Can't access windows after installing ubuntu 7.10

help_a_newbie · 05-19-2008, 07:08 AM

Hi all!
I've recently installed ubuntu on my PC. I have one hdd 160Gb which is separated like this:

sda5 Logical Linux ext3 (28861MB)
sda6 Logical Linux swap / solaris (2311MB)
sda2 Boot Primary NTFS (My Windows) (129038MB)

Before installing ubuntu, sd5 and sd6 was an NTFS partition (empty) which I used to save some files. Then I formated it, installed ubuntu, and now I can't access Windows. It seems like the partition table is damaged. Can anyone help me out with this? Thnx in advance!

Honeysuckle · 05-19-2008, 07:20 AM

Did Ubuntu overwrite the Windows boot record? Does it give you an option for Windows, but it doesn't work, or what's happening? Do you get any error messages?

help_a_newbie · 05-19-2008, 07:27 AM

No actually there are no options for Windows. It just boots only to Ubuntu. It must be that linux has overwriten the windows boot record..

Nathanael · 05-19-2008, 07:29 AM

if you google for 'grub boot windows' you should find a few hits and howto's for configuring grub to boot your windows system.

help_a_newbie · 05-19-2008, 08:06 AM

I hardly understand anything...

Nathanael · 05-19-2008, 08:20 AM

google: www.google.com

to google for something: search using google

google for 'grub boot windows': enter 'grub boot windows' into the text field on www.google.com and press 'search' or 'enter' on your keyboard

hits: results returned by www.google.com for your search

howto's: documents describing how you do something (step by step -> easy)

configuring: amending settings to a program allowing you to have influence on the application

grub: the name of a boot loader (which you have probably installed)

boot: starting a computer is called booting

windows: the operating system you are trying to get to

the above mixed together: http://www.google.com/search?q=grub+boot+windows

help_a_newbie · 05-19-2008, 08:27 AM

Nathanael, you're so funny, but I meant that I can't understand anything of what the results say... All the documents are writen for users that have an experience in ubuntu and not newer users like me.

Honeysuckle · 05-19-2008, 08:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by help_a_newbie

I hardly understand anything...

Well, you are in good company

What species of Windows do you have?

I have XP and I do not have Ubuntu (but grub's been the same in the distros I've tried, so hopefully Ubuntu hasn't added anything idiosyncratic.)

For XP, you need to add an option to the file "menu.lst" (it is in Boot/grub in the distros I've looked at)

It'll be something like this:

title Windows
rootnoverify (hd0,0)
makeactive
chainloader +1

[The (hdo,0) might need to be (hd0,1) as you said that Windows is on sda2 - which I find a bit odd. Do you have any recovery partition or anything else on sda1? It might still be where you have to boot from, so you could try both if one doesn't work].

If you've got Vista, it may be a bit more fiddly/different/I don't know.

help_a_newbie · 05-19-2008, 08:52 AM

Me too, I got XP Media Centre. The file you told me to edit is where exactly? Windows boot loader must be completely deleted too... !

help_a_newbie · 05-19-2008, 08:58 AM

Soz for replying again, I just found the file. About sda1 and so on... Here's the output of sudo fdisk -l:

Disk /dev/sda: 160.0 GB, 160041885696 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 19457 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x041f041f

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 1 3768 30266428+ 5 Extended
/dev/sda2 * 3769 19456 126013828+ 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda5 1 3487 28009264+ 83 Linux
/dev/sda6 3488 3768 2257101 82 Linux swap / Solaris

I hope this clears things up a lil bit!!!

Honeysuckle · 05-19-2008, 09:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by help_a_newbie

I hope this clears things up a lil bit!!!

I'm just a user who has fiddled around with grub trying to get it going on various test distros and in the process I've figured out a bit of how to use it, so your output list is still as clear as mud to me

All I can offer is what I've already said - you could try it if you like, otherwise wait until somebody more knowledgeable comes along.

Good Luck.

Nathanael · 05-19-2008, 09:46 AM

the device you want is /dev/sda2

i am not sure how grub sees this device - i am guessing as (hd0,1) so something like

Code:

# windows xp
title         Windows Media Center
root          (hd0,1)
makeactive
chainloader   +1

needs to be in your /boot/grub/menu.lst

help_a_newbie · 05-20-2008, 03:44 AM

Well, I just did it and a "starting up" message shows up and stays like this forever... By pressing windows xp from the grub menu it redirects me to the windows bootloader or it starts windows automatically?

Nathanael · 05-20-2008, 04:08 AM

it should pass the booting process to ntldr

you could compare the (hd0,1) part to other entries in the menu.lst file (i.e. if they say (hd1,x) then you obviously need hd1 too for the windows section.

a believe that the second parameter is started counting at 0, else you would have to also try (hd0,2)

help_a_newbie · 05-20-2008, 04:12 AM

hd(0,2) has another output when trying to load:
Wrong or damaged executable (or sth like this)