. Well to help you, but I need more info. What exact BSODs are you getting? You could have hardware problems, you could have a dead hard drive. Without a BSOD hex code I really can't do anything but say reformat.

Cheers
Cameron

[757200ba]

Thank you for reply.its the second time this happends.Last month i played a bit with Linspire, just to see how it is,then i formated the HD and instaled the windows xp pro sp2.After a week or so, on reboot before loading the OS, the screen gets like a infinite scroll of the word "GRUBS".SO through the forum people told me that ( and i thanks all the opinions) it could be from the Linspire.So i download the tools from Western Digital , and applyed the write zeros test then i made fdisk and formated the HD. And it worked, no more Grubs.Today when i turned the Pc on, here we go GRUBS all over the place again.The only thing i have installed beside fs9, is AGV anti virus and antispyware, Outpost firewall,eMule,Alcohol, and the drievers from the sound board (AC97) and video card (7600 gt), ( i dont think is a conflict of programs???). My bios has been updated, after the first time this happend ( so i dont think the bios update was the reason).
Now what i was going to try was to use the "Active@ Killdisk" to clean it, and look for some tools to format the disk.My Windows has already a few years, could be the files that are currupted?? ( i have another pc with the same windows and nothing is wrong.
So this are the facts, but this time i got also a blue screen saying that - "there was a fail in the hardware or software, and that windows stoped, reboot could help if not contact vendor for hardware or software" - i dont know what that means.On the first time i hadnt nothing like it.
The tools from WD say that the hrd drive is ok ( i've done all the extensive tests they have).
I really dont know what else to do.
Many thanks for your help (sorry about my English)
Cheers

[Politically Incorrect]

Am I too understand that you were running Linux and then removed it and installed Windows?

From the sounds of it you didn't remove GRUB, which means you didn't reformat the entire hard drive. Did you only format a partition?

To totally get rid of GRUB you just need to rewrite the boot. Insert you Windows disc enter recovery mode and run fixboot in the command prompt.

[757200ba]

I,ve done more than that i used the write zeros tool wich write the entire HD. Thats why i dont know why it keep showing that.And after i used the write zero tool it was good for almost a month and know is back.
Many thanks

[Politically Incorrect]

not sure how the write zeros program works, but judging by the name understand what it is meant to do.

When you install GRUB, usually for dual install situation, it re-writes your boot files. My guess is that write zeros program doesn't touch the boot record, this I am not certain of.
If this is the case then GRUB will still be there. If you want to overwrite it do what I stated with a Windows Disc in recovery mode, it is the only way I know of to remove GRUB and the only way I have been successful in doing so.

Matter of fact the easiest way to return a Linux/Windows system to Windows only is to first run fixboot, fixmbr then delete your Linux install. Deleting your Linux install first will result in Linux being deleted but GRUB remaining, which too me sounds like your problem.

Sorry if I sound confusing, it isn't as difficult as I may make it seem.

[757200ba]

I understand, many thanks.On the first time this happend, another person from this forum told me to do that process, with the windows cd, repair the boot (bootfix) and repair the mbr.This is what i've done (this is copied from a pass post(might miss steps))

After the repair console boots to a DOS prompt, type the following...

C:\WINDOWS  

Type:
CD ..
FIXBOOT C:
FIXMBR
BOOTCFG /rebuild


The follow the directions to fix the Windows boot system once finished type  

EXIT

reboot


But it didnt work either.
Now some body told me to use this Active@kildisk saying that this will write( or erase ) the entire HD.
anybody knows this prog. i thank all ideas about it, and ofcoursse about this grub thing.
Many thanks for all your help.
Another thing that i saw in your posts is "when you install GRUB", well i havent install it.
Once again many thanks


Cheers

[Politically Incorrect]

Try running recovery console and only the FIXMBR command. Remove the Windows disc and reboot.

Another thing that i saw in your posts is "when you install GRUB", well i havent install it.

I was just explaining what happens. It is apparently installed on your hard drive otherwise you wouldn't be getting GRUB on screen, so it must have installed when you instaleld your Linspire.

And running a program that overwrites a hard drive with zeros can be a risky thing, you could kill the drive completely if not done right, low level formating is usually done by drive manufacturers so you may want to check their site to see if they offer a utility to do so safely.

Also like CT mentioned if you can get the BSOD code and post it, may help narrow down the problem.

[757200ba]

Whats that OBSD code you guys talk about. :-?.
Many thanks

[ctjoyce]

Whats that OBSD code you guys talk about. :-?.
Many thanks

Its B.S.O.D. Blue Screen of Death. And its the hex code at the bottom of the screen which gives you the exact error.

It will look something like this 0x0000001A. You don't need all the 0s though. Just the 0x and the last two characters so that you get something that looks like this 0x1A

If you get the BSOD screen for like a millasecond before the machine reboots then do this.
1: Boot the machine, and wait for it to POST.
2: Hold down the F8 key
3: Scroll to the option "Reboot after BSOD ENABLED" Hit enter
4: Boot into XP.

Now the BSOD stays until you manually hit your power button and restart.

Cheers
Cameron

[757200ba]

Thanks, i will get it next time it happends.
Many thanks.
At the moment im using the xp cd to boot,if the cd is there the pc will boot without the GRUB screen.Does this give you any ideas?
Many thnaks
Cheers


PS- if i get those numbers, is there any list that tells you what it is??

[Politically Incorrect]

Thanks, i will get it next time it happends.
Many thanks.
At the moment im using the xp cd to boot,if the cd is there the pc will boot without the GRUB screen.Does this give you any ideas?
Many thnaks
Cheers


PS- if i get those numbers, is there any list that tells you what it is??

Yes it does.
It tells me the GRUB Boot loader is still installed and needs to be removed by running Recovery Console as I described above
This is most likely why your getting the Blue Screen as well, your master boot record is all messed up and I would say Windows sees it as a dead hard drive.

[Nick N]

I went through this with you a few weeks ago and it got sorted out but you have 2 drives in that system and I suspect that one or both have the boot loader on their boot sector. I bet the 2nd drive has it and somehow your BIOS is getting reset and trying to boot from the 2nd drive where the loader is hidden

thats just a guess


good luck. I dont have time to go through it with you and just popped in to comment


I would bet the 2nd drive is somehow trying to boot

[Politically Incorrect]

I went through this with you a few weeks ago and it got sorted out but you have 2 drives in that system and I suspect that one or both have the boot loader on their boot sector. I bet the 2nd drive has it and somehow your BIOS is getting reset and trying to boot from the 2nd drive where the loader is hidden

thats just a guess


good luck. I dont have time to go through it with you and just popped in to comment


I would bet the 2nd drive is somehow trying to boot

AHH! I didn't know about the second hard drive....

[Nick N]

I went through this with you a few weeks ago and it got sorted out but you have 2 drives in that system and I suspect that one or both have the boot loader on their boot sector. I bet the 2nd drive has it and somehow your BIOS is getting reset and trying to boot from the 2nd drive where the loader is hidden

thats just a guess


good luck. I dont have time to go through it with you and just popped in to comment


I would bet the 2nd drive is somehow trying to boot

AHH! I didn't know about the second hard drive....

I knew as soon as you had gone through it with him and found out he has 2 drives in that system you would realize what was probably going on so i povided a 'clue'



at least now you know 'the REST of the story"


good luck