Perfect solution! Thanks so much. I'm confused as to how grub could run at all, where is grub installed?
Grub is installed in your Master Boot Record (1st block of disk). This doesn't move or get renamed when you change the partition table, so at least the first stage can run. It then has to find its menu and second stage, which depends on it knowing which partition those were installed on, and that can be affected by changes to the partition table. Then it has to load up the OS kernel, which again depends on the partition table. So grub *can* fail in a variety of places.
Maybe you have a good link for me to read about master boot records and partition tables?
Not really, though you could try the grub manual at: http://www.gnu.org/software/grub/manual/grub.html
Paul.
