[K]Ubuntu: Grub and XP NTLDR missing

My scenario: I have three internal hardisks: 1TB WD (sda) and on 640GB (sdb) WD disks.  sdb is my boot disk, so I have an Windows XP 32bit, and Kubuntu 8.10 ( ) 64 bit. I also have an old 160GB ide disk (sdc). I’m running in AHCI mode.

After installing Kubuntu, Grub created entries for Kubuntu and Windows XP.

After reboot I can boot into Kubuntu but booting into Windows XP, it stoped with the dreaded NTLDR is missing…

Kubuntu install created this for booting windows:

# This entry automatically added by the Debian installer for a non-linux OS
# on /dev/sdb1
title           Microsoft Windows XP Professional
root            (hd1,0)
savedefault
map            (hd0) (hd1)
map            (hd1) (hd0)
chainloader     +1
Which doesn’t work. At boot it gives the above error: NTLDR is missing.

The solution? In my case all it took was to change to this:

# This entry automatically added by the Debian installer for a non-linux OS
# on /dev/sdb1
title           Microsoft Windows XP Professional
root            (hd1,0)
savedefault
chainloader     +1

Now it boots without any problem

(K)Ubuntu and Slow Grub Startup

After upgrading my Kubuntu version from CD, Grub started to behave strangely: After rebooting the machine it stopped for around 30s on the Phase 1.5 until the operating systems menu showed up. After selecting the operating system, another 30s until startup.

It took me a while to solve it. I followed some of the instructions that are on this post: http://forums.fedoraforum.org/archive/index.php/t-950.html

It’s not Ubuntu related, but Grub is Grub…

Anyhow, after booting and logged in, I opened a Konsole, and did the following:

1) sudo bash <- to get a administrator shell

2) Started up Grub: grub

3) And checked what is my boot disk (just to make sure): find /boot/grub/stage1

4) It looked ok, so I’ve ran: setup (hd0) (That’s a zero)

5) Quit Grub, and rebooted.

Problem solved…