[SOLVED]grub error 15

[mark9117]

Trying to install version 5 from usb sticks and dvd's. Having no joy.

Attempts using dvd and dvd image on a usb stick both proceed well until the installer gets down to business after configuring the partitions, then it throws the error above.

I can get the live dvd to boot, but attempting an install from there gets somewhere around 75% and halts with "unable to copy files to new root."

I have also been unable to install Mageia 3 and 4 from CD and live CD media. This system was running ver 3 quite happily before I decided to upgrade it this afternoon. Now, the thing is just not installing the OS - ANY OS.

Any suggestions out there?

Thanks.

Mark

[mark9117]

Finally got Mageia 5 to install from a live dvd by deleting the root partition and letting the installer work with free space to partition. On reboot it threw a Grub error 15.

I reinstalled the bootloader a couple of times and even reinstalled the whole distr, but the Grub error persists.

I'm thinking the hard drive has blow a boot sector.

Any other ideas out there?

Thank.

[benmc]

Hi Mark9117

i586 or x86?

If x86, are you attempting a UEFI install onto a MBR partition scheme HDD? - this is a no go situation. GPT only for UEFI.
Try the installation again but, disable the UEFI option in your bios if you are able.

If i586 and problems, try a 2nd HDD to prove the HDD is faulty or not. (if you have a spare)

I have a drive that I just cannot install to, installation fails as the /swap cannot be formatted and other stuff.
smarttools say the HDD is ok tho', go figure.

[gohlip]

o Do you have a separate /boot partition?
o Can you print out that entry of menu.lst?
o What partitions are what?
Meaning - need something like "fdisk -l" and your input
like - sda1 is windows recovery
-sda2 is windows
-sda3 is /boot ......etc

grub error 15 is not finding the right files to boot, usually (not always) means pointing to the wrong partition (and if /boot exists... root instead of boot, and if not, points to /vmlinuz... instead of /boot/vmlinuz....)
And that's why grub2 uses uuid, is far superior to grub-legacy and ... never mind... up to you.

[mark9117]

I appreciate the attention.

I did have a separate /boot partition. I wound up deleting all the system partitions (/boot, /root, /var, etc.) except for /home, and that allowed me to actually get the os installed, but it still wouldn't boot.

There is no UEFI involved - it's an older system.

I checked most of the issues that you described. I juggled sata cables until the serial device numbers were all correct (booting from sda1) and did everything I could find on the Internet as well as everything I could think of.

I have concluded that this is a disc with a faulty boot sector and have a new drive ordered. Regrettably, I have no spare on hand.

I believe I'm done with this system until the parts come in and I have some time to wrestle with it.

Again, I appreciate the replies.

Mark

[filip]

I have concluded that this is a disc with a faulty boot sector...

Hi Mark. You can check that with gsmartcontrol with any Live media.

It's in our repos.

[wintpe]

do you have more than one disk.

ive seen a similar scenario that drove me mad.

where i installed mga5 on the second disk, and then deleted the contents of the first disk.

I could get noware with re-installing the bootblock , and had to wipe both disks. and yes grub error was the issue.

Im not suggesting you do that but if theres a second disk, make sure its not connected as a process of elimination

regards peter

[mark9117]

do you have more than one disk.

ive seen a similar scenario that drove me mad.

where i installed mga5 on the second disk, and then deleted the contents of the first disk.

I could get noware with re-installing the bootblock , and had to wipe both disks. and yes grub error was the issue.

Im not suggesting you do that but if theres a second disk, make sure its not connected as a process of elimination

regards peter

So yeah, as it turns out this is the trouble.

I have 2 additional drives in that system. I can boot with only the system disc attached to SATA1, but attaching either of the other two drives on any SATA connection causes the "grub error 15."

There is media content on those drives I would like to save, but it looks like I'm going to have to pull those drives and mount them in a exterior enclosure to get them backed up and reformatted.

This is not the way planned to spend my weekend.

Thanks for the info Peter. I'm going to work on this some more while I've got a little time.

Mark

[mark9117]

I am in the process of backing up data on the second data disc in the system. I am loading the discs via an external usb enclosure connected to my backup server. The first data disc was a single half-gig partition. I blew it away and tried to reformat a new partition. The partition manager was unable to get it formatted - device not recognized. I'm pretty sure that's a bad hard drive.

The second disc is a 1TB model that is divided into 2 equal-sized partitions. I blew one partition away and tried to rebuild and reformat it. Result was exactly the same as the first disc. I'm backing up the media on the second drive (it's not mythtv recordings, it's movies ripped, purchased, etc.) and then I'll try to get it reinstalled in the HTPC. If it still won't get passed the Grub error 15, I'll scrap and replace both drives.

How does that happen? All I did was try to upgrade the OS.

Well, at least drives in this size are reasonably priced.

Thanks again guys.

Mark

[gohlip]

When using grub-legacy, and there is more than one drive, when booting error, try with another drive number
so, say it wont boot with "root (hd0,1)", then use "root (hd1,1)" or "root (hd2,1)".

That's because bios may allocate different device mapping at different boots (boot times); you won't have this problem using grub2 (doesn't use device mapping to boot).

ps: may not be a bad drive, do not throw away yet.

[mark9117]

When using grub-legacy, and there is more than one drive, when booting error, try with another drive number
so, say it wont boot with "root (hd0,1)", then use "root (hd1,1)" or "root (hd2,1)".

That's because bios may allocate different device mapping at different boots (boot times); you won't have this problem using grub2 (doesn't use device mapping to boot).

ps: may not be a bad drive, do not throw away yet.

So, you're saying I should juggle the cables again?

Or are you suggesting I implement Grub2?

Mark

[jiml8]

Your BIOS should enable you to select your boot drive; you certainly do not have to move the other drives to external enclosures.

My workstation has a history that goes back, and back, and back. To 1997, in fact. Along the way, the box has had as many as 7 hard drives in it, and I never have booted from the first one (for historical reasons). But I was always able to tell the BIOS which drive to use.

Presently, the box has two SSDs and two hard drives in it, and I boot from sdc1. No problem. Just set it properly in BIOS.

[gohlip]

No, not giggle or move.
Just change grub (hd0,x) to (hd1,x) etc....

You may try out each time you boot.

Yes, personally its' best to use grub2.
I loved grub-legacy when it replaced lilo. great stuff. just that grub2 is much better. again without flaming, just my personal opinion.

[mark9117]

No, not giggle or move.
Just change grub (hd0,x) to (hd1,x) etc....

You may try out each time you boot.

You're talking about editing a grub file? What, menu.lst?
That's going to be a bit onerous since the machine won't boot to anything but error 15.

Please clarify.

[mark9117]

Your BIOS should enable you to select your boot drive; you certainly do not have to move the other drives to external enclosures.

My workstation has a history that goes back, and back, and back. To 1997, in fact. Along the way, the box has had as many as 7 hard drives in it, and I never have booted from the first one (for historical reasons). But I was always able to tell the BIOS which drive to use.

Presently, the box has two SSDs and two hard drives in it, and I boot from sdc1. No problem. Just set it properly in BIOS.

Okay, I hadn't thought of that. Let me give that a whirl.

[gohlip]

No, not giggle or move.
Just change grub (hd0,x) to (hd1,x) etc....

You may try out each time you boot.

You're talking about editing a grub file? What, menu.lst?
That's going to be a bit onerous since the machine won't boot to anything but error 15.

Please clarify.

Yes, understand and know that. Correct. But at boot menu, press 'e' and amend and boot.
I have not used grub-legacy for like 7 years, but I think it's 'e'; check at bottom of grub menu how to edit (and boot). I think it's 'b' to boot.
ps: I used Mageia many years, but always set to use grub2.

ps: jim's setup may not work for you. you need setting master and slave and if more than 2 drives, it is still "iffy".

[jiml8]

Master and Slave is gone with IDE drives. I don't know if those drives are still made, and even now an "older" system probably is SATA. Also, I think OP indicated it; he rearranged the "serial" cables.

Even if PATA, he can still select his boot drive, so long as it is a master drive. And in that event he has a hard limit of 4 drives (including optical drives) anyway.

[gohlip]

Master and Slave is gone with IDE drives. I don't know if those drives are still made, and even now an "older" system probably is SATA. Also, I think OP indicated it; he rearranged the "serial" cables.

Even if PATA, he can still select his boot drive, so long as it is a master drive. And in that event he has a hard limit of 4 drives (including optical drives) anyway.

Correct. But do you have any any one time (you had 7 drives) more than 2 drives and if Mageia is not in the "master" (point taken), it will still be a problem getting the right (hdx) 'x' not an '0'.
Hope you can see my point also.

{edit] - yes, I thought you had ide, 1997 sata cables would be very new then.

[mark9117]

Okay, thought I posted this about an hour ago.

The issue was as Pete suspected, the system drive was not set as the first hard drive in the boot chain.

Fixed that and the issue resolve.

It's been a long time since I've had to grub around in BIOS. Thanks much for the patience and the help.

Mark

[jiml8]

Master and Slave is gone with IDE drives. I don't know if those drives are still made, and even now an "older" system probably is SATA. Also, I think OP indicated it; he rearranged the "serial" cables.

Even if PATA, he can still select his boot drive, so long as it is a master drive. And in that event he has a hard limit of 4 drives (including optical drives) anyway.

Correct. But do you have any any one time (you had 7 drives) more than 2 drives and if Mageia is not in the "master" (point taken), it will still be a problem getting the right (hdx) 'x' not an '0'.
Hope you can see my point also.

{edit] - yes, I thought you had ide, 1997 sata cables would be very new then.

I used SCSI up until last fall. Even today, for most purposes, parallel SCSI is faster than SATA. The SCSI subsystem was becoming old, and all the current batch of drives were getting a lot of time on them, so I decided to move to SSDs. Five SCSI drives became two SSDs.