Works file with Knoppix??? If you mean you can mount every partition on the HD with Knoppix (please *say so* if I'm right), then there is probably an error in /boot/menu/grub.conf.

sorry for the bad formatting and broken threading, for obvious reasons I'm using webmail on a relative's computer. Yes, as far as I remember from yesterday evening, all the partitions were accessible without problems with Knoppix. I will know for sure later, when I'll be back home and follow the suggestions posted so far. I have also printed this reply and will follow its instructions. Later, Marco

Locate the rootfs, and write the device name down (hda1, hda2 or so).

Mount it with Knoppix, go to the */boot/grub/ directory and edit menu.conf.

Look for the lines starting with "kernel". There should be a root=/dev/hda1 in it. It should correspond with the device name you wrote down earlier.

If you need help on this, send me a copy of grub.conf *and* fstab. And tell me the device name (like /dev/hda1 or so) of the partition where you got both files from.

Things would be a bit more complicated if your system has a separate boot partition. Tell me if that is the case.

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If you saw the wording "kernel panic" then the MBR and grub are probably correct.

I have just remembered a bit more. The last line I see when trying to boot in failsafe mode is:

"kernel panic not syncing" and then one of (from google searches) " VFS:unable to mount root fs" "no init found" "Attempted to kill init!"

Yes, this kind of messages I was referring to. Next time if you see "kernel panic", don't panic yourself ;o) but see what the panic is about and write it down. ;-)

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Sorry for the vagueness, I'm not at that PC right now and my memory fails me :-(

A good problem description is often half the solution. ;-) And can save time too. (At his point I noticed the remark about Knoppix above^^^ and responded to it - this is probably a better clue than the missing info on the kernel panic)

So, to get it clear: you were able to access every partition with Knoppix *after* the kernel panic?

Cheers,

Leen