Not getting the dual boot option after installing Linux.
 

Hello Geeks,

I have the following situation :-

I have a 500 GB hard disk, 2 partitions.

2nd partition, extended.

My plan was to have the linux mint on the second partition.

I used the Linux mint Live CD, booted the machine.

In the partition wizard, I configured it in the following way.

139.69 GB NTFS partition where I already have Windows installed.

190 MB boot partition (Primary) (EXT-2)

323.04 GB /root partition (Primary) (EXT-4)

2.84 GB swap partition.




The wizard asked me where I should install the boot loader, I chose the /root partition. The installation finished, I rebooted the machine, it automatically ejected the MINT live cd.

My system just booted up to Windows. Never got an option of dual boot.

Please tell me where I went wrong.

Thank you in advance.

you need to change the boot order in the bios
or
make the 190 meg boot partition bootable

you can use the install dvd ( but this is a live cd so it is limited )
pop it in and from the menu select "boot from hard disk"

you can use it to run
there should be a " * " asterisk next to the /boot partition


I like "Gparted live cd"
http://gparted.sourceforge.net/

and in the gparted menu make the boot partition as a bootable device

and are you sure that grub installed to the /boot partition because you said you installed it to " /"

If you had windows already installed, its bootloader was in the mbr and if you did install Grub to the / (root) partition, you need to riyhrt configure your windows bootloader to boot it (you will probably need some third party software to do it) or you could install Grub to the mbr. It would be helpful if you posted more information as requested, fdisk -l output to start with.

But if you crated a boot partition why didn't you install the boot loader there. At this point you could try again and start over. Remember to set the boot loader in the boot partition and not in the root partition.
I am sure you could boot from the live cd and re install grub in the boot partition that way but it will involve a set of steps from the command line, I dont know if you would want to try that.

Good luck to you!

If you are not comfortable with the terminal and the "rescue" GRUB> terminal
reinstalling is an option
you have not done anything yet with the os

And besides it is GOOD practice

i have used fedora for YEARS, but stopped with fedora 11
i just recently did 5 different custom installs of 18 on a usb to familiarize my self with the NEW installer

every one needs practice

do a bit of research about windows 7 dual booting
with grub on the MBR replacing windows bootloadre
or the way i and others do
just let MS have the MBR and put grub or lilo on the first linux partition

Finally I had the bootloader on the MBR and everything is fine.