Grub prompt after installing FC4

[N James Bridge]

I've noticed a couple of threads complaining about just getting a grub
prompt on trying to boot FC4. I've found one reason that this happens,
which may be relevant to other users.

I have a dual boot system so hda1 is reserved for windows. I tried using
the auto-partition facility to set up the rest of the hard drive for
FC4. This booted ok and would have worked except that I need to replace
the libvgahw.a file to get a usable display so I have to edit the root
partition before I can boot. Knoppix couldn't read the default LVM
setup, so I tried manual partitions. Following the example of the
automatic setup, I made a separate boot partition, as hda2 and then root
as hda3. This arrangement wouldn't boot - I just got the grub prompt.
The boot partition seemed to have the right files, but there was another
boot folder in hda3 which was empty and I think this gets mounted on top
of hda2 and hides it. At this stage I tried again without the separate
boot partition and it started to boot normally again. Maybe it would
also work if you removed the empty boot folder from the root partition,
or put root on hda2 and /boot on hda3. I didn't try - I had had enough
of it at this point!

Incidentally, I was also thrown by the installer deciding to give me a
hidden menu at boot up, making me think I had lost windows. I've cracked
it now, but why doesn't the installer give an option and why should it
suddenly work differently?