Windows XP disappeared from GRUB boot menu

[lavadisco]

Tried to boot into XP today, but it's not listed in the GRUB boot order anymore. Anybody know what might have happened and how to fix it? Data on the windows partition is still accessible from within Ubuntu, so everything appears to still be there.

[michy99]

Post the output of these commands.

sudo fdisk -l
cat /boot/grub/menu.lst

[lavadisco]

sudo fdisk -l gives:

Disk /dev/sda: 200.0 GB, 200049647616 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 24321 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x1a94cc13

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 1 20972 168457558+ 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda2 20973 24321 26900842+ 5 Extended
/dev/sda5 20973 24177 25744131 83 Linux
/dev/sda6 24178 24321 1156648+ 82 Linux swap / Solaris

And cat /boot/grub/menu.lst:

# menu.lst - See: grub(8), info grub, update-grub(8)
# grub-install(8), grub-floppy(8),
# grub-md5-crypt, /usr/share/doc/grub
# and /usr/share/doc/grub-doc/.

## default num
# Set the default entry to the entry number NUM. Numbering starts from 0, and
# the entry number 0 is the default if the command is not used.
#
# You can specify 'saved' instead of a number. In this case, the default entry
# is the entry saved with the command 'savedefault'.
# WARNING: If you are using dmraid do not use 'savedefault' or your
# array will desync and will not let you boot your system.
default 0

## timeout sec
# Set a timeout, in SEC seconds, before automatically booting the default entry
# (normally the first entry defined).
timeout 10

## hiddenmenu
# Hides the menu by default (press ESC to see the menu)
#hiddenmenu

# Pretty colours
#color cyan/blue white/blue

## password ['--md5'] passwd
# If used in the first section of a menu file, disable all interactive editing
# control (menu entry editor and command-line) and entries protected by the
# command 'lock'
# e.g. password topsecret
# password --md5 $1$gLhU0/$aW78kHK1QfV3P2b2znUoe/
# password topsecret

#
# examples
#
# title Windows 95/98/NT/2000
# root (hd0,0)
# makeactive
# chainloader +1
#
# title Linux
# root (hd0,1)
# kernel /vmlinuz root=/dev/hda2 ro
#

#
# Put static boot stanzas before and/or after AUTOMAGIC KERNEL LIST

### BEGIN AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST
## lines between the AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST markers will be modified
## by the debian update-grub script except for the default options below

## DO NOT UNCOMMENT THEM, Just edit them to your needs

## ## Start Default Options ##
## default kernel options
## default kernel options for automagic boot options
## If you want special options for specific kernels use kopt_x_y_z
## where x.y.z is kernel version. Minor versions can be omitted.
## e.g. kopt=root=/dev/hda1 ro
## kopt_2_6_8=root=/dev/hdc1 ro
## kopt_2_6_8_2_686=root=/dev/hdc2 ro
# kopt=root=UUID=838fec2b-6f58-49a2-a8f1-73e890cc86df ro

## default grub root device
## e.g. groot=(hd0,0)
# groot=838fec2b-6f58-49a2-a8f1-73e890cc86df

## should update-grub create alternative automagic boot options
## e.g. alternative=true
## alternative=false
# alternative=true

## should update-grub lock alternative automagic boot options
## e.g. lockalternative=true
## lockalternative=false
# lockalternative=false

## additional options to use with the default boot option, but not with the
## alternatives
## e.g. defoptions=vga=791 resume=/dev/hda5
# defoptions=quiet splash

## should update-grub lock old automagic boot options
## e.g. lockold=false
## lockold=true
# lockold=false

## Xen hypervisor options to use with the default Xen boot option
# xenhopt=

## Xen Linux kernel options to use with the default Xen boot option
# xenkopt=console=tty0

## altoption boot targets option
## multiple altoptions lines are allowed
## e.g. altoptions=(extra menu suffix) extra boot options
## altoptions=(recovery) single
# altoptions=(recovery mode) single

## controls how many kernels should be put into the menu.lst
## only counts the first occurence of a kernel, not the
## alternative kernel options
## e.g. howmany=all
## howmany=7
# howmany=all

## specify if running in Xen domU or have grub detect automatically
## update-grub will ignore non-xen kernels when running in domU and vice versa
## e.g. indomU=detect
## indomU=true
## indomU=false
# indomU=detect

## should update-grub create memtest86 boot option
## e.g. memtest86=true
## memtest86=false
# memtest86=true

## should update-grub adjust the value of the default booted system
## can be true or false
# updatedefaultentry=false

## should update-grub add savedefault to the default options
## can be true or false
# savedefault=false

## ## End Default Options ##

title Ubuntu 9.04, kernel 2.6.28-15-generic
uuid 838fec2b-6f58-49a2-a8f1-73e890cc86df
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.28-15-generic root=UUID=838fec2b-6f58-49a2-a8f1-73e890cc86df ro quiet splash
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.28-15-generic
quiet

title Ubuntu 9.04, kernel 2.6.28-15-generic (recovery mode)
uuid 838fec2b-6f58-49a2-a8f1-73e890cc86df
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.28-15-generic root=UUID=838fec2b-6f58-49a2-a8f1-73e890cc86df ro single
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.28-15-generic

title Ubuntu 9.04, kernel 2.6.28-14-generic
uuid 838fec2b-6f58-49a2-a8f1-73e890cc86df
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.28-14-generic root=UUID=838fec2b-6f58-49a2-a8f1-73e890cc86df ro quiet splash
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.28-14-generic
quiet

title Ubuntu 9.04, kernel 2.6.28-14-generic (recovery mode)
uuid 838fec2b-6f58-49a2-a8f1-73e890cc86df
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.28-14-generic root=UUID=838fec2b-6f58-49a2-a8f1-73e890cc86df ro single
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.28-14-generic

title Ubuntu 9.04, kernel 2.6.28-13-generic
uuid 838fec2b-6f58-49a2-a8f1-73e890cc86df
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.28-13-generic root=UUID=838fec2b-6f58-49a2-a8f1-73e890cc86df ro quiet splash
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.28-13-generic
quiet

title Ubuntu 9.04, kernel 2.6.28-13-generic (recovery mode)
uuid 838fec2b-6f58-49a2-a8f1-73e890cc86df
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.28-13-generic root=UUID=838fec2b-6f58-49a2-a8f1-73e890cc86df ro single
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.28-13-generic

title Ubuntu 9.04, kernel 2.6.28-11-generic
uuid 838fec2b-6f58-49a2-a8f1-73e890cc86df
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.28-11-generic root=UUID=838fec2b-6f58-49a2-a8f1-73e890cc86df ro quiet splash
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.28-11-generic
quiet

title Ubuntu 9.04, kernel 2.6.28-11-generic (recovery mode)
uuid 838fec2b-6f58-49a2-a8f1-73e890cc86df
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.28-11-generic root=UUID=838fec2b-6f58-49a2-a8f1-73e890cc86df ro single
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.28-11-generic

title Ubuntu 9.04, kernel 2.6.27-11-generic
uuid 838fec2b-6f58-49a2-a8f1-73e890cc86df
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.27-11-generic root=UUID=838fec2b-6f58-49a2-a8f1-73e890cc86df ro quiet splash
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.27-11-generic
quiet

title Ubuntu 9.04, kernel 2.6.27-11-generic (recovery mode)
uuid 838fec2b-6f58-49a2-a8f1-73e890cc86df
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.27-11-generic root=UUID=838fec2b-6f58-49a2-a8f1-73e890cc86df ro single
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.27-11-generic

title Ubuntu 9.04, memtest86+
uuid 838fec2b-6f58-49a2-a8f1-73e890cc86df
kernel /boot/memtest86+.bin
quiet

### END DEBIAN AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST

# This is a divider, added to separate the menu items below from the Debian
# ones.
title Other operating systems:
root


# This entry automatically added by the Debian installer for a non-linux OS
# on /dev/sda1
title Microsoft Windows XP Professional
root (hd0,0)
savedefault
makeactive
chainloader +1

[ronparent]

I think that all that has happened is that list of kernel in grub has gotten too long and is scrolling off the page! You minght try editing /boot/grub/menu.lst (ie sudo gedit) and comment out some of your old kernels with a leading #. If your entry for windows had been working before, it probably still would after the list of old kernels is reduced.

[lavadisco]

I think that all that has happened is that list of kernel in grub has gotten too long and is scrolling off the page! You minght try editing /boot/grub/menu.lst (ie sudo gedit) and comment out some of your old kernels with a leading #. If your entry for windows had been working before, it probably still would after the list of old kernels is reduced.

That did it, thanks!