Sometime ago I installed Ubuntu 7.10 on an USB flash drive attached to the
laptop (a few months old AMD based Dell Inspiron 1501), then I lost the USB
drive.
When I tried to boot without the USB drive I was getting a GRUB Error 21 or
26.
I then read some postings about removing the GRUB, but it did not work (the
GRUB Error has been replaced with "Operating System Not Found").
Since then (about 3 weeks ago) I have been reading all the message boards
and tried pretty much everything, except re-installing Windows which I am
trying to avoid if possible. Here is a list of what I tried (some multiple
times) without any success so far:

- FixMbr from RECOVERY CONSOLE
- FixBoot from RECOVERY CONSOLE
- Bootcfg /Rebuild (it comes back with Error, I tried Chkdsk /p which says
the disk is OK) from RECOVERY CONSOLE
- Ran REPAIR from Windows XP setup CD ("R" option when going into SETUP, not
into RECOVERY CONSOLE). The repair detects the C:\Windows installation and is
asking if I want to REPAIR it (yes).

I have another USB stick I made with a reduced version of Windows XP and I
can boot from it order to access the HD, so I know the HD is detected by the
BIOS and working.

I appreciate any suggestions or ideas...thanks!

"NoBootIdea" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:46D8DED2-CFEA-4B0E-A176-(E-Mail Removed)...
> Sometime ago I installed Ubuntu 7.10 on an USB flash drive attached to the
> laptop (a few months old AMD based Dell Inspiron 1501), then I lost the
> USB
> drive.
> When I tried to boot without the USB drive I was getting a GRUB Error 21
> or
> 26.
> I then read some postings about removing the GRUB, but it did not work
> (the
> GRUB Error has been replaced with "Operating System Not Found").
> Since then (about 3 weeks ago) I have been reading all the message boards
> and tried pretty much everything, except re-installing Windows which I am
> trying to avoid if possible. Here is a list of what I tried (some
> multiple
> times) without any success so far:
>
> - FixMbr from RECOVERY CONSOLE
> - FixBoot from RECOVERY CONSOLE
> - Bootcfg /Rebuild (it comes back with Error, I tried Chkdsk /p which says
> the disk is OK) from RECOVERY CONSOLE
> - Ran REPAIR from Windows XP setup CD ("R" option when going into SETUP,
> not
> into RECOVERY CONSOLE). The repair detects the C:\Windows installation and
> is
> asking if I want to REPAIR it (yes).
>
> I have another USB stick I made with a reduced version of Windows XP and I
> can boot from it order to access the HD, so I know the HD is detected by
> the
> BIOS and working.
>
> I appreciate any suggestions or ideas...thanks!
>

Let's do this in a two-step process:
1. Boot into WinXP with a boot diskette.
2. If successful, fix the boot problem.

This answer deals with Step 1.
- Format a floppy disk on a WinXP PC.
- Copy the following files from the i385 folder of your
WinXP CD to A:\ -
* ntldr
* ntdetect.com
- Create the file a:\boot.ini with these four lines inside:
[boot loader]
timeout=5
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP
Professional" /fastdetect /NoExecute=OptIn
- Boot the machine with this diskette.
- Report the result here.

I'm not familiar with Dell, but
R U sure you didn't mean 'i386', rather than "i385" ?
Steve

"Pegasus (MVP)" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>
> "NoBootIdea" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:46D8DED2-CFEA-4B0E-A176-(E-Mail Removed)...
>> Sometime ago I installed Ubuntu 7.10 on an USB flash drive attached to
>> the
>> laptop (a few months old AMD based Dell Inspiron 1501), then I lost the
>> USB
>> drive.
>> When I tried to boot without the USB drive I was getting a GRUB Error 21
>> or
>> 26.
>> I then read some postings about removing the GRUB, but it did not work
>> (the
>> GRUB Error has been replaced with "Operating System Not Found").
>> Since then (about 3 weeks ago) I have been reading all the message boards
>> and tried pretty much everything, except re-installing Windows which I am
>> trying to avoid if possible. Here is a list of what I tried (some
>> multiple
>> times) without any success so far:
>>
>> - FixMbr from RECOVERY CONSOLE
>> - FixBoot from RECOVERY CONSOLE
>> - Bootcfg /Rebuild (it comes back with Error, I tried Chkdsk /p which
>> says
>> the disk is OK) from RECOVERY CONSOLE
>> - Ran REPAIR from Windows XP setup CD ("R" option when going into SETUP,
>> not
>> into RECOVERY CONSOLE). The repair detects the C:\Windows installation
>> and is
>> asking if I want to REPAIR it (yes).
>>
>> I have another USB stick I made with a reduced version of Windows XP and
>> I
>> can boot from it order to access the HD, so I know the HD is detected by
>> the
>> BIOS and working.
>>
>> I appreciate any suggestions or ideas...thanks!
>>
>
> Let's do this in a two-step process:
> 1. Boot into WinXP with a boot diskette.
> 2. If successful, fix the boot problem.
>
> This answer deals with Step 1.
> - Format a floppy disk on a WinXP PC.
> - Copy the following files from the i385 folder of your
> WinXP CD to A:\ -
> * ntldr
> * ntdetect.com
> - Create the file a:\boot.ini with these four lines inside:
> [boot loader]
> timeout=5
> default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
> [operating systems]
> multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP
> Professional" /fastdetect /NoExecute=OptIn
> - Boot the machine with this diskette.
> - Report the result here.
>

My finger slipped. There is no "i385" folder on the WinXP installation CD.


"Og" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> I'm not familiar with Dell, but
> R U sure you didn't mean 'i386', rather than "i385" ?
> Steve
>
> "Pegasus (MVP)" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>>
>> "NoBootIdea" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>> news:46D8DED2-CFEA-4B0E-A176-(E-Mail Removed)...
>>> Sometime ago I installed Ubuntu 7.10 on an USB flash drive attached to
>>> the
>>> laptop (a few months old AMD based Dell Inspiron 1501), then I lost the
>>> USB
>>> drive.
>>> When I tried to boot without the USB drive I was getting a GRUB Error 21
>>> or
>>> 26.
>>> I then read some postings about removing the GRUB, but it did not work
>>> (the
>>> GRUB Error has been replaced with "Operating System Not Found").
>>> Since then (about 3 weeks ago) I have been reading all the message
>>> boards
>>> and tried pretty much everything, except re-installing Windows which I
>>> am
>>> trying to avoid if possible. Here is a list of what I tried (some
>>> multiple
>>> times) without any success so far:
>>>
>>> - FixMbr from RECOVERY CONSOLE
>>> - FixBoot from RECOVERY CONSOLE
>>> - Bootcfg /Rebuild (it comes back with Error, I tried Chkdsk /p which
>>> says
>>> the disk is OK) from RECOVERY CONSOLE
>>> - Ran REPAIR from Windows XP setup CD ("R" option when going into SETUP,
>>> not
>>> into RECOVERY CONSOLE). The repair detects the C:\Windows installation
>>> and is
>>> asking if I want to REPAIR it (yes).
>>>
>>> I have another USB stick I made with a reduced version of Windows XP and
>>> I
>>> can boot from it order to access the HD, so I know the HD is detected by
>>> the
>>> BIOS and working.
>>>
>>> I appreciate any suggestions or ideas...thanks!
>>>
>>
>> Let's do this in a two-step process:
>> 1. Boot into WinXP with a boot diskette.
>> 2. If successful, fix the boot problem.
>>
>> This answer deals with Step 1.
>> - Format a floppy disk on a WinXP PC.
>> - Copy the following files from the i385 folder of your
>> WinXP CD to A:\ -
>> * ntldr
>> * ntdetect.com
>> - Create the file a:\boot.ini with these four lines inside:
>> [boot loader]
>> timeout=5
>> default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
>> [operating systems]
>> multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP
>> Professional" /fastdetect /NoExecute=OptIn
>> - Boot the machine with this diskette.
>> - Report the result here.
>>
>
>

"Pegasus (MVP)" wrote:

>
> "NoBootIdea" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:46D8DED2-CFEA-4B0E-A176-(E-Mail Removed)...
> > Sometime ago I installed Ubuntu 7.10 on an USB flash drive attached to the
> > laptop (a few months old AMD based Dell Inspiron 1501), then I lost the
> > USB
> > drive.
> > When I tried to boot without the USB drive I was getting a GRUB Error 21
> > or
> > 26.
> > I then read some postings about removing the GRUB, but it did not work
> > (the
> > GRUB Error has been replaced with "Operating System Not Found").
> > Since then (about 3 weeks ago) I have been reading all the message boards
> > and tried pretty much everything, except re-installing Windows which I am
> > trying to avoid if possible. Here is a list of what I tried (some
> > multiple
> > times) without any success so far:
> >
> > - FixMbr from RECOVERY CONSOLE
> > - FixBoot from RECOVERY CONSOLE
> > - Bootcfg /Rebuild (it comes back with Error, I tried Chkdsk /p which says
> > the disk is OK) from RECOVERY CONSOLE
> > - Ran REPAIR from Windows XP setup CD ("R" option when going into SETUP,
> > not
> > into RECOVERY CONSOLE). The repair detects the C:\Windows installation and
> > is
> > asking if I want to REPAIR it (yes).
> >
> > I have another USB stick I made with a reduced version of Windows XP and I
> > can boot from it order to access the HD, so I know the HD is detected by
> > the
> > BIOS and working.
> >
> > I appreciate any suggestions or ideas...thanks!
> >
>
> Let's do this in a two-step process:
> 1. Boot into WinXP with a boot diskette.
> 2. If successful, fix the boot problem.
>
> This answer deals with Step 1.
> - Format a floppy disk on a WinXP PC.
> - Copy the following files from the i385 folder of your
> WinXP CD to A:\ -
> * ntldr
> * ntdetect.com
> - Create the file a:\boot.ini with these four lines inside:
> [boot loader]
> timeout=5
> default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
> [operating systems]
> multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP
> Professional" /fastdetect /NoExecute=OptIn
> - Boot the machine with this diskette.
> - Report the result here.
>
>
>
Sorry, but my laptop has no floppy disk drive, just CD/DVD drive.
I do have a bootable USB stick that I built with a reduced version of Win XP
and that I use to post these messages.
The USB stick has both the "ntdetect.com and ntldr.
Can I use those?

"NoBootIdea" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:528C3BDE-CB0C-4B8C-8B00-(E-Mail Removed)...
>
>
> "Pegasus (MVP)" wrote:
>
>>
>> "NoBootIdea" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>> news:46D8DED2-CFEA-4B0E-A176-(E-Mail Removed)...
>> > Sometime ago I installed Ubuntu 7.10 on an USB flash drive attached to
>> > the
>> > laptop (a few months old AMD based Dell Inspiron 1501), then I lost the
>> > USB
>> > drive.
>> > When I tried to boot without the USB drive I was getting a GRUB Error
>> > 21
>> > or
>> > 26.
>> > I then read some postings about removing the GRUB, but it did not work
>> > (the
>> > GRUB Error has been replaced with "Operating System Not Found").
>> > Since then (about 3 weeks ago) I have been reading all the message
>> > boards
>> > and tried pretty much everything, except re-installing Windows which I
>> > am
>> > trying to avoid if possible. Here is a list of what I tried (some
>> > multiple
>> > times) without any success so far:
>> >
>> > - FixMbr from RECOVERY CONSOLE
>> > - FixBoot from RECOVERY CONSOLE
>> > - Bootcfg /Rebuild (it comes back with Error, I tried Chkdsk /p which
>> > says
>> > the disk is OK) from RECOVERY CONSOLE
>> > - Ran REPAIR from Windows XP setup CD ("R" option when going into
>> > SETUP,
>> > not
>> > into RECOVERY CONSOLE). The repair detects the C:\Windows installation
>> > and
>> > is
>> > asking if I want to REPAIR it (yes).
>> >
>> > I have another USB stick I made with a reduced version of Windows XP
>> > and I
>> > can boot from it order to access the HD, so I know the HD is detected
>> > by
>> > the
>> > BIOS and working.
>> >
>> > I appreciate any suggestions or ideas...thanks!
>> >
>>
>> Let's do this in a two-step process:
>> 1. Boot into WinXP with a boot diskette.
>> 2. If successful, fix the boot problem.
>>
>> This answer deals with Step 1.
>> - Format a floppy disk on a WinXP PC.
>> - Copy the following files from the i385 folder of your
>> WinXP CD to A:\ -
>> * ntldr
>> * ntdetect.com
>> - Create the file a:\boot.ini with these four lines inside:
>> [boot loader]
>> timeout=5
>> default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
>> [operating systems]
>> multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP
>> Professional" /fastdetect /NoExecute=OptIn
>> - Boot the machine with this diskette.
>> - Report the result here.
>>
>>
>>
> Sorry, but my laptop has no floppy disk drive, just CD/DVD drive.
> I do have a bootable USB stick that I built with a reduced version of Win
> XP
> and that I use to post these messages.
> The USB stick has both the "ntdetect.com and ntldr.
> Can I use those?

Yes, if your BIOS allows you to boot off the flash disk! Remember
to include boot.ini and make sure that "x" in both instances of rdisk(x)
refers to your hard disk! If this does not work then you could burn
a boot CD on somebody's machine that has a floppy disk drive.
I recommend you use a CD/RW . . .

"Pegasus (MVP)" wrote:

>
> "NoBootIdea" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:528C3BDE-CB0C-4B8C-8B00-(E-Mail Removed)...
> >
> >
> > "Pegasus (MVP)" wrote:
> >
> >>
> >> "NoBootIdea" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> >> news:46D8DED2-CFEA-4B0E-A176-(E-Mail Removed)...
> >> > Sometime ago I installed Ubuntu 7.10 on an USB flash drive attached to
> >> > the
> >> > laptop (a few months old AMD based Dell Inspiron 1501), then I lost the
> >> > USB
> >> > drive.
> >> > When I tried to boot without the USB drive I was getting a GRUB Error
> >> > 21
> >> > or
> >> > 26.
> >> > I then read some postings about removing the GRUB, but it did not work
> >> > (the
> >> > GRUB Error has been replaced with "Operating System Not Found").
> >> > Since then (about 3 weeks ago) I have been reading all the message
> >> > boards
> >> > and tried pretty much everything, except re-installing Windows which I
> >> > am
> >> > trying to avoid if possible. Here is a list of what I tried (some
> >> > multiple
> >> > times) without any success so far:
> >> >
> >> > - FixMbr from RECOVERY CONSOLE
> >> > - FixBoot from RECOVERY CONSOLE
> >> > - Bootcfg /Rebuild (it comes back with Error, I tried Chkdsk /p which
> >> > says
> >> > the disk is OK) from RECOVERY CONSOLE
> >> > - Ran REPAIR from Windows XP setup CD ("R" option when going into
> >> > SETUP,
> >> > not
> >> > into RECOVERY CONSOLE). The repair detects the C:\Windows installation
> >> > and
> >> > is
> >> > asking if I want to REPAIR it (yes).
> >> >
> >> > I have another USB stick I made with a reduced version of Windows XP
> >> > and I
> >> > can boot from it order to access the HD, so I know the HD is detected
> >> > by
> >> > the
> >> > BIOS and working.
> >> >
> >> > I appreciate any suggestions or ideas...thanks!
> >> >
> >>
> >> Let's do this in a two-step process:
> >> 1. Boot into WinXP with a boot diskette.
> >> 2. If successful, fix the boot problem.
> >>
> >> This answer deals with Step 1.
> >> - Format a floppy disk on a WinXP PC.
> >> - Copy the following files from the i385 folder of your
> >> WinXP CD to A:\ -
> >> * ntldr
> >> * ntdetect.com
> >> - Create the file a:\boot.ini with these four lines inside:
> >> [boot loader]
> >> timeout=5
> >> default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
> >> [operating systems]
> >> multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP
> >> Professional" /fastdetect /NoExecute=OptIn
> >> - Boot the machine with this diskette.
> >> - Report the result here.
> >>
> >>
> >>
> > Sorry, but my laptop has no floppy disk drive, just CD/DVD drive.
> > I do have a bootable USB stick that I built with a reduced version of Win
> > XP
> > and that I use to post these messages.
> > The USB stick has both the "ntdetect.com and ntldr.
> > Can I use those?
>
> Yes, if your BIOS allows you to boot off the flash disk! Remember
> to include boot.ini and make sure that "x" in both instances of rdisk(x)
> refers to your hard disk! If this does not work then you could burn
> a boot CD on somebody's machine that has a floppy disk drive.
> I recommend you use a CD/RW . . .
>
>
>

> Yes, if your BIOS allows you to boot off the flash disk! Remember
> to include boot.ini and make sure that "x" in both instances of rdisk(x)
> refers to your hard disk! If this does not work then you could burn
> a boot CD on somebody's machine that has a floppy disk drive.
> I recommend you use a CD/RW . . .
>

Thanks so much Pegasus for taking the time to help me.
I used the LiveCD version of "Gparted" to set the flag on the Win XP
partition as bootable.
After that I was able to boot into Win XP (it went through a "Repair"
installation using the CD, but I ended up with the same original
configuration without having to re-install the other applications).

Thanks again and wish you a Happy New 2008!

"NoBootIdea" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:1ECE98C3-B82D-4191-9363-(E-Mail Removed)...
>> Yes, if your BIOS allows you to boot off the flash disk! Remember
>> to include boot.ini and make sure that "x" in both instances of rdisk(x)
>> refers to your hard disk! If this does not work then you could burn
>> a boot CD on somebody's machine that has a floppy disk drive.
>> I recommend you use a CD/RW . . .
>>
>
> Thanks so much Pegasus for taking the time to help me.
> I used the LiveCD version of "Gparted" to set the flag on the Win XP
> partition as bootable.
> After that I was able to boot into Win XP (it went through a "Repair"
> installation using the CD, but I ended up with the same original
> configuration without having to re-install the other applications).
>
> Thanks again and wish you a Happy New 2008!

Thanks for the feedback. I suspect that what you call the "bootable
flag" is the "active flag" that a boot partition must have. Booting
the machine with a floppy boot disk would have revealed this too,
hence my reason for suggesting it.