Bootloader can't boot Windows after installing PC-BSD 8.2

[Kalero]

Hi family,

I've installed PC-BSD 8.2 on a netbook with a single hard disk and, before installing the system, I created 1 partition for that, so my partition table is similar to this:

ada0s1: Netbook full recovery partition
ada0s2: 100 MB Windows 7 system reserved
ada0s3: Windows 7
ada0s4: PC-BSD 8.2

Now, the problem is that after installing PC-BSD (of course installing bootloader) I can't boot Windows 7. When bootloader starts it shows something similar to this:

F1: ?
F2: Win
F3: Win
F4: FreeBSD

F5: PXE (What is this?)

Then, if I select "F4: FreeBSD" PC-BSD 8.2 boots perfectly, but if I select "F3: Win" the next message is shown:

BOOTMGR is missing
press ctrl + alt + delete to restart

What could I do to have a dual-boot between Windows 7 and PC-BSD 8.2? I think if I fix the Windows boot or the MBR with the Windows repair utilities (that also I can't boot from bootloader pushing F2) bootloader will be erased and I won't be able to boot PC-BSD, and if I do nothing I can't boot Windows 7

Thanks for help and congratulations for this project

[Juju]

Hello Kalero.

Take a look at:

http://www.linuxbsdos.com/2011/02/28...and-windows-7/

Good luck.

--
Juju

[Skull Fire]

not all windows installs have it, but when that 100mb partition is there it acts like a boot partition. so in your case i would push f2. now you say that is not working. . .

do you have a usa style keyboard ? if you push f2 do you see a "#" symbal or something else ?

the pc-bsd bootloader is quite simple and usually if perfect for single hard drives as it will see and boot the 4 primary partitions.

as you cant boot into windows you cant install easyBCD, so i would try the gag bootloader if all else fails. more info here:
http://forums.pcbsd.org/showthread.php?t=14271

regardless of which bootloader you choose you will want to select that 100mb windows partition to boot from. you will never boot from the main windows partition.
edit: f1,f2,f3, and f4 represent your partitions. selecting the ones that contain the boot files for each installed system generally works quite well. if your not sure of your keyboard layout, then try pushing random keys.

[Kalero]

Hi again,

juju and Skull Fire, thanks for your replies, nice to meet you =)

I've just fixed the Windows 7 startup with bootrec.exe /fixboot and bootrec.exe /fixmbr from the recovery disc (and I have to reinstall PC-BSD because an attempt to setup my wifi device with the graphical application has erased some configuration files), so now I can boot Windows! But now I have a dilemma! I'm between using EasyBCD or GAG... I work with a netbook (these small laptops), specifically a Sony Vaio VPCW12J1E, with a single hard drive containing the partitions listed above (I use auto-partitioning in PC-BSD installation, so I think I have all PC-BSD slices on one partition: ada0s4). What do you recommend?

PS: Skull Fire, I use a spanish style keyboard, but I think that the numbers (0-9) and the function keys (F1-F12) not differ of an english keyboard layout.

[Juju]

Hello and you're welcome Kalero.

I'm not familiar with GAG or EasyBCD (I use Grub2 and, sometimes, Extlinux).

Nevertheless, I would suggest that you go with the one that you understand best and that you find easiest to use at this time.

Good luck.

--
Juju

[Skull Fire]

i like gag because it can work simply and can be installed, and reinstalled very easy once the iso is burned to cd. it works similiar to the pc-bsd bootloader in that it simply tries to boot which ever partition you select it to, it doesnt require any special configuration. its not very beautiful but it works perfectly. also i like there is no countdown timer, so i can turn on the computer and i dont need to wait for a boot menu and dont need to hurry to make a selection, i can go get a drink or whatever and make my selection when i come back. it does work across multiple hard drives if need be. you may have issues setting gag up if you are not using a usa style keyboard.

the easybcd is nice because it is actually using the windows bootloader, it is not its own bootloader. by default windows is the first choice on a 30 second timer, though the default is easily changed. it is reasonably easy to setup. i have encountered issues where it did not always work across multiple hard drives. i have had other issues, where through updates or some other unknown reason i cant edit the boot menu after windows 7 has been in use for sometime, but i have not worked very hard to find the answer why.

these days i am using grub legacy to boot into windows and pc-bsd, though fedora and opensuse are the only major names i am aware of still using it. and for me it is simply because i can use the advance settings during install of those systems to set all primary partitions as a possible boot partiton, no matter if i change the systems or not, so long as the primary remains the same.i just name the partition instead of an actual operating system name, because i may change systems around later. i believe grub legacy would be awsome if it could be integrated into pc-bsd's installer because it can boot all bsd's, linux, and windows quite easily, and across multiple hard drives.

[Juju]

... i believe grub legacy would be awsome if it could be integrated into pc-bsd's installer because it can boot all bsd's, linux, and windows quite easily, and across multiple hard drives.

Grub legacy doesn't work with gpt partitioned disks (unless you hack it) and is no longer developed or supported by the authors.

Grub2 appears complicated because of the excess verbiage that the FreeBSD installer adds to the "/boot/grub/grub.cfg" file. However, all you really need is a three line stanza for each OS you desire to boot.

For example:

menuentry "PC-BSD 9.0 (/boot/loader)" {
    set root='(/dev/label/rootfs0)'
    search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 4db93565c317a722
    kfreebsd /boot/loader
}

--
Juju

[tankist]

I am wondering what Grub2 entry I need for my PC BSD 9 Current installation on GPT partition (automatic partitioning by PC BSD installer).

Disk info:

gdisk -l /dev/sdb
GPT fdisk (gdisk) version 0.7.1

Partition table scan:
MBR: protective
BSD: not present
APM: not present
GPT: present

Found valid GPT with protective MBR; using GPT.
Disk /dev/sdb: 586072368 sectors, 279.5 GiB
Logical sector size: 512 bytes
Disk identifier (GUID): C9ADF6CB-782F-11E0-B3F4-1C6F65D77750
Partition table holds up to 128 entries
First usable sector is 34, last usable sector is 586072334
Partitions will be aligned on 8-sector boundaries
Total free space is 10349 sectors (5.1 MiB)

Number Start (sector) End (sector) Size Code Name
1 34 161 64.0 KiB A501
2 2016 4196319 2.0 GiB A503
3 4196320 24086495 9.5 GiB A502
4 24086496 28280799 2.0 GiB A503
5 28280800 586063839 266.0 GiB A503


Partitions info:

Command (? for help): i
Partition number (1-5): 1
Partition GUID code: 83BD6B9D-7F41-11DC-BE0B-001560B84F0F (FreeBSD boot)
Partition unique GUID: C9B4AFFF-782F-11E0-B3F4-1C6F65D77750
First sector: 34 (at 17.0 KiB)
Last sector: 161 (at 80.5 KiB)
Partition size: 128 sectors (64.0 KiB)
Attribute flags: 0000000000000000
Partition name: ''

Command (? for help): i
Partition number (1-5): 2
Partition GUID code: 516E7CB6-6ECF-11D6-8FF8-00022D09712B (FreeBSD UFS)
Partition unique GUID: CA22F60D-782F-11E0-B3F4-1C6F65D77750
First sector: 2016 (at 1008.0 KiB)
Last sector: 4196319 (at 2.0 GiB)
Partition size: 4194304 sectors (2.0 GiB)
Attribute flags: 0000000000000000
Partition name: ''


TIA,
Andrew

[tankist]

Solved the problem by following instructions from here:

http://www.isysop.com/installing-gru...pt-partitions/

My layout: Ubuntu 11.04 installed on disc 1, PC BSD is installed on disc 2, both with GPT partitioning.

The following commands are run from Ubuntu to create a grub2 entry for PC BSD:

Check PC BSD disk layout:

sudo gdisk -l /dev/sdb
GPT fdisk (gdisk) version 0.7.1

Partition table scan:
MBR: protective
BSD: not present
APM: not present
GPT: present

Found valid GPT with protective MBR; using GPT.
Disk /dev/sdb: 586072368 sectors, 279.5 GiB
Logical sector size: 512 bytes
Disk identifier (GUID): C9ADF6CB-782F-11E0-B3F4-1C6F65D77750
Partition table holds up to 128 entries
First usable sector is 34, last usable sector is 586072334
Partitions will be aligned on 8-sector boundaries
Total free space is 10349 sectors (5.1 MiB)

Number Start (sector) End (sector) Size Code Name
1 34 161 64.0 KiB A501
2 2016 4196319 2.0 GiB A503
3 4196320 24086495 9.5 GiB A502
4 24086496 28280799 2.0 GiB A503
5 28280800 586063839 266.0 GiB A503


We need to use partition 2, find out its UUID:

sudo grub-probe -d --target=fs_uuid /dev/sdb2
4dc47576d57a6b8c


Create the following entry in the /boot/grub/grub.cfg:

menuentry "PC BSD 9 current" {
insmod ufs2
set root='(hd1,2)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 4dc47576d57a6b8c
kfreebsd /boot/loader
}


It boots PC BSD just fine, though there is a complaint about missing arguments.

[Juju]

Hello Andrew.

Somehow, I missed your first message.

Anyways, I'm glad you figured it out on your own, it's always the best way to learn -- even if some times painful.

Going slightly off-topic, what is the exact error message and at what stage of booting with Grub2 does it pop-up?

--
Juju