Grub will not Load Windows XP or show boot options
 

I installed Ubuntu onto a 16G flash drive plugged into my computer hoping I could have a portable OS. When I unplug my flash drive, Grub will not load my original OS, Windows XP. Nor will it show any different boot options. How do I set the default boot setting to Windows XP with Ubuntu as secondary? And how can I do this without keeping my flash drive plugged in? I am new to Linux and would greatly appreciate help.

Grub is installed in two places, the Master Boot Record and the /boot/grub directory. You need both pieces available in order to boot. Your problem sounds like you have grub on the MBR of your first hard drive and /boot/grub on your flash drive. That is why grub doesn't get very far when you have the flash drive removed.

I suggest that you create a Linux partition on your first hard drive and install Ubuntu on that partition. Then edit the /boot/grub/menu.lst on the new partition to include the flash drive version of Ubuntu in the boot options.

---------------------
Steve Stites

Where did you install Grub ?
On the flash?
If it is on the Flash and I think it is, than you only can boot with the flash installed !!!!

You don't need to install grub at all with a flash, because mostly you can boot (option in the bios) directly!

You can make the XP drive bootable again from the system cd.

CloudBuilder