Updated bios, now windows won't boot but linux will

[Gumper]

Ok so i just updated to the latest bios for my SN25P, version fn25s02a.bin, and everything seemed to go ok but apparently something must have went wrong. I can't get it to boot into windows. I get a message on the screen saying that windows wasn't able to start correctly the last time or something like that and it asks me if I'd like to load the last know good settings. I select that option but all that happens is the system reboots after a little while. I also tried the option of loading safe settings but that didn't help either.

This machine also has Kubuntu on it and I'm able to boot to that without any problems. That would make me believe that the bios is ok. Correct?

I also have a BIOS Savior on this system and if I go back to the previous bios, windows loads without any problems.

Any ideas why I'm having this problem with windows?

Thanks

[eastbay]

Perhaps the default settings of the new BIOS are not the same as the old.
Every time I start changing settings I wish that I had a print out of all the settings, all the options so I could
mark it up with what I changed.  My GUESS is there is some sort of disk I/O setting that is different.

[hnyman]

Ok so i just updated to the latest bios for my SN25P, version fn25s02a.bin, and everything seemed to go ok but apparently something must have went wrong. I can't get it to boot into windows. I get a message on the screen saying that windows wasn't able to start correctly the last time or something like that and it asks me if I'd like to load the last know good settings. I select that option but all that happens is the system reboots after a little while. I also tried the option of loading safe settings but that didn't help either.

This machine also has Kubuntu on it and I'm able to boot to that without any problems. That would make me believe that the bios is ok. Correct?

I also have a BIOS Savior on this system and if I go back to the previous bios, windows loads without any problems.

Any ideas why I'm having this problem with windows?

Thanks

My advice assumes that your reading is correct that as Linux boots well, there is nothing really wrong with the hardware, just with WinXP. I also assume that you set all BIOS options to be identical, so there is no "easy mistake" to be corrected.

My guess is that something in the new BIOS changes how the hardware is reported to Windows. Might be e.g. disk drives look different (not in ACHI mode any more or something like that).

You might try to "repair install" Windows XP. It will maintain all your programs etc, but will reset hardware settings. (Your would need to reinstall the servcice packs and updates, but your personal programs and data would be intact. If all goes well. I have done that twice without problems.)

Please see my previous message about XP repair install.
http://www.sudhian.com/index.php?/forums/viewpost/614191/
(The message is mostly related to installing SATA/ACHI/NCQ drivers to existing XP, but also includes description of "repair install" and links to more information.)

[Gumper]

My advice assumes that your reading is correct that as Linux boots well, there is nothing really wrong with the hardware, just with WinXP. I also assume that you set all BIOS options to be identical, so there is no "easy mistake" to be corrected.

My guess is that something in the new BIOS changes how the hardware is reported to Windows. Might be e.g. disk drives look different (not in ACHI mode any more or something like that).

You might try to "repair install" Windows XP. It will maintain all your programs etc, but will reset hardware settings. (Your would need to reinstall the servcice packs and updates, but your personal programs and data would be intact. If all goes well. I have done that twice without problems.)

Please see my previous message about XP repair install.
http://www.sudhian.com/index.php?/forums/viewpost/614191/
(The message is mostly related to installing SATA/ACHI/NCQ drivers to existing XP, but also includes description of "repair install" and links to more information.)

I believe that it's something with XP also and not the BIOS. If the BIOS was trashed I shouldn't be able to boot to Linux, and I can without problem. I thought about doing as you suggested and trying the "repair install" for XP. If I do this, do you know if it changes the MBR? I'm affraid that I won't be able to boot into Linux if this happens and I'm not sure how to fix that. I currently have Grub loader that starts at boot and I can select which OS to go into.

I think before I do anything I'm going to go over my BIOS settings really well and compare them with what I have when I load my other BIOS from BIOS Savior to see if anything shows up. Can you suggest any settings that I should concentrate on?

Thanks for all the help.

[tino]

Repairing windos should't do anything to the MBR however it is really easy to just install GRUB on its own if you have to.

If you copy the config you currently have for GRUB before you try and repair windows. All you will need to do is write it again and copy that config file over.

I'll write the instructions you need to do this later when im at my Linux PC. If you wish.

tino

[Maturin]

Perhaps the default settings of the new BIOS are not the same as the old.
Every time I start changing settings I wish that I had a print out of all the settings, all the options so I could
mark it up with what I changed.  My GUESS is there is some sort of disk I/O setting that is different.

Not sure, but my guess is the same. Try clearing cmos and using default settings, in case you havent.

So Safe Mode does not work? On what file does it error?

Are your drives set up in raid formation?

[Gumper]

Repairing windos should't do anything to the MBR however it is really easy to just install GRUB on its own if you have to.

If you copy the config you currently have for GRUB before you try and repair windows. All you will need to do is write it again and copy that config file over.

I'll write the instructions you need to do this later when im at my Linux PC. If you wish.

tino

Hello Tino,

I would greatly appreciated it if you could write down the instructions. I'd hate to mess something up.....more that it already is  :bug:

[Gumper]

Perhaps the default settings of the new BIOS are not the same as the old.
Every time I start changing settings I wish that I had a print out of all the settings, all the options so I could
mark it up with what I changed.  My GUESS is there is some sort of disk I/O setting that is different.

Not sure, but my guess is the same. Try clearing cmos and using default settings, in case you havent.

So Safe Mode does not work? On what file does it error?

Are your drives set up in raid formation?

I did try clearing the cmos. I removed the power from the wall and held the clear cmos button for 30 seconds. I also loaded the default settings in the bios. Should I try the failsafe settings?

Concerning safe mode, that was one of the options available on the screen that appeared. As for the file that errors, I'm not sure. All I can tell you is that when it started to boot a message appeared that took up the whole screen and said something like this". We sorry for the inconvenience but ...... I can't remember all the details but it basically said that windows didn't shut down properly the last time and then it gave me the option of loading the last know good settings, start normally or start in safe mode. None of them worked.

[eastbay]

With the speed of the processors that we are used to 'waiting' for boot can look like frozen.
I've worked on machines that I booted to "SAFE" mode with all the stuff that appears on the screen,
and left the machine for HOURS - and eventually it loads up. I don't have a clue why it takes so long.
But booting to safe and then walking away for an hour or so can't 'hurt'.
There is another 'problem' solver that has its own pitfalls.
You can use the XP install CD as a boot cd and 'repair' windows. You should google for the steps to do this.
The problem is that your machine is probably SP2 and your CD might not be. It DOES make a difference.

[tino]

Hello Tino,

I would greatly appreciated it if you could write down the instructions. I'd hate to mess something up.....more that it already is  :bug:

This will restore grub if you already had grub installed but lost it to a windows install or some other occurence that erased/changed your MBR so that grub no longer appears at start up or it returns an error.

(This how to is written for Ubuntu but should work on other systems. The only thing to take note of, when you see "sudo" that will mean to you that the following command should be entered at a root terminal.)

Boot into the live Ubuntu cd. This can be the live installer cd or the older live session Ubuntu cds.

When you get to the desktop open a terminal and enter. (I am going to give you the commands and then I will explain them later)

sudo grub

This will get you a "grub>" prompt (i.e. the grub shell). At grub>. enter these commands

find /boot/grub/stage1

This will return a location. If you have more than one, select the installation that you want to provide the grub files.
Next, THIS IS IMPORTANT, whatever was returned for the find command use it in the next line (you are still at grub>. when you enter the next 3 commands)

root (hd?,?)

Again use the value from the find command i.e. if find returned (hd0,1) then you would enter root (hd0,1)

Next enter the command to install grub to the mbr

setup (hd0)

Finally exit the grub shell

quit

That is it. Grub will be installed to the mbr.
When you reboot, you will have the grub menu at startup.

Now the explanation.
Sudo grub gets you the grub shell.
Find /boot/grub/stage1 has grub locate the file stage1. What this does is tell us where grub's files are. Only a small part of grub is located on the mbr, the rest of grub is in your boot folder. Grub needs those files to run the setup. So you find the files and then you tell grub where to locate the files it will need for setup.
So root (hd?,?) tells grub it's files are on that partition.
Finally setup (hd0) tells grub to setup on hd0. When you give grub the parameter hd0 with no following value for a partition, grub will use the mbr. hd0 is the grub label for the first drive's mbr.
Quit will exit you from the grub shell.

From this resource here

If there are any problems let me know and I can mostly likely talk you through 'most' of them.

[Gumper]

Thanks for taking the time Tino. It will probably be a while till I get to try this.