PCLOS2009.1 & Vista dual-boot confusion

So I installed PCLOS2009.1 on my laptop. I was surprised when I rebooted & went straight into the PCLOS grub menu.

I wanted to use EasyBCD. But they tell me over at the PCLOS forum I overwrote Vista's MBR. In case I'm not making sense here's the link: http://www.pclinuxos.com/index.php?option=com_smf&Itemid=58&topic=55640.new#new

Right now I can boot into Vista or PCLOS2009.1 using grub. I want to repair the Vista MBR & use EasyBCD. My laptop came with Vista & a Recovery partition. It's definitely user error. But I'd like to make a PCLOS remaster. And have instructions how to restore the Vista MBR. And finally know which partition labeled as sda, sda5, sda7 or whatever is really /root. Cause it doesn't say root. I still don't know. Then I could reinstall PCLOS from my remaster not destroying Vista's MBR & use EasyBCD. Any help towards this goal would be appreciated.

 

There's only one MBR for each disk.

When you install Linux, it rewrites the MBR to point to GRUB by default, and AFAIK there's no way to avoid this unless PCLOS is somehow special. You can't install Vista after Linux either to get Vista's bootloader, because it's incapable of recognizing Linux, meaning you're pretty much stuck with GRUB if you want to dual-boot.

 

Hello zapjb,
firstly did you create more than one linux partiton? for example seprate home?
1. ask at the pclinuxos forums which tools in pclinuxos will display which parition the root partition is and what its label is for example sda5
2. ask at the pclinux forums how to install grub to the root partition of pclinuxos. once you have installed grub to the root partiton go to step 3.
3. write down what partition the root partition is for example sda5. also remember the partition location and size. in other words when adding the entire in easybcd it wont be called for example sda5.
4. boot up windows use easybcd to reinstall the vista bootloader.
5. go to the add/remove entries tab.
6. click on the linux tab. make sure the type is "grub"
7. type a name you want it to appear as in the bootloader for example "pclinuxos"
8. open the drop down menu next to drive: click on the linux root partition. btw earlier the reason i said to write down trhe size of the partition is so that is it easier to locate for this step. click on add entrie once done.
9. final step click on save at the top of that window.
10. when you reboot you will have the windows vista bootloader with two entries microsoft windows vista and what ever you called pclinuxos.
when you select pclinuxos you will be taken to grub to start pclinuxos.

i hope this helps. feel free to ask questions.

 

On XP, you could run fixmbr /r to restore mbr. Maybe the same thing on Vista. GRUB will be gone then. You won't be able to boot into pclinuxos that way. Then, install the bootloader of your choice and make sure you list down all the operating systems you want the bootloader to find and boot.
Mrk

 

Even after I can repair the Vista bootloader or as proposed at PCLOS, I put grub in the root partition 1st. As silly as this sounds I don't know which partition is root (where PCLOS is installed). Because & my heads hurting no Linux for a year & back about a month. The partitions are labeled sda, sda5, sda6, sda7. I have no idea which is root.

 

Time to venture some more of my possibly very incorrect half-knowledge (in the hopes that someone will step up and correct me!).

I believe there's no such thing as a "/root partition" in ext3, and what you do instead is choose a mountpoint for a partition. I looked through the tutorial, and AFAIK the correct way to do it is to select which partition you want to install PCLOS to – it doesn't matter which one – and then tell the partition editor to mount that partition as /root.

Partitions are distinguished apart only by their /dev/sdxx names, and each partition can have any mointpoint (/root, /usr, /home, etc) that you please.

Correct? Wrong?

 

Correct. you do the partitioning then set one of them as /root

 

1. I just followed the install defaults afair. So that'd be what: swap, home & root. Does that sound right?

2. Then Vista wouldn't boot, no grub, destroyed Vista bootloader. No way to get to EasyBCD. Right or wrong?

The rest is moot until Vista's MBR & bootloader are restored. And of course grub is in the root partition of PCLOS. Or am I not seeing it right?

 

Hello,
is there any reason why you want to use the vista bootloader?
have you setup pclinuxos yet? as in installed programs setup to your liking etc?
if not i reccomend you reinstall the vistabootloader using easybcd and then reinstall pclinuxos and this time during installation choose the advanced bootloader options and choose to install the bootloader on the partition you selected as / aka root

unless there is any special reason you want to use the vista bootloader i would simply stick with using grub since it already works. idont see any need to complicate the situation.
I surgest reading Mrkvonic 's execellent grub tutorials if you wish to boot more than two operating systems.

 

This doesn't help any now, but this is why I prefer to use separate HDs, one for Win and one for Linux, both completely clean of each other, and then boot from a BIOS menu. I actually unplug the Win HD when I install Linux, so that nothing touches the Win disk. Perhaps a thought for next time...

 

Its not that I want to use Vista's bootloader. But afaik now if I want subract PCLOS I'll lose the bootloader. And since the Vista bootloader is already overwrote. Vista will then not boot. But if I use EasyBCD as the bootloader
I'd be free subract or add distros as I see fit.

How? Using EasyBCD Diagnostics Center. Then what, Recreate missing/deleted boot files? Or Reset EasyBCD storage? I don't know what that means. And then Rescue my system, is that like an apply/ok button? Or are these 3 seperate actions? And is Recreate missing/deleted boot files 100% or very hit or miss? Analogous to Acronis True Image. And will it ask for my Vista CD? And do I have the right one from the manufacturer? Not all Vista CD from the computer makers have the same functionality. And is it safe to use a PCLOS remaster of my current configuration to reinstall PCLOS if & when I accomplish rebuilding Vista's bootloader? And I still am lost where to install grub to root, when root is not listed as root during install.

Thanks all, I'm trying not to sound nuts. But am I am succeeding? lol. Anyways looking forward to more help. I obviously still don't understand no matter what I've read & reread:
1. How to reinstall/repair Vista's bootloader & or MBR using or not using EasyBCD.
2. How to install grub to root.

 

Can you run Vista from the Grub menu? If so, go to the Internet and download and install VistaBootPro. This program will allow you to restore Vista's MBR plus add PCLos to your Vista boot menu.

If you can't boot Vista, then post the contents of the file /boot/grub/menu.lst and we'll tell you how to modify it so that you can boot Vista.

 

Hi, this link might be useful for dual booting.
http://apcmag.com/how_to_dualboot_vista_with_linux_vista_installed_first.htm

Some lap-top require pressing F10 etc. to boot from recovery environment. Before installing Linux its best to backup your First Track of your hard disk using imaging program, e.g. Paragon. If you want to restore back your original MBR (vista boot loader etc.) it’s easier by just restoring it.

 

Hi zapjb,

for repairing the vista bootloader boot from your vista dvd and run the command
bootsect.exe /nt60 c:
Then you can use EasyBCD to add the PClinuxOS in the Vista's bootloader menu.

Panagiotis

 

He doesn't have a Vista DVD. He has a Recovery partition he can't access.

 

Oops...

He can get a stripped recovery vista CD from here
http://neosmart.net/blog/2008/windows-vista-recovery-disc-download/
http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file/fid,71039/description.html

 

Fwiw this is what I plan to do now: nothing. Just take notes, study my situation. Ask questions. Enjoy the fact as some have pointed out, both OS's boot. But when I've got PCLOS further personalized. I going to make a Remaster, test it. Then try to fix Vista bootloader through EasyBCD first: http://neosmart.net/wiki/display/EBCD/Recovering the Vista Bootloader with EasyBCD It that fails then I'll try through a Vista DVD repair: http://neosmart.net/wiki/display/EBCD/Recovering the Vista Bootloader from the DVD . Then I'll try to reinstall grub to sda5, but I'm not sure how to do that.

 

Unless you are very knowledgeable about EasyBCE, I'd strongly recommend you download a copy of VistaBootPro. It is free and makes the job of handling Vista booting much easier.

As to putting grub on sda5, which I assume is the root partition for your Linux install, the entire Grub Manual can be found here and the pertinent section here.

 

Well the 2 articles I mentioned are straight forward enough.

Also VistaBootPRO isn't free anymore License Types:

http://www.vistabootpro.org/index.php/site/information/license_types

The version that is free is 2yrs old.

 

It may be two years old but it still works and is much better than trying to edit EasyBCD manually.

 

Hello lewmur,
easybcd is a very easy to use GUI front end for BCD (boot configuration data)
see my screenshot post 3.