Hey guys, I'm fresh to Ubuntu completely and am now running 8.10, but I've noticed a few problems already. One is my video drivers not working, but that's already in another thread, but to my problem here. Since I have installed Ubuntu, yes I'm running Dual Boot, and for some reason, this is the 4th time that I am having problems with the boot loader. I'm using GRUB, but have tried LILO as well and have the same results. After about a week of everything working just fine, all of a sudden I get an error trying to load Windows (it's XP SP3), and the only way to fix it is to re-install GRUB/LILO. Now my question is, is there compatability issues here or is this just something that's aggrivating that I'm just going to have to deal with? Someone please shed some light on me if you can! Thanks a million!

I used to dual boot. I always installed Windows first, since it doesn't read anything else, then I installed Linux on the remainder of the drive. Thus, when the Linux installation installed the boot loader it would see the Windows partition and set it up automatically. If there is a problem, its more than likely on the Windows side, it looks at any other filesystems or operating systems as being "corrupt". Which are you using now? Post the conf file.

Yeah I installed windows first on a completely different HD. As for which one I'm using now, I'm using GRUB. I know that for a fact. Now I'm new to Ubuntu, so where would the conf file be?

Well, it will probably be located in: /boot/grub, in most distro's its grub.conf, but Ubuntu has to do everything different. The file is actually called "menu.lst".

here is my menu.lst file contents:

# 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=f0af01e8-8a94-4288-b7fa-47b26ff9452d ro

## default grub root device
## e.g. groot=(hd0,0)
# groot=f0af01e8-8a94-4288-b7fa-47b26ff9452d

## 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 8.10, kernel 2.6.27-7-generic
uuid f0af01e8-8a94-4288-b7fa-47b26ff9452d
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.27-7-generic root=UUID=f0af01e8-8a94-4288-b7fa-47b26ff9452d ro quiet splash
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.27-7-generic
quiet

title Ubuntu 8.10, kernel 2.6.27-7-generic (recovery mode)
uuid f0af01e8-8a94-4288-b7fa-47b26ff9452d
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.27-7-generic root=UUID=f0af01e8-8a94-4288-b7fa-47b26ff9452d ro single
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.27-7-generic

title Ubuntu 8.10, memtest86+
uuid f0af01e8-8a94-4288-b7fa-47b26ff9452d
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 Professional
root (hd0,0)
savedefault
makeactive
chainloader +1

Alright. I just searched through my archive of slightly-embarrassing threads and found one that seems similar to yours. Look through it, compare the working grub menu that I have with yours and see if you see anything different. I suggest you make a copy of your current menu.lst just in case.

Thread here.

Note: my windows partition was on the same hard drive in this case, so if you just copy and paste, nothing will work - especially since you are using the current Ubuntu.