Installed Ubuntu....Now Can't Access XP when Dual-booting

corey1980 · 05-17-2008, 10:53 PM

I installed Ubuntu on my computer that already had XP on it. Installation went great, and I can access Ubuntu just fine. However, when I reboot, and attempt to get into my Windows XP, all I get is a message like this

Now Starting....

on a black screen. But it never starts. Going into My Computer on the linux side shows me that all the files on the windows side are still there. I just can't boot into Windows anymore. Both Windows and Linux on on the same drive, seperate partitions.
I've even changed the boot order, so that instead of Ubuntu being first in line, Windows now is but with the same result.
Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Simon Bridge · 05-17-2008, 11:24 PM

Quote:

I've even changed the boot order

... in menu.lst or in BIOS? (I take it you can select XP from the grub menu?)

Anyway - please post output of

sudo fdisk -l

cat /boot/grub/menu.lst

... of course, you could take it as a sign and just stop using Windows altogether.

corey1980 · 05-18-2008, 01:16 PM

Disk /dev/sda: 160.0 GB, 160041885696 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 19457 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x7d567d56

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 1 5751 46194876 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda2 5752 19457 110093445 5 Extended
/dev/sda5 5752 19174 107820216 83 Linux
/dev/sda6 19175 19457 2273166 82 Linux swap / Solaris

Disk /dev/sdb: 160.0 GB, 160041885696 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 19457 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x44fdfe06

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sdb1 1 7668 61593178+ c W95 FAT32 (LBA)

and then.......
Disk /dev/sda: 160.0 GB, 160041885696 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 19457 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x7d567d56

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 1 5751 46194876 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda2 5752 19457 110093445 5 Extended
/dev/sda5 5752 19174 107820216 83 Linux
/dev/sda6 19175 19457 2273166 82 Linux swap / Solaris

Disk /dev/sdb: 160.0 GB, 160041885696 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 19457 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x44fdfe06

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sdb1 1 7668 61593178+ c W95 FAT32 (LBA)
corey@corey-desktop:~$ cat /boot/grub/menu.lst
# menu.lst - See: grub(8), info grub, update-grub(8)
# grub-install(8), grub-floppy(8),
# grub-md5-crypt, /usr/share/doc/grub
# and /usr/share/doc/grub-doc/.

## default num
# Set the default entry to the entry number NUM. Numbering starts from 0, and
# the entry number 0 is the default if the command is not used.
#
# You can specify 'saved' instead of a number. In this case, the default entry
# is the entry saved with the command 'savedefault'.
# WARNING: If you are using dmraid do not use 'savedefault' or your
# array will desync and will not let you boot your system.
default 4

## timeout sec
# Set a timeout, in SEC seconds, before automatically booting the default entry
# (normally the first entry defined).
timeout 10

## hiddenmenu
# Hides the menu by default (press ESC to see the menu)
#hiddenmenu

# Pretty colours
#color cyan/blue white/blue

## password ['--md5'] passwd
# If used in the first section of a menu file, disable all interactive editing
# control (menu entry editor and command-line) and entries protected by the
# command 'lock'
# e.g. password topsecret
# password --md5 $1$gLhU0/$aW78kHK1QfV3P2b2znUoe/
# password topsecret

#
# examples
#
# title Windows 95/98/NT/2000
# root (hd0,0)
# makeactive
# chainloader +1
#
# title Linux
# root (hd0,1)
# kernel /vmlinuz root=/dev/hda2 ro
#

#
# Put static boot stanzas before and/or after AUTOMAGIC KERNEL LIST

### BEGIN AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST
## lines between the AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST markers will be modified
## by the debian update-grub script except for the default options below

## DO NOT UNCOMMENT THEM, Just edit them to your needs

## ## Start Default Options ##
## default kernel options
## default kernel options for automagic boot options
## If you want special options for specific kernels use kopt_x_y_z
## where x.y.z is kernel version. Minor versions can be omitted.
## e.g. kopt=root=/dev/hda1 ro
## kopt_2_6_8=root=/dev/hdc1 ro
## kopt_2_6_8_2_686=root=/dev/hdc2 ro
# kopt=root=UUID=bb35ae08-b04f-416a-8502-cb5498ff0316 ro

## Setup crashdump menu entries
## e.g. crashdump=1
# crashdump=0

## default grub root device
## e.g. groot=(hd0,0)
# groot=(hd0,4)

## should update-grub create alternative automagic boot options
## e.g. alternative=true
## alternative=false
# alternative=true

## should update-grub lock alternative automagic boot options
## e.g. lockalternative=true
## lockalternative=false
# lockalternative=false

## additional options to use with the default boot option, but not with the
## alternatives
## e.g. defoptions=vga=791 resume=/dev/hda5
# defoptions=quiet splash

## should update-grub lock old automagic boot options
## e.g. lockold=false
## lockold=true
# lockold=false

## Xen hypervisor options to use with the default Xen boot option
# xenhopt=

## Xen Linux kernel options to use with the default Xen boot option
# xenkopt=console=tty0

## altoption boot targets option
## multiple altoptions lines are allowed
## e.g. altoptions=(extra menu suffix) extra boot options
## altoptions=(recovery) single
# altoptions=(recovery mode) single

## controls how many kernels should be put into the menu.lst
## only counts the first occurence of a kernel, not the
## alternative kernel options
## e.g. howmany=all
## howmany=7
# howmany=all

## should update-grub create memtest86 boot option
## e.g. memtest86=true
## memtest86=false
# memtest86=true

## should update-grub adjust the value of the default booted system
## can be true or false
# updatedefaultentry=false

## should update-grub add savedefault to the default options
## can be true or false
# savedefault=false

## ## End Default Options ##

title Ubuntu 8.04, kernel 2.6.24-16-generic
root (hd0,4)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.24-16-generic root=UUID=bb35ae08-b04f-416a-8502-cb5498ff0316 ro quiet splash
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.24-16-generic
quiet

title Ubuntu 8.04, kernel 2.6.24-16-generic (recovery mode)
root (hd0,4)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.24-16-generic root=UUID=bb35ae08-b04f-416a-8502-cb5498ff0316 ro single
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.24-16-generic

title Ubuntu 8.04, memtest86+
root (hd0,4)
kernel /boot/memtest86+.bin
quiet

### END DEBIAN AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST

# This is a divider, added to separate the menu items below from the Debian
# ones.
title Other operating systems:
root

# This entry automatically added by the Debian installer for a non-linux OS
# on /dev/sda1
title Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
rootnoverify (hd0,0)
makeactive
I've come to a dead end I think honestly. Is the XP partitioin even mounted? I've tried to repair the xp part with my full version xp home edition, and it recognizes all my files are there, does the repair, and still I can't boot into that part. Of course Ubuntu works fine.
Really, the only reason I have for sticking with Windows at all is my utter reliance on my iPod and iTunes.... otherwise I'd be a total convert!
Thanks for your assistance

mrrangerman · 05-18-2008, 08:53 PM

Boot into linux, edit your /boot/grub/menu.lst

comment out your windows entry, so if this one doesn't work you can just remove this one and fall back on the original.

make the window entry in the menu.lst look like this.

Code:

# This entry automatically added by the Debian installer for a non-linux OS
# on /dev/sda1
#title Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
#rootnoverify (hd0,0)
#makeactive

title Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
root (hd0,0)
chainloader +1
makeactive
boot

See if that works for you.