Dell Inspiron 1525 laptop - dualboot
 

Hello,

I have brought a Dell Inspiron 1525 laptop and installed Ubuntu 8.04 (64-bit) desktop edition. I shirnked the partition and deleted the RECOVERY partition set for Windos vista using gpartd.

Ubuntu 8.04 installation was completed successfully without any issue and running correctly. However, if I select windos vista from the Grub it is again going back to the POST and looping again. Is any way to boot through Windows vista?

Thankyou very much for your time.

Jose

Can you open a terminal (Applications -> Accessories -> Terminal) and post the output of "sudo cfdisk -Ps" and "cat /boot/grub/menu.lst".

Hi,

Thankyou for the response.

Here are the output

jose@jose-laptop:~$ sudo cfdisk -Ps
[sudo] password for jose:
Partition Table for /dev/sda

First Last
# Type Sector Sector Offset Length Filesystem Type (ID) Flag
-- ------- ----------- ----------- ------ ----------- -------------------- ----
1 Primary 0 385559 63 385560 Linux (83) None
2 Primary 385560 21173669 0 20788110 Linux (83) None
3 Primary 21173670 82397384 0 61223715 HPFS/NTFS (07) Boot
4 Primary 82397385 312576704 0 230179320*Extended (05) None
5 Logical 82397385 162401084 63 80003700*Linux (83) None
6 Logical 162401085 164393144 63 1992060 Linux (83) None
7 Logical 164393145 189775844 63 25382700 Linux (83) None
8 Logical 189775845 195768089 63 5992245 Linux (83) None
9 Logical 195768090 203768459 63 8000370 Linux (83) None
10 Logical 203768460 209776769 63 6008310 Linux (83) None
11 Logical 209776770 221777324 63 12000555 Linux swap / So (82) None
12 Logical 221777325 312576704 63 90799380*Linux (83) None
jose@jose-laptop:~$

jose@jose-laptop:~$ 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 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=03cbe7be-728a-4650-b2a9-f94cd110c86e ro

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

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

## 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 8.04.1, kernel 2.6.24-19-generic
root (hd0,0)
kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.24-19-generic root=UUID=03cbe7be-728a-4650-b2a9-f94cd110c86e ro quiet splash
initrd /initrd.img-2.6.24-19-generic
quiet

title Ubuntu 8.04.1, kernel 2.6.24-19-generic (recovery mode)
root (hd0,0)
kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.24-19-generic root=UUID=03cbe7be-728a-4650-b2a9-f94cd110c86e ro single
initrd /initrd.img-2.6.24-19-generic

title Ubuntu 8.04.1, kernel 2.6.24-16-generic
root (hd0,0)
kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.24-16-generic root=UUID=03cbe7be-728a-4650-b2a9-f94cd110c86e ro quiet splash
initrd /initrd.img-2.6.24-16-generic
quiet

title Ubuntu 8.04.1, kernel 2.6.24-16-generic (recovery mode)
root (hd0,0)
kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.24-16-generic root=UUID=03cbe7be-728a-4650-b2a9-f94cd110c86e ro single
initrd /initrd.img-2.6.24-16-generic

title Ubuntu 8.04.1, memtest86+
root (hd0,0)
kernel /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/sda3
title Windows Vista/Longhorn (loader)
root (hd0,2)
savedefault
makeactive
chainloader +1

jose@jose-laptop:~$


Thanks in advance
Jose

The Windows entry in GRUB seems to be correct and matches the partition information from cfdisk.

You have actually done a lot of partitioning. The laptop originally came with Windows only? On which partition? Dell usually has both a small utility partition, then Windows, then the recovery partition.

Hi,

Actually the Dell partition (very small in size with a fat32) and another RECOVERY partition. Both of these partitions I removed and shrink the primary windows partition using Ubuntu Partition Manager. Is those removed partitions are necessary for it to boot? In such case is it possible to recreate it?

Thanks in advance
Jose

I do not think those partitions are required to boot Windows, but it is possible.
My Dell laptop came with the Dell Utility partition, Windows partition, Recovery partition with Windows on the second (of three) primary partition.
Was your Windows installation always on the third primary partition?
And another question. Can you open the Windows partition from Ubuntu and confirm files are still there?

Hi

Note very sure the Vista partition was on the 3 rd one.
The files are existing and it is visible from Ubuntu after mounting it.

jose@jose-laptop:~/tmp$ ls -l
total 6578197
-rwxrwxrwx 1 root root 24 2006-09-19 01:43 autoexec.bat
drwxrwxrwx 1 root root 4096 2006-11-10 17:22 Boot
-rwxrwxrwx 1 root root 438840 2006-11-02 13:53 bootmgr
-rwxrwxrwx 2 root root 10 2006-09-19 01:43 config.sys
drwxrwxrwx 1 root root 8192 2008-07-18 21:20 DELL
-rwxrwxrwx 1 root root 4594 2008-06-12 03:12 dell.sdr
drwxrwxrwx 1 root root 0 2008-06-12 02:49 doctemp
drwxrwxrwx 1 root root 0 2008-06-11 19:33 Documents and Settings
drwxrwxrwx 1 root root 0 2008-06-12 02:49 Drivers
-rwxrwxrwx 1 root root 3210784768 2008-07-18 21:23 hiberfil.sys
-rwxrwxrwx 1 root root 22729 2008-06-11 19:38 newfile.enc
-rwxrwxrwx 1 root root 22729 2008-06-11 19:38 newkey
-rwxrwxrwx 1 root root 3524710400 2008-07-18 21:23 pagefile.sys
drwxrwxrwx 1 root root 4096 2008-07-18 21:09 ProgramData
drwxrwxrwx 1 root root 12288 2008-06-11 19:51 Program Files
drwxrwxrwx 1 root root 4096 2008-07-18 21:15 $Recycle.Bin
drwxrwxrwx 1 root root 16384 2008-07-18 21:20 System Volume Information
drwxrwxrwx 1 root root 4096 2008-07-18 21:13 Users
drwxrwxrwx 1 root root 24576 2008-07-18 21:13 Windows
jose@jose-laptop:~/tmp$

Anything can done here?

Thankyou for your time

Best Regards
Jose

Windows appears to be on the 3rd primary partition:
3 Primary 21173670 82397384 0 61223715 HPFS/NTFS (07) Boot

Grub is set to boot Windows from the 3rd partition with the exact entries I have for my Windows boot:
title Windows Vista/Longhorn (loader)
root (hd0,2)
savedefault
makeactive
chainloader +1

Windows files exist and are visible:
The files are existing and it is visible from Ubuntu after mounting it.

Windows has always been on the 3rd partition and there should be no problem with Windows failing because it thinks it is on another partition:
Note very sure the Vista partition was on the 3 rd one.

No error message is displayed:
However, if I select windos vista from the Grub it is again going back to the POST and looping again.

If it was my own PC I would shotgun it with anything and everything that could give me a clue what the actual problem is. So yes, I am out of ideas.