Replacing old hard disk with a new one

[jdow]

From: "Paul Smith" <phhs80 at gmail.com>

> On 10/26/05, jdow <jdow at earthlink.net> wrote:
>> >> >> > > Could you please tell me how to install grub to MBR?
>> >> >> >
>> >> >> > reboot to the CD1
>> >> >> > hit F5
>> >> >> >
>> >> >> > on the command line type   linux rescue
>> >> >> >
>> >> >> > it should find your Fedora installed system and enter
>> >> >> >
>> >> >> > chroot /mnt/sysimage
>> >> >> >
>> >> >> > /sbin/grub-install /dev/hda
>> >> >> >
>> >> >> > that should put Grub back to MBR.
>> >> >>
>> >> >> Thanks, Yonas, but no success:
>> >> >>
>> >> >> # /sbin/grub-install /dev/hda
>> >> >> Not found or not a block device.
>> >> >>
>> >> >> If I replace hda with hdb or hdc, grub-install gives the same 
>> >> >> result.
>> >> >>
>> >> >> Any further ideas?
>> >> >
>> >> > Now, I am using a Knoppix liveCD, and having some progress:
>> >> >
>> >> > $ grub-install --root-directory=/mnt/hdc1/boot/ /dev/hda
>> >> > /dev/hda does not have any corresponding BIOS drive.
>> >> > $
>> >> >
>> >> > Can we go further?
>> >>
>> >> Have you partitioned the drive yet, Paul?
>> >>
>> >> {^_^}
>> >
>> > No, I have not, Jdow. How can I do that?
>>
>> "fdisk /dev/hda"
>>
>> But PLEASE PLEASE read partitioning HOWTOs and documentation first so you
>> know what you are doing, first.
>>
>> Of course, you could bring up the same partitioning tool you saw when
>> installing, DiskDestroyer or something like that, and use it. But you
>> still want to read the partitioning HOWTOs to get a notion of how you
>> want to partition the drive.
>>
>> I realize grub documentation is impenetrable by sane people. But do give
>> it a try. After doing so I recommend a visit with your local shrink if
>> you think you understand grub's documentation. {^_-}
>>
>> {^_^}
>
> Thanks again, Jdow. Perhaps, the best solution for a inexpert like me
> is to install some operating  system on hda, and the partitioning will
> be done. Tried:
>
> $ fdisk /dev/hda
>
> Unable to open /dev/hda
> $

OOPS! THAT is a problem. The OS does not see the disk. This is not a
good thing. It might be interesting to look at the dmesg log after a
reboot to see how if the drive is found. If it is then "/dev/hda"
should be a valid drive. I wonder if something else has it active.

Er, did you hotplug the drive? I'm not even sure how you booted without
the boot sector in place - I suppose you selected a different drive as
the boot drive in your BIOS? (To recognize the new drive you probably do
need to reboot.) I'd expect the knoppix live CD to recognize the drive,
though, if you're still working from it.

{^_^}