Recovering Arch from Grub prompt (GRUB4DOS)

Question

Long story short, I needed to install Windows 8 with my Arch already installed, wiping out the bootloader (I don't get what actually happens so I might be wrong here on the technical side).
I've tried different methods, from using programs like EasyBCD to command-line work (detailed here https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php … #p1344396), and I've reached the conclusion that perhaps I need to work on the GRUB prompt itself. As described in that link, I might have been on to something with
root (hd0, 2)
setup (hd0)
except that the command setup cannot be found.
Also, I'd like to point out that sometimes my computer boots into a black-and-white list (kinda like GRUB), and sometimes it uses the metro-style "Choose an Operating System", the one with the light blue background.
Any help please? I'd just like to get my Arch setup back.
Last edited by jddantes (2013-11-06 11:56:37)

Answer 1

I ran it again, and it showed other devices:
Boot Info Script 0.61 [1 April 2012]
============================= Boot Info Summary: ===============================
=> Syslinux MBR (4.04 and higher) is installed in the MBR of /dev/sda.
=> Syslinux MBR (4.04 and higher) is installed in the MBR of /dev/sdb.
sda1: __________________________________________________________________________
File system: ntfs
Boot sector type: Windows Vista/7: NTFS
Boot sector info: No errors found in the Boot Parameter Block.
Operating System:
Boot files: /bootmgr /Boot/BCD
sda2: __________________________________________________________________________
File system: ntfs
Boot sector type: Windows Vista/7: NTFS
Boot sector info: No errors found in the Boot Parameter Block.
Operating System:
Boot files: /bootmgr /Windows/System32/winload.exe
sda3: __________________________________________________________________________
File system: ext4
Boot sector type: -
Boot sector info:
Operating System:
Boot files:
sdb1: __________________________________________________________________________
File system: vfat
Boot sector type: SYSLINUX 4.04 2011-04-18
Boot sector info: Syslinux looks at sector 1053216 of /dev/sdb1 for its
second stage. SYSLINUX is installed in the directory.
The integrity check of the ADV area failed. No errors
found in the Boot Parameter Block.
Operating System:
Boot files: /syslinux/syslinux.cfg /ldlinux.sys
============================ Drive/Partition Info: =============================
Drive: sda _____________________________________________________________________
Disk /dev/sda: 160.0 GB, 160041885696 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 19457 cylinders, total 312581808 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Partition Boot Start Sector End Sector # of Sectors Id System
/dev/sda1 * 2,048 718,847 716,800 7 NTFS / exFAT / HPFS
/dev/sda2 718,848 155,650,047 154,931,200 7 NTFS / exFAT / HPFS
/dev/sda3 155,650,048 228,614,143 72,964,096 83 Linux
Drive: sdb _____________________________________________________________________
Disk /dev/sdb: 7731 MB, 7731314688 bytes
237 heads, 1 sectors/track, 63714 cylinders, total 15100224 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Partition Boot Start Sector End Sector # of Sectors Id System
/dev/sdb1 * 2,048 15,099,903 15,097,856 b W95 FAT32
"blkid" output: ________________________________________________________________
Device UUID TYPE LABEL
/dev/loop0 squashfs
/dev/sda1 2A7699B97699866B ntfs System Reserved
/dev/sda2 7044B3C644B38CFA ntfs
/dev/sda3 31df11a9-14a7-44f7-80c9-763ee40106c5 ext4 LFS Partition
/dev/sdb1 8E5A-F18E vfat MYLINUXLIVE
================================ Mount points: =================================
Device Mount_Point Type Options
/dev/loop0 /rofs squashfs (ro,noatime)
/dev/sdb1 /cdrom vfat (ro,noatime,fmask=0022,dmask=0022,codepage=437,iocharset=iso8859-1,shortname=mixed,errors=remount-ro)
=================== sda3: Location of files loaded by Grub: ====================
GiB - GB File Fragment(s)
= boot/grub/stage2 1
========================= sdb1/syslinux/syslinux.cfg: ==========================
# D-I config version 2.0
include menu.cfg
default vesamenu.c32
prompt 0
timeout 300
ui gfxboot bootlogo
================= sdb1: Location of files loaded by Syslinux: ==================
GiB - GB File Fragment(s)
?? = ?? ldlinux.sys 1
?? = ?? syslinux/chain.c32 1
?? = ?? syslinux/gfxboot.c32 1
?? = ?? syslinux/syslinux.cfg 1
?? = ?? syslinux/vesamenu.c32 1
============== sdb1: Version of COM32(R) files used by Syslinux: ===============
syslinux/chain.c32 : COM32R module (v4.xx)
syslinux/gfxboot.c32 : COM32R module (v4.xx)
syslinux/vesamenu.c32 : COM32R module (v4.xx)
=============================== StdErr Messages: ===============================
awk: cmd. line:36: Math support is not compiled in
./bootinfoscript: line 1646: [: 2.73495e+09: integer expression expected
No volume groups found