Re: urgent :( winxp reinstallation made sarge kernel panic...help please

As you have recovered from bootloader
At the boot prompt type C for grub command line
Now identify the root  for grub (this is whr the kernel and initrd
images reside...that is if if ur having /dev/hda1 as /boot
partition...your root will be (hd0,0)  ) in grub syntax
root (hd0,0)               ........u can use tab to auto complete

Now u have tell grub about the kernel image is !
in the above setup it will be
kernel (hd0,0)/          .............press tab and u will see the
files inside ,fill it with the kernel image name

Next you will have to pass the location of root file system to
kernel..and kernel will take it in /dev/hd? format
MAKE SURE YOU DO IT CORRECTLY..as kernel will search for init in this
root only ie /sbin/init
so the entire line will be
kernel (hd0,0)/vmlinuz.........        root=/dev/hda?
now tell grub where initrd is ..in same format
initrd  (hd0,0)/ini.................pressing tab will auto complete
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Make sure you change the (hd0,?) and /dev/hd? to whatever is ur setup

type boot at the command prompt and u must boot
if everythings working fine change ur grub.conf accordingly!
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Now if thr is some problem with init! (if ur damn sure u choose the
root partition correctly!)
try substituting init with a shell
give a kernel argument like init=/bin/bash
if u had chosen / correctly u will be dropped into a shell
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HAPPY RECOVERY!