I am completely new to Linux as of today. I finally took the plunge and downloaded and installed Ubuntu 8.04 on my Windows XP computer (dual boot), using the Ubuntu installation wizard to "make room" on my hard drive for Ubuntu by creating a separate partition. The installation finished successfully and Linux boots just fine, but Windows XP will no longer boot at all. I have read many threads on this and other sites, giving advice of how to correct this problem. I am not at all experienced in editing and working with different ways of booting (other than Windows default). But after some frustration, I located (according to the threads) a couple places to try making changes to the boot commands and I tried various lists that were suggested. Before I changed anything, the Windows XP boot screen would appear and then it would revert right back to Grub.

*************
After I made one of the suggested changes to:

title Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
rootnoverify (hd1,0)
map (hd1) (hd0)
map (hd0) (hd1)
chainloader +1

the Windows XP screen did not appear, but it gave me "Error 21: Selected disk does not exist. Press any key to continue..." upon so doing, it takes me back to Grub.

*************
When I tried:

title Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
map (hd0) (hd1)
map (hd1) (hd0)
rootnoverify (hd0,1)
savedefault
chainloader +1

it gave me the message: Starting up... Disk error Press any key to restart. When I pressed a key, it gave much information very fast about my ethernet, and that the media failed and it was going to exit, but then it just repeated that process over and over while I pressed Esc, many other keys, and finally Ctrl + Alt + Del which took me back to Grub.

**************
Then I tried:

title Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
map (hd0,0) (hd0,2)
map (hd0,2) (hd0,0)
rootnoverify (hd0,2)
makeactive
savedefault
chainloader +1

it ran my computer's brand "repair utility" and then gave me two windows error screens, then reverted back to Grub:

Windows Error Message: 1

C:\BIN\ERRORDIALOG.EXE

Windows cannot find 'C:\BIN\ERRORDIALOG.EXE'. Make sure you typed the name correctly, and then try again. To search for a file, click the Start button, and then click search.

Windows Error Message: 2

C:\BIN\BOOTPRIORITY.EXE

Windows cannot find 'C:\BIN\BOOTPRIORITY.EXE'. Make sure you typed the name correctly, and then try again. To search for a file, click the Start button, and then click search.

*********

I have no idea what drive number Ubuntu and/or Grub installed to, or assigned to the Windows partition, and I have no idea how to find out. I do not have a Windows XP installation CD (it came pre-installed on my computer), so I CANNOT wipe out that partition and simply reinstall it--I MUST be able to fix the problem without harming Windows!!! I also have data in the Windows partition that I don't want to lose. I could possibly uninstall and reinstall Ubuntu (as I saw suggested somewhere online), but I have not the slightest clue how to accomplish that task--and WHAT IF it didn't work?! I wouldn't be able to boot my computer at all in anything! ...and I really don't want to get rid of Ubuntu, because Linux has been highly recommended to me, and I would like to learn how to use it. BUT I NEED Windows too!

Can anyone PLEASE tell me something to try that I can understand?! Please remember, I have NO experience dealing with boot-up terminology!!
...in order to do the changes above, all I know is that I highlighted the Windows entry on Grub's menu, pressed e, and then I could add/remove/edit lines to make them look like the internet suggestions, then press b to try to boot from what I just typed. I can follow instructions, but I have to have every step spelled out. Help! I'm desperate!

I take it you used Wubi to install Ubuntu. I've heard a few horror stories about that. Try downloading the 'regular' Ubuntu ISO (text or live either is fine) and make sure you use manual partitioning and just overwrite the partition with Ubuntu on it. I've installed this way several times and have never had GRUB miss Windows in the boot options.

I doubt it's wubi if the installer created a partition. From a terminal, enter this and post the entire output(you'll need your password)

Disk /dev/sda: 160.0 GB, 160041885696 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 19457 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x9e779e77

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 1 10369 83288961 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda2 * 18479 19457 7863817+ 1c Hidden W95 FAT32 (LBA)
/dev/sda3 10370 18478 65135542+ 5 Extended
/dev/sda5 10370 18142 62436591 83 Linux
/dev/sda6 18143 18478 2698888+ 82 Linux swap / Solaris

Partition table entries are not in disk order

Disk /dev/sdb: 1031 MB, 1031208448 bytes
32 heads, 63 sectors/track, 999 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 2016 * 512 = 1032192 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x00000000

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sdb1 1 1004 1011912+ 6 FAT16





Thank you both for answering, I think I installed Ubuntu from a live CD. (I downloaded Ubuntu and told it to open the downloaded file with my writeable CD software--it worked, I verified it, and then installed Ubuntu upon reboot.) ...I don't know if that answers that question or not...

What did the Windows entry in menu.lst look like originally ?.

title Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
root (hd0,0)
savedefault
makeactive
chainloader +1

Try it as Hidden partitions are unusual though - Windows won't even boot them, so I don't know what going on there.

I tried that code, and it did the same as my third example in my first post:

It flashed the screen "RAM disk Image"
Then "Toshiba Recovery" (with a progress bar at the bottom of the screen)
Then it gave me the same two windows error messages as above: (concerning C:\BIN\ERRORDIALOG.EXE and
C:\BIN\BOOTPRIORITY.EXE).

****

Another thought - I was exploring my new Linux OS, and in File Browser I can see all the contents of my Windows partition, including My Documents, as well as all program and system folders and files.

Didn't read this properly. If XP starts loading, then that seems to indicate you didn't overlay the XP partition accidentally.
Maybe @shane25119 was correct after all about wubi - I've never used it. I'm at a loss - try going to sf.net and get the bootinfo script and run it; see what it has to say about your system. Post the RESULTS.txt it generates.

============================= Boot Info Summary: ==============================

=> Grub0.97 is installed in the MBR of /dev/sda and looks on the same drive
in partition #5 for /boot/grub/stage2 and /boot/grub/menu.lst.
=> No boot loader is installed in the MBR of /dev/sdb

sda1: _________________________________________________________________________

File system: ntfs
Boot sector type: Windows XP
Boot sector info: No errors found in the Boot Parameter Block.
Operating System: Windows XP
Boot files/dirs: /boot.ini /ntldr /NTDETECT.COM

sda2: _________________________________________________________________________

File system: vfat
Boot sector type: Windows XP: Fat32
Boot sector info: No errors found in the Boot Parameter Block.
Operating System:
Boot files/dirs: /ntldr /NTLDR /NTDETECT.COM /ntdetect.com

sda3: _________________________________________________________________________

File system: Extended Partition
Boot sector type: -
Boot sector info:

sda5: _________________________________________________________________________

File system: ext3
Boot sector type: -
Boot sector info:
Operating System: Ubuntu 8.04.2
Boot files/dirs: /boot/grub/menu.lst /etc/fstab

sda6: _________________________________________________________________________

File system: swap
Boot sector type: -
Boot sector info:

sdb1: _________________________________________________________________________

File system: vfat
Boot sector type: Unknown
Boot sector info: No errors found in the Boot Parameter Block.
Operating System:
Boot files/dirs:

=========================== Drive/Partition Info: =============================

Drive: sda ___________________ _____________________________________________________

Disk /dev/sda: 160.0 GB, 160041885696 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 19457 cylinders, total 312581808 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x9e779e77

Partition Boot Start End Size Id System

/dev/sda1 63 166,577,984 166,577,922 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda2 * 296,849,070 312,576,704 15,727,635 1c Hidden W95 FAT32 (LBA)
/dev/sda3 166,577,985 296,849,069 130,271,085 5 Extended
/dev/sda5 166,578,048 291,451,229 124,873,182 83 Linux
/dev/sda6 291,451,293 296,849,069 5,397,777 82 Linux swap / Solaris


Drive: sdb ___________________ _____________________________________________________

Disk /dev/sdb: 1031 MB, 1031208448 bytes
32 heads, 63 sectors/track, 999 cylinders, total 2014079 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x00000000

Partition Boot Start End Size Id System

/dev/sdb1 239 2,024,063 2,023,825 6 FAT16

/dev/sdb1 ends after the last sector of /dev/sdb

blkid -c /dev/null: ____________________________________________________________

/dev/sda1: UUID="54D0DC47D0DC30CA" LABEL="TI100277P0G " TYPE="ntfs"
/dev/sda2: LABEL="HDDRECOVERY" UUID="0401-0163" TYPE="vfat"
/dev/sda5: UUID="e7885ffa-1d90-46a0-bbf0-bf68870c5467" TYPE="ext3"
/dev/sda6: TYPE="swap" UUID="f83e1507-e0fb-4955-a876-fa70b9198aaf"
/dev/sdb1: SEC_TYPE="msdos" UUID="9027-C2E5" TYPE="vfat"

=============================== "mount" output: ===============================

/dev/sda5 on / type ext3 (rw,relatime,errors=remount-ro)
proc on /proc type proc (rw,noexec,nosuid,nodev)
/sys on /sys type sysfs (rw,noexec,nosuid,nodev)
varrun on /var/run type tmpfs (rw,noexec,nosuid,nodev,mode=0755)
varlock on /var/lock type tmpfs (rw,noexec,nosuid,nodev,mode=1777)
udev on /dev type tmpfs (rw,mode=0755)
devshm on /dev/shm type tmpfs (rw)
devpts on /dev/pts type devpts (rw,gid=5,mode=620)
lrm on /lib/modules/2.6.24-23-generic/volatile type tmpfs (rw)
securityfs on /sys/kernel/security type securityfs (rw)
gvfs-fuse-daemon on /home/kaylyn/.gvfs type fuse.gvfs-fuse-daemon (rw,nosuid,nodev,user=kaylyn)
/dev/sdb1 on /media/disk type vfat (rw,nosuid,nodev,uhelper=hal,shortname=mixed,uid=1000,utf8,umask=077,flush)


================================ sda1/boot.ini: ================================

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect

=========================== sda5/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=e7885ffa-1d90-46a0-bbf0-bf68870c5467 ro

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

## default grub root device
## e.g. groot=(hd0,0)
# groot=(hd0,4)

## 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 8.04.2, kernel 2.6.24-23-generic
root (hd0,4)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.24-23-generic root=UUID=e7885ffa-1d90-46a0-bbf0-bf68870c5467 ro quiet splash
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.24-23-generic
quiet

title Ubuntu 8.04.2, kernel 2.6.24-23-generic (recovery mode)
root (hd0,4)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.24-23-generic root=UUID=e7885ffa-1d90-46a0-bbf0-bf68870c5467 ro single
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.24-23-generic

title Ubuntu 8.04.2, memtest86+
root (hd0,4)
kernel /boot/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/sda1
title Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
chainloader (hd1,0)+1


=============================== sda5/etc/fstab: ===============================

# /etc/fstab: static file system information.
#
# <file system> <mount point> <type> <options> <dump> <pass>
proc /proc proc defaults 0 0
# /dev/sda5
UUID=e7885ffa-1d90-46a0-bbf0-bf68870c5467 / ext3 relatime,errors=remount-ro 0 1
# /dev/sda6
UUID=f83e1507-e0fb-4955-a876-fa70b9198aaf none swap sw 0 0
/dev/scd0 /media/cdrom0 udf,iso9660 user,noauto,exec,utf8 0 0

=================== sda5: Location of files loaded by Grub: ===================


104.7GB: boot/grub/menu.lst
104.7GB: boot/grub/stage2
104.7GB: boot/initrd.img-2.6.24-23-generic
104.7GB: boot/vmlinuz-2.6.24-23-generic
104.7GB: initrd.img
104.7GB: vmlinuz
=========================== Unknown MBRs/Boot Sectors/etc =======================

Unknown BootLoader on sdb1

00000000 eb 3c 90 4d 53 44 4f 53 35 2e 30 00 02 20 01 00 |.<.MSDOS5.0.. ..|
00000010 02 00 02 00 00 f8 f8 00 3f 00 20 00 ef 00 00 00 |........?. .....|
00000020 91 e1 1e 00 80 00 29 e5 c2 27 90 4e 4f 20 4e 41 |......)..'.NO NA|
00000030 4d 45 20 20 20 20 46 41 54 31 36 20 20 20 33 c9 |ME FAT16 3.|
00000040 8e d1 bc fc 7b 16 07 bd 78 00 c5 76 00 1e 56 16 |....{...x..v..V.|
00000050 55 bf 22 05 89 7e 00 89 4e 02 b1 0b fc f3 a4 06 |U."..~..N.......|
00000060 1f bd 00 7c c6 45 fe 0f 38 4e 24 7d 20 8b c1 99 |...|.E..8N$} ...|
00000070 e8 7e 01 83 eb 3a 66 a1 1c 7c 66 3b 07 8a 57 fc |.~...:f..|f;..W.|
00000080 75 06 80 ca 02 88 56 02 80 c3 10 73 ed 33 c9 fe |u.....V....s.3..|
00000090 06 d8 7d 8a 46 10 98 f7 66 16 03 46 1c 13 56 1e |..}.F...f..F..V.|
000000a0 03 46 0e 13 d1 8b 76 11 60 89 46 fc 89 56 fe b8 |.F....v.`.F..V..|
000000b0 20 00 f7 e6 8b 5e 0b 03 c3 48 f7 f3 01 46 fc 11 | ....^...H...F..|
000000c0 4e fe 61 bf 00 07 e8 28 01 72 3e 38 2d 74 17 60 |N.a....(.r>8-t.`|
000000d0 b1 0b be d8 7d f3 a6 61 74 3d 4e 74 09 83 c7 20 |....}..at=Nt... |
000000e0 3b fb 72 e7 eb dd fe 0e d8 7d 7b a7 be 7f 7d ac |;.r......}{...}.|
000000f0 98 03 f0 ac 98 40 74 0c 48 74 13 b4 0e bb 07 00 |.....@t.Ht......|
00000100 cd 10 eb ef be 82 7d eb e6 be 80 7d eb e1 cd 16 |......}....}....|
00000110 5e 1f 66 8f 04 cd 19 be 81 7d 8b 7d 1a 8d 45 fe |^.f......}.}..E.|
00000120 8a 4e 0d f7 e1 03 46 fc 13 56 fe b1 04 e8 c2 00 |.N....F..V......|
00000130 72 d7 ea 00 02 70 00 52 50 06 53 6a 01 6a 10 91 |r....p.RP.Sj.j..|
00000140 8b 46 18 a2 26 05 96 92 33 d2 f7 f6 91 f7 f6 42 |.F..&...3......B|
00000150 87 ca f7 76 1a 8a f2 8a e8 c0 cc 02 0a cc b8 01 |...v............|
00000160 02 80 7e 02 0e 75 04 b4 42 8b f4 8a 56 24 cd 13 |..~..u..B...V$..|
00000170 61 61 72 0a 40 75 01 42 03 5e 0b 49 75 77 c3 03 |aar.@u.B.^.Iuw..|
00000180 18 01 27 0d 0a 49 6e 76 61 6c 69 64 20 53 79 73 |..'..Invalid Sys|
00000190 74 65 6d 20 44 69 73 6b ff 0d 0a 44 69 73 6b 20 |tem Disk...Disk |
000001a0 49 2f 4f 20 65 72 72 6f 72 ff 0d 0a 52 65 70 6c |I/O error...Repl|
000001b0 61 63 65 20 74 68 65 20 64 69 73 6b 2c 20 61 6e |ace the disk, an|
000001c0 64 20 74 68 65 6e 20 50 72 65 73 73 20 41 6e 79 |d then Press Any|
000001d0 20 4b 65 79 0d 0a 00 00 49 4f 20 20 20 20 20 20 | Key....IO |
000001e0 53 59 53 4d 53 44 4f 53 20 20 20 53 59 53 7f 01 |SYSMSDOS SYS..|
000001f0 00 41 bb 00 07 60 66 6a 00 e9 3b ff 00 00 55 aa |.A...`fj..;...U.|
00000200

Should look more like:
Assuming windows xp is actually installed on (hd0,0) you do not need the map function. Hope this gets it for you

I changed this to match what you said and then rebooted. A screen offering the choice to start Windows in safe modes or normally comes up, but when any of them are selected, it shows the Windows XP logo screen and then reverts back to Grub. This is exactly what was in the menu.lst just after I installed Ubuntu, and this is exactly the same result as I originally had. Thanks for the advice, but it doesn't help! Can you give any other advice?

God is helping you ktscheschke, please post the outputs with the code tag, this should help us to read the code correctly.

This info should have been included in the original post - hard to help if you don't supply full details.
I'd be inclined to chkdsk the NTFS partition - but it has to be done from Windows. Can be done from the XP install CD (see article here), but I'd expect it to fail with your current setup. The NTFS will need to be the (only) active/bootable partition - easiest would probably be to use gparted to do that. I would expect it to be in the repositories for 8.04; use synaptic and search for gparted.
If you only have a vendor recovery CD, go find a mate with a real XP CD and use that.

The RESULTS.txt looks as o.k. other than the change(s) to menu.lst

Try un-mounting the drive in linux before shutting down and rebooting. another possibility is using the grub cd. You can have strange problems if the ntfs drive was mounted with the '-force tag'.

Previously mentioned ideas are worth a try as well.