I tried both versions. When I click Windows on the menu(hd0,0) i get "invalid or unsupported excutable format. Press any key to continue." When I do I get the menu back. (hd1,0) shows "Starting Up" Then nothing. sda1 is the bootable Windows. sdb needs more work. I deleted the Windows partition to unallocated space, but when I repartitioned it it it still divided into two with the small partition at the start that would hold Windows MBR and FAT. Even though I declared it a logical partition it created the small partition that remains primary and active. The partitioning program shows it but will not work with it and starts labeling with the second partition. I will have to check with WD to see if this is something they built into the Drive.

winger

# 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 0

## 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=b8108d56-6cb2-49f6-9103-d583927329f7 ro

## default grub root device
## e.g. groot=(hd0,0)
# groot=b8108d56-6cb2-49f6-9103-d583927329f7

## 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

## specify if running in Xen domU or have grub detect automatically
## update-grub will ignore non-xen kernels when running in domU and vice versa
## e.g. indomU=detect
## indomU=true
## indomU=false
# indomU=detect

## 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 9.10, kernel 2.6.31-14-generic
uuid b8108d56-6cb2-49f6-9103-d583927329f7
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.31-14-generic root=UUID=b8108d56-6cb2-49f6-9103-d583927329f7 ro quiet splash
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.31-14-generic
quiet

title Ubuntu 9.10, kernel 2.6.31-14-generic (recovery mode)
uuid b8108d56-6cb2-49f6-9103-d583927329f7
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.31-14-generic root=UUID=b8108d56-6cb2-49f6-9103-d583927329f7 ro single
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.31-14-generic

title Ubuntu 9.10, kernel 2.6.28-11-generic
uuid b8108d56-6cb2-49f6-9103-d583927329f7
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.28-11-generic root=UUID=b8108d56-6cb2-49f6-9103-d583927329f7 ro quiet splash
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.28-11-generic
quiet

title Ubuntu 9.10, kernel 2.6.28-11-generic (recovery mode)
uuid b8108d56-6cb2-49f6-9103-d583927329f7
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.28-11-generic root=UUID=b8108d56-6cb2-49f6-9103-d583927329f7 ro single
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.28-11-generic

title Ubuntu 9.10, memtest86+
uuid b8108d56-6cb2-49f6-9103-d583927329f7
kernel /boot/memtest86+.bin
quiet

title windows
rootnoverify (hd0,0)
chainloader +1

### END DEBIAN AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST

That first FAT partition is probably an xp recovery partition?

It's possible grub is not seeing the drives the same as the output you get from fdisk. Set sdc (Ubuntu drive) to first boot priority, boot it and log in as root (sudo) enter password, type grub for the grub prompt (grub>) and then run the geometry commands:

geometry (hd0) (hit Enter key for output)
geometry (hd1) (hit Enter key for output)
geometry (hd2) (hit Enter key for output)

Compare this output to fdisk output. Since sda is all xp (ntfs) and sdc is Ubuntu, you should be able to tell if grub is seeing the drives the same as fdisk.

I have no idea what the first partition is on the disc without the Windows operating system. I have tried every option that Partition Commander gives me to remove or incorporate this partition with the adjoining one with no success. If it is a Windows recovery partition it appears it must be hardwired into the drive. In a normal Windows installation it would contain the boot sector and the file allocation table.

I tried the commands you had listed in your response. They all yield the expected resulthd0) is sda. (hd2)is sdc, the Ubuntu drive. Perhaps Windows cannot be booted unless the boot program is written in the Windows master boot program.

winger

From your earlier post:

I don't see any FAT partition in your fdisk output? Also, no partition holds the master boot record. It is physically outside any partitions at the beginning of the disk at Cylinder 0, Head 0, Sector 1.

Your fdisk output shows sdb2 marked as active/bootable (the asterisk) and shows it as an extended partition. Extended partitions can't hold data, only primary/logical partitions can. So there is nothing on sdb2, sdb5 and sdb6 are logical partitions and can hold data, also they are windows: ntfs.

What's Partition Commander?

Do you mean windows in the master boot record? Yes, it can. I boot from the first partition on the second drive with Linux OS and Grub stage1 in the mbr of first hard drive. Nothing uncommon about it. I'm not familiar with Acronis or Partition Commander and don't know what they do so am not sure how to undo whatever happened.

Have you tried re-installing Grub? Or do you not want to boot with Grub?

Partition Cmdr. is an Acronis program that boots from the CD. It is independent of the operating system that exist on the computer. It is written in Isolinux and enables you to manipulate partitions, add and delete, merge, etc. It has nothing to do with booting. On disc 1 (sda) the first partition contains Windows and is a primary partition. There are four other partitions on that disc, all logical. Disc 2 (sdb) has 7.844 MB of unallocated space at the start of the disk and two partitions, both designated as logical. The 7.844 MB can only be turned into a primary partition . I cannot join it with the following petition. I had assumed that this is the area set aside for Windows master boot record and .the FAT, but that was just my assumption. Both partitions on disc two contains data. It is my understanding that only primary partitions can be designated as active/bootable so I don't understand why disc 2 shows up that way.

When I suggested that perhaps Windows cannot be booted unless the boot program is written in Windows master boot program I meant that Grub (or any other additional operating system boot program) would have to alter the Windows master boot program to be bootable.

I want to boot with Grub but I don't know how to get there. The only times I reinstalled Grub was when I reinstalled Ubuntu and the other day when I accepted an upgraded version of Ubuntu. I'm not sure how to reinstall Grub without reinstalling the whole program. Right now I assume that Grub is in the Ubuntu partition which would be the first politician on disc three (sdc).

I'm about out of ideas here. When you log in to a terminal in Ubuntu and enter: sudo grub (get grub prompt: grub>) and at the grub prompt type:

find /boot/grub/stage1

do you get response of (hd2,0)?

The Find command gave the expected result (hd2,0).

If you're about out of ideas and I don't have any, I think we have reached an impasse. Inasmuch as they are so cheap right now, I think I will replace the IDE drive with a SATA drive and reinstall Ubuntu with the Windows disk active and let the setup program write the start up. I really appreciate the time and effort you put in trying to get this to function correctly. Thank you,

winger

If you do get a new drive for Ubuntu, I would suggest that when you load the CD/DVD with Ubuntu before installing, you run the "sudo fdisk -l" command to see what your output is. This way you will know for certain which drive you're installing to, particularly if you have all three as 500GB? Also, if windows is not on the first drive, seen as sda, you will likely need the map commands in menu.lst file to boot.

You might disconnect your other drives to be sure you get the right one. That would involve manual entries in menu.lst later however.

Good Luck!

Thanks yancek! I need all the luck I can get, I'm certainly not operating on knowledge. I'll eliminate one variable by making sure I don't get a 500 GB disk.

winger