WinXP and Gentoo dual-boot with GRUB

[zachngo]

Windows is on the pri-master drive and linux is on the pri-slave drive, while grub is installed to the MBR of the pri-master disk.

here is my grub configuration:
----------------------------------------
default=0
timeout=10
splashimage=(hd1,0)/boot/grub/splash.xpm.gz
title=Gentoo Linux
root (hd1,0)
kernel /boot/bzImage root=/dev/hdb1

title=Windows XP
rootnoverify (hd0,0)
chainloader +1
----------------------------------------

I am almost positive that this is how it is supposed to be set up but it wont work. I recently had the same problem except with Red Hat 9.0. I tried using the same config file but it fails.

The error that occurs when I select "Windows XP" from the bootmenu is as follows:

The screen turns black. the configuration for Windows XP flashes on-screen, then finally, it returns to the boot menu again.

I have tried using root instead of rootnoverify, and have also tried using "chainloader (hd0,0)+1" instead of "chainloader +1".. but they fail as well.

[mdwatts]

You could try 'makeactive'.

title=Windows XP
makeactive
rootnoverify (hd0,0)
chainloader +1

If that still doesn't work and XP is indeed on the first primary partition on the master drive, try the following, but first ensure you have a working Linux bootdisk or can boot into Linux using your installation cd in rescue mode.

From a Win9X bootdisk or XP's fixmbr utility as I'm not sure if the Win9X fdisk works for XP or not.

fdisk /mbr

Now reboot and see if XP boots.

To put Grub back on the mbr, boot into Linux and run

grub-install /dev/hda