Hi all, I'm new to Linux and not really that computer literate.

When I boot up for Ubuntu 9.10, I get a screen that gives me a selection of what I assume are versions of Ubuntu 9.10.

If I select:
Ubuntu, Linux, 2.6.31-17 generic
Ubuntu, Linux, 2.6.31-17 generic (recovery)
Ubuntu, Linux, 2.6.31-16 generic
Ubuntu, Linux, 2.6.31-16 generic (recovery)

I get:
Kernal Panic: not syncing: VFS: Unable to mount root fs on unknown-block(8,3)
and the process stops. I have to turn off the computer and go back and select "2.6.31-15 generic"

What is going on and what do I need to do to get back to 17 generic version?

1. do you have 2+ hdds or
2. do you have two systems, one is working other is not?
i guess it's a first item in your case.

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I don't know enough about Ubuntu to know what to investigate or how to fix it. But I think I have a basic idea of the situation. The post from Web31337 seems to be assuming an entirely different situation.

You did an update within Ubuntu that included a newer version of the kernel. A backup copy of the previous working kernel was kept in case something went wrong with that update. Now something is wrong with the newer kernel and/or files it depends on. But the older kernel is OK.

Do you know whether the newer kernel (2.6.31-17) ever worked on your system? Or did it break on the very first reboot after it was installed?

I expect you are using GRUB2 and I only know GRUB, so I can't tell you how to check the actual commands that lie behind those boot time menu choices. For GRUB, all that is in a file /boot/grub/menu.lst that you could copy into a post here. That would answer everything Web31337 asked (in case there is something legit in those questions) as well as narrowing the focus for what else should be investigated.

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Hello,
I am not sure what Web1337 is asking in #1 or #2 Sorry for my ignorance.

But, jonsfine, it was working in (2.6.31-16) then an update came it installed (2.6.31-17) which worked for a few sessions then not. Through trial and error I discovered I could run it again on the older version (2.6.31-15).

I appreciate the quick response from you both. Thank you.

What is GRUB and GRUB 2 and what do I need to do to try and fix my original problem? Any other ideas? I am using Ubuntu 9.10

Grub is the bootloader software which starts your computer operating system on most Linux systems. Grub2 is a newer version of Grub that is currently used only on a few distributions of Linux, Ubuntu derivates are some. If your earlier kernel worked there is no reason to update it. You update if you are having problems or if the newer kernel has something you want/need that the older one does not.