hi everyone;
a) background:
few days ago, i created a FULLY dedicated desktop to Linux. people at this forum helped me achieve that.
i downloaded Ubuntu 16.04.3, to overwrite xp spk2, and subsequently installed Linux Mint [henceforth LM], 17.1, which i'm a bit more familiar and like.
ENCOURAGED by that, i tried (AGAIN), to replicate the SAGA in this other "patient":
Netbook [NB] Asus Eee PC 1001 PX, processor Athlon 1.6 GHz, 250GB HDD, 2 GB RAM, running W7 Home Premium 32 bit spk1 [henceforth HP].
it came with W7 starter, i bought the upgrade to HP, which PRECLUDES me to install HP on a clean HDD. upgrade ONLY.
running HP is awfully slow, and expect LM to give me a faster run.
b) activities:
in EACH of the previous FAILURES to get Linux in the NB, i had to reinstall HP, a grueling task.
so for this attempt, created two additional partitions (easeus partition master), one for the data and the other to host LM.
repeated Ubuntu procedure, and instructed to install in its assigned partition.
no problem. everything was GOOD!!
booting gave me the option of selecting WHICH OS i wanted the machine to run. Ubuntu came ok and everything seemed OK.
then booted with LM 17.1 DVD, and IT ALSO seemed to install properly.
i felt HAPPY!!!
of course, booting again to see if choice of os offered, then it came (again !!!), the MOST HIDEOUS, ABHORRENT, HATED, REPUGNANT, DETESTABLE command which appeared in ALL my previous failures:

grub rescue.

None of the solutions I got online before, worked. Very frustrating.
yes, i imagine you LM knowledgeable people smiling at my hate to this situation, (and the typing in upper case), but (now, as before every time I failed), found myself (AGAIN), reinstalling HP.
grueling task.
so, this last time, removed (and wiped) the previously assigned partition, and re installed Ubuntu SIDE BY SIDE to HP.
works fine, no problem.
BUT before it try booting with LM DVD………………
c) question to the forum:
what is that I am doing wrong NOW with this new attempt? or rather
is it there something different to do now?

your guidance, help and assistance will be kindly appreciated.

dr

I'm a little confused when you say 'grub rescue', is that what is appearing on the screen?

Also, just to confirm (or deny) I'm understanding you correctly;

You installed Ubuntu 16.04.3 and it worked and then;

You installed Linux Mint and it worked and then you restarted and you got 'grub rescue' on the screen?

hi jsbjsb001,

thanks for your reply.
let me clarify:
initially, i configured bios to boot from dvd first [have an external samsung driver].
in that way, i installed ubuntu, without any problem.
removing dvd and booting, screen came giving me option to run ubuntu or windows.

but my goal is to have the option of running windows OR Linux MINT.

so, i placed LM dvd in external driver, and booted again.
the LM screen came asking me to either try OR install, which i selected.
subsequently, LM displayed same screens i had seen before when i was installing LM in the desktop days ago.
after it finished, i turned off, removed external driver, and booted again.

the problem is that it didn't offer me the option to SELECT which OS i want to run (as ubuntu did);
instead, the

grub rescue

appeared.

as mentioned before, the way i got out of that was reinstalling W7 HP.

--------------------
to tour questions:

You installed Ubuntu 16.04.3 and it worked and then; {to me that it worked means that it gave me to option of SELECTING WHICH OS to run)

You installed Linux Mint and it worked and then you restarted and you got 'grub rescue' on the screen?
YES, that's exactly what happens.

i am NOT asking about the functionality of LM or ubuntu.
those i KNOW they work.

the NATURE of my query is HOW to have W7 HP AND LM in same notebook with the option of selecting OS to run.

maybe this will help https://www.howtoforge.com/tutorial/...h-grub-rescue/

Windows lets you resize the primary partition. Shrink it to add a partition for linux. It's buried pretty deep in the admin stuffs, but has existed since vista. Otherwise it sounds like you installed mint over ubuntu, which means that the grub in the MBR doesn't know where grub is. So you have to re-install grub. Various chroot routes to do that if you have a bootable live system (the try of try or install). Otherwise I tend to use external media as my bootable linux. HP's are fairly linux compatible and let you select a boot device by spamming ESC at boot then pressing F9 and selecting your preference. So most of my linux's are on external usb sticks. Leaving what ever OS that came with it unbooted and unused.

to colorpurple21859 & Shadow 7;
thanks for your replies.
i have to "digest" your comments and guidance.
i'll get back to you over the weekend.
thanks again.
dr.

The best way to recover grub is from a liveCD. There'll be a decent tutorial somewhere.

Ahhh - try this one (ignore the bit about Win7, it's a general recovery guide).
If you have only one disk, you will need "sda" where they talk about "sd-" being your disk (for the grub-install).

hello everyone, AGAIN;
as promised, i took some time to LEARN about grub, and other "little" things about Linux.

the deep browsing led me to several sites describing the problem i had in the past, and by learning WHAT grub is, i am SINCERELY ASHAMED of my rant (MOST HIDEOUS, ABHORRENT, HATED, REPUGNANT, DETESTABLE) in my initial posting, and want to apologize to the community for this rant, which was based on my ignorance.

so, now with a "lightened soul", i report actions taken:

indeed, booted from LM 17.1 Rebecca [Cinnamon version], and installed it (overwrote Ubuntu).
shut off, turned on again, and the display offering me which OS to run CAME OK, as it was previously happening in the Ubuntu version.
great!, i thought.
so, shutting off and, upon new boot, by selecting W7 HP to run (which did without problem), brought the problem we're concerned:
grub rescue.

so, now i'm coming to realize (i believe), is that running W7 (somehow), destroys the LM grub.

at this point, i cannot resist to inject in this reply a little of "my personal vintage":
i am a 77 years YOUNG retired hardware electronic engineer designer.
during my practice, i learned that you DO NOT control the fix of a problem until you're able to provoke it again, and test your fix.

so, seeing now the grub rescue gave me (now), a GREAT deal of SATISFACTION.
browsing to learn, i got into

https://sourceforge.net/projects/boot-repair-cd/files/

from where downloaded

boot-repair-disk-32bit.iso

; which i subsequently burned into a CD (using ImgBurn).

so, after the grub rescue, shut off and rebooted with this Boot Repair disk.
it worked like a well tuned fiddle, and restored the grub that W7 had damaged.

obviously, i repeated several times the sequence that provoked the problem in the past, but this new Boot Repair is incredibly valuable.

well...........so far for "my saga":
there are other issues with operating LM, but i don't believe they belong to this post, although i will ask for the help from the community, but later.

if the moderator approves, i would like to declare this issue SOLVED.

again, thanks to all who replied with guidance and assistance.

dr.