Just installed Zorin os 7 dual booting with Windows XP. From the installation instructions was the following:

"After the installation you will be prompted to restart the computer, after the restart the computer should boot up into a menu where you choose which operating system you want to start. To select one use the arrow keys to highlight an option and press the Enter key to start the highlighted one."

My problem is that after restarting the computer, the choice to select the OS that I want to start does not eventuate and the boot defaults to Zorin. I can not see how to get to XP. Can anyone help this 70yr old please? Thanks. You will need to be very specific with the How to for me to grasp the message! lol

If you don't know much about Linux yet, this could take a few exchanges of information.

I don't know whether Zorin OS uses the current version of grub or the legacy version. Maybe someone who knows Zorin will reply.

For the legacy grub, you would fix your problem by editing the file /boot/grub/grub.conf but we need a bit more info before someone could tell you what to edit into that file. For current grub, the process is similar, but a little more complicated.

If I understand correctly, you posted your question from a different computer running Windows 7. Are you able to use a web browser on the Zorin system. It would be helpful if you are able to copy/paste from a terminal window in the Zorin system into a post in this thread (to give us better information, so we can give more specific instructions). But that requires you know how to run a web browser and a terminal in the Zorin system.

If you can do those, it would help a lot to see the current contents of /boot/grub/grub.conf
In a terminal window you could type
and then copy/paste the results into your reply here.

We also need to see partition info. Some of that can be seen with the command
We probably need better info from a command such as "fdisk -l" but that must be done as root and I don't know what you use to be root in Zorin (su or sudo or simply log in as root) and for sudo you also need to know where fdisk is located (probably /sbin or /usr/sbin). For example the command might be
Edit: I found a thread in another forum about root activities in Zorin. That one suggested typing the following in a terminal window and then your own password when prompted
You might need that before listing grub.conf with the command I suggested earlier, and after sudo su works, Linux can find fdisk if it exists, you don't need to specify its location, just

@ johnsfine, ZorinOs is a Ubuntu based distro that is designed to look similar to windows and uses grub2. It uses the standard ubuntu installer.
@ The op, you wouldn't happen to remember what you selected for the partitioning method during installtion?

When you see the boot menu showing Zorin, use the down arrow key to show the complete menu and check to see if there is an entry for windows. If there is none, boot Zorin. Open a file manager with administrator privileges. You can do this by opening a terminal and typing gksudo nautilus. Then navigate to the /boot/grub/grub.cfg file and see if there is an entry such as the one below:

If not, you can simply type in the info. You will need to make at least two changes. The set root='(hd0,msdos1)' line above is one. Open a terminal and type: sudo fdisk -l(Lower Case Letter L in the Command). You will be prompted for your user password, enter it and hit the Enter key. Look at the output. In the far right column (System) look for HPFS/NTFS and then go to the left to the Device column. It will show /dev/sda1 or some other number. Make a note of it if it is not sda1, put the correct entry in the set root line. The hd0 part refers to the hard drive and if you have only one drive, it will be (hd0). The second part msdos1 is the partition number. If your output from fdisk shows sda1, leave it as above, if it is sda2 change to msdos2.

On the search line above there is a set=root with a set of letters/numbers. You will have to get the correct one for your computer. You should be able to do that by opening a terminal and typing: blkid. If that doesn't output anything try: sudo blkid (need your password again) and note the output for the partition (sda1, sda2, whatever you got in the first command) and enter it after set=root.

Save the changes and reboot to test to see if the menu entry shows and if it boots. If it does, copy the windows entry to the file in /etc/grub.d/40_custom and save the change. You need root (sudo) privilege to edit this file.

If this doesn't work, post back with details on what you did and what happened.

Thank you for the replies. I will work on your suggestions and report back in due course. As I live on the opposite side of the world to you guys there will be some delay

Yancek, Ok....I am going warily.....and am posting what I see. Firstly following your instructions I see this in t/boot/grub/grub.cfg file

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/30_os-prober ###
menuentry 'Windows XP Media Center Edition (on /dev/sda1)' --class windows --class os $menuentry_id_option 'osprober-chain-6405996A0EC063FC' {
insmod part_msdos
insmod ntfs
set root='hd0,msdos1'
if [ x$feature_platform_search_hint = xy ]; then
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root --hint-bios=hd0,msdos1 --hint-efi=hd0,msdos1 --hint-baremetal=ahci0,msdos1 6405996A0EC063FC
else
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 6405996A0EC063FC
fi
drivemap -s (hd0) ${root}
chainloader +1
}
menuentry 'Windows NT/2000/XP (on /dev/sda2)' --class windows --class os $menuentry_id_option 'osprober-chain-4B6E-6BC0' {
insmod part_msdos
insmod fat
set root='hd0,msdos2'
if [ x$feature_platform_search_hint = xy ]; then
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root --hint-bios=hd0,msdos2 --hint-efi=hd0,msdos2 --hint-baremetal=ahci0,msdos2 4B6E-6BC0
else
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 4B6E-6BC0
fi
drivemap -s (hd0) ${root}
chainloader +1
}
### END /etc/grub.d/30_os-prober ###


I then opened a terminal and typed sudo Fdisk -l and got this:
jill@jill-ES004AA-ABG-m7369a:~$ sudo fdisk -l
[sudo] password for jill:

Disk /dev/sda: 200.0 GB, 200049647616 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 24321 cylinders, total 390721968 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0xcab10bee

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 63 220481440 110240689 7 HPFS/NTFS/exFAT
/dev/sda2 373463055 390716864 8626905 c W95 FAT32 (LBA)
/dev/sda3 220481534 373463039 76490753 5 Extended
/dev/sda5 220481536 370317311 74917888 83 Linux
/dev/sda6 370319360 373463039 1571840 82 Linux swap / Solaris

Partition table entries are not in disk order
jill@jill-ES004AA-ABG-m7369a:~$

Finally I typed sudo blkid and got this:

jill@jill-ES004AA-ABG-m7369a:~$ blkid
jill@jill-ES004AA-ABG-m7369a:~$ sudo blkid
[sudo] password for jill:
/dev/sda1: LABEL="HP_PAVILION" UUID="6405996A0EC063FC" TYPE="ntfs"
/dev/sda2: LABEL="HP_RECOVERY" UUID="4B6E-6BC0" TYPE="vfat"
/dev/sda5: UUID="a16f1983-01f7-49d8-b660-96fdab36cfe1" TYPE="ext4"
/dev/sda6: UUID="e99d25cb-49b6-44b4-89c0-f51ec35e1a26" TYPE="swap"
jill@jill-ES004AA-ABG-m7369a:~$


Ok I am treading very carefully by posting the results of what you suggested without making changes because I am very new to all this and have no understanding of what I am doing. Would you mind review the results of the information gleaned this far and then giving specific instructions on what to do next step by step. Thanks. I am replying on the computer from within Zorin.

The Linux installer thinks it found two copies of Windows, one on sda1 and one on sda2. The sda1 copy appears to be the one that was enabled before Linux was installed.

I assume you posted only part of grub.conf, not the whole file. It appears that grub.conf is correctly setup to be able to display a menu including choices to boot Windows. Since you say you don't see a menu, I would guess other lines in grub.conf either prevent the menu display or make the timeout so fast you didn't see it.

Probably there is some key you can press at the right moment during boot to get the menu displayed and wait for further input. Maybe someone else will tell you details.

Certainly there is some way to change grub.conf to display the menu longer by default on each boot. I only have experience with legacy grub, and you have the newer grub, so I expect someone else will fill in the details better than I have.

Thank you John......yes this machine has Windows Media Centre XP on it. I guess there is a way to try and get it to show the boot menu to give the choice of XP or Zorin. I did continually try to press F! as I booted until the splash screen arose but no choice resulted, just the boot straight into Zorin You are correct about the grub file I pasted and posted only the part which was obvious to me that XP was installed. Should I have posted the whole deal?

The portion of the grub.cfg file you posted with the windows entries looks correct. You have 2 entries for windows, the first is the windows media center and the second is the Recovery partition. Also, the output of the blkid command shows the correct uuid numbers are in the grub.cfg file.

I'm not clear as to whether you are seeing any boot menu at all? Is the problems that you do not see a menu at all or that you just do not see a windows entry? If the latter, did you try hitting the down arrow key to see the whole menu? If you see no menu, boot Zorin again and go to the /etc/defaul/grub file and check the lines near the top, sample below:

The first (DEFAULT) line tells Grub what to boot. A zero there will boot the first system in the menu. You can set the TIMEOUT to whatever you want, usually it is '10' as shown above. If it is a zero, that would be why you don't see a menu. You need to make any changes as the root user using sudo as explained in the last post and save the changes. Anytime you make a change to a Grub file, you will need to run:

sudo update-grub

If that doesn't resolve the problem, post the entire grub.cfg file.

maybe hitting the esc key when you first boot and and see the grub menu for zorin will show the windows entries.

you could also use any of the 12 year old "dual boot with xp" guides
use "dd" and edit the xp boot.ini fallowing any of the win98 to xp guides

pointing the line in the windows boot.ini to the "linux.bin" you made with dd and copied to the windows c drive

the good news is you do not have to use a 3.5 in floppy any longer

like this redhat one
http://www.redhat.com/advice/tips/dualboot.html

Hi Yancek...thank you for your efforts in helping me solve this problem. In answer to your question the only boot menu seen is on the startup splash screen where the options ESC=Boot, F1= Setup, F10 Recovery. When entering the boot menu one entry is SM-DVDRW IDE H16X. the other 3m-WDC wd...... neither of which option when selected does anything but boot to Zorin. I have tried pressing arrow keys as well as others but no option to Select XP arises.

I have also looked at the grub file which I have posted for you in its entirety and cant see (unless I am blind) any reference to

GRUB_DEFAULT=0
#GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT=0
GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT_QUIET=true
GRUB_TIMEOUT=10

Any suggestions from here?? Thanks

#
# DO NOT EDIT THIS FILE
#
# It is automatically generated by grub-mkconfig using templates
# from /etc/grub.d and settings from /etc/default/grub
#

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/00_header ###
if [ -s $prefix/grubenv ]; then
set have_grubenv=true
load_env
fi
set default="0"

if [ x"${feature_menuentry_id}" = xy ]; then
menuentry_id_option="--id"
else
menuentry_id_option=""
fi

export menuentry_id_option

if [ "${prev_saved_entry}" ]; then
set saved_entry="${prev_saved_entry}"
save_env saved_entry
set prev_saved_entry=
save_env prev_saved_entry
set boot_once=true
fi

function savedefault {
if [ -z "${boot_once}" ]; then
saved_entry="${chosen}"
save_env saved_entry
fi
}

function recordfail {
set recordfail=1
if [ -n "${have_grubenv}" ]; then if [ -z "${boot_once}" ]; then save_env recordfail; fi; fi
}

function load_video {
if [ x$feature_all_video_module = xy ]; then
insmod all_video
else
insmod efi_gop
insmod efi_uga
insmod ieee1275_fb
insmod vbe
insmod vga
insmod video_bochs
insmod video_cirrus
fi
}

if [ x$feature_default_font_path = xy ] ; then
font=unicode
else
insmod part_msdos
insmod ext2
set root='hd0,msdos5'
if [ x$feature_platform_search_hint = xy ]; then
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root --hint-bios=hd0,msdos5 --hint-efi=hd0,msdos5 --hint-baremetal=ahci0,msdos5 a16f1983-01f7-49d8-b660-96fdab36cfe1
else
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root a16f1983-01f7-49d8-b660-96fdab36cfe1
fi
font="/usr/share/grub/unicode.pf2"
fi

if loadfont $font ; then
set gfxmode=auto
load_video
insmod gfxterm
set locale_dir=$prefix/locale
set lang=en_US
insmod gettext
fi
terminal_output gfxterm
if [ "${recordfail}" = 1 ]; then
set timeout=-1
else
set timeout=5
fi
### END /etc/grub.d/00_header ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/05_debian_theme ###
set menu_color_normal=white/black
set menu_color_highlight=black/light-gray
if background_color 80,80,80; then
clear
fi
### END /etc/grub.d/05_debian_theme ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/10_linux ###
function gfxmode {
set gfxpayload="${1}"
if [ "${1}" = "keep" ]; then
set vt_handoff=vt.handoff=7
else
set vt_handoff=
fi
}
if [ "${recordfail}" != 1 ]; then
if [ -e ${prefix}/gfxblacklist.txt ]; then
if hwmatch ${prefix}/gfxblacklist.txt 3; then
if [ ${match} = 0 ]; then
set linux_gfx_mode=keep
else
set linux_gfx_mode=text
fi
else
set linux_gfx_mode=text
fi
else
set linux_gfx_mode=keep
fi
else
set linux_gfx_mode=text
fi
export linux_gfx_mode
menuentry 'Zorin' --class zorin --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os $menuentry_id_option 'gnulinux-simple-a16f1983-01f7-49d8-b660-96fdab36cfe1' {
recordfail
load_video
gfxmode $linux_gfx_mode
insmod gzio
insmod part_msdos
insmod ext2
set root='hd0,msdos5'
if [ x$feature_platform_search_hint = xy ]; then
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root --hint-bios=hd0,msdos5 --hint-efi=hd0,msdos5 --hint-baremetal=ahci0,msdos5 a16f1983-01f7-49d8-b660-96fdab36cfe1
else
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root a16f1983-01f7-49d8-b660-96fdab36cfe1
fi
linux /boot/vmlinuz-3.8.0-35-generic root=UUID=a16f1983-01f7-49d8-b660-96fdab36cfe1 ro quiet splash $vt_handoff
initrd /boot/initrd.img-3.8.0-35-generic
}
submenu 'Advanced options for Zorin' $menuentry_id_option 'gnulinux-advanced-a16f1983-01f7-49d8-b660-96fdab36cfe1' {
menuentry 'Zorin, with Linux 3.8.0-35-generic' --class zorin --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os $menuentry_id_option 'gnulinux-3.8.0-35-generic-advanced-a16f1983-01f7-49d8-b660-96fdab36cfe1' {
recordfail
load_video
gfxmode $linux_gfx_mode
insmod gzio
insmod part_msdos
insmod ext2
set root='hd0,msdos5'
if [ x$feature_platform_search_hint = xy ]; then
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root --hint-bios=hd0,msdos5 --hint-efi=hd0,msdos5 --hint-baremetal=ahci0,msdos5 a16f1983-01f7-49d8-b660-96fdab36cfe1
else
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root a16f1983-01f7-49d8-b660-96fdab36cfe1
fi
echo 'Loading Linux 3.8.0-35-generic ...'
linux /boot/vmlinuz-3.8.0-35-generic root=UUID=a16f1983-01f7-49d8-b660-96fdab36cfe1 ro quiet splash $vt_handoff
echo 'Loading initial ramdisk ...'
initrd /boot/initrd.img-3.8.0-35-generic
}
menuentry 'Zorin, with Linux 3.8.0-35-generic (recovery mode)' --class zorin --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os $menuentry_id_option 'gnulinux-3.8.0-35-generic-recovery-a16f1983-01f7-49d8-b660-96fdab36cfe1' {
recordfail
load_video
insmod gzio
insmod part_msdos
insmod ext2
set root='hd0,msdos5'
if [ x$feature_platform_search_hint = xy ]; then
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root --hint-bios=hd0,msdos5 --hint-efi=hd0,msdos5 --hint-baremetal=ahci0,msdos5 a16f1983-01f7-49d8-b660-96fdab36cfe1
else
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root a16f1983-01f7-49d8-b660-96fdab36cfe1
fi
echo 'Loading Linux 3.8.0-35-generic ...'
linux /boot/vmlinuz-3.8.0-35-generic root=UUID=a16f1983-01f7-49d8-b660-96fdab36cfe1 ro recovery nomodeset
echo 'Loading initial ramdisk ...'
initrd /boot/initrd.img-3.8.0-35-generic
}
menuentry 'Zorin, with Linux 3.8.0-31-generic' --class zorin --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os $menuentry_id_option 'gnulinux-3.8.0-31-generic-advanced-a16f1983-01f7-49d8-b660-96fdab36cfe1' {
recordfail
load_video
gfxmode $linux_gfx_mode
insmod gzio
insmod part_msdos
insmod ext2
set root='hd0,msdos5'
if [ x$feature_platform_search_hint = xy ]; then
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root --hint-bios=hd0,msdos5 --hint-efi=hd0,msdos5 --hint-baremetal=ahci0,msdos5 a16f1983-01f7-49d8-b660-96fdab36cfe1
else
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root a16f1983-01f7-49d8-b660-96fdab36cfe1
fi
echo 'Loading Linux 3.8.0-31-generic ...'
linux /boot/vmlinuz-3.8.0-31-generic root=UUID=a16f1983-01f7-49d8-b660-96fdab36cfe1 ro quiet splash $vt_handoff
echo 'Loading initial ramdisk ...'
initrd /boot/initrd.img-3.8.0-31-generic
}
menuentry 'Zorin, with Linux 3.8.0-31-generic (recovery mode)' --class zorin --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os $menuentry_id_option 'gnulinux-3.8.0-31-generic-recovery-a16f1983-01f7-49d8-b660-96fdab36cfe1' {
recordfail
load_video
insmod gzio
insmod part_msdos
insmod ext2
set root='hd0,msdos5'
if [ x$feature_platform_search_hint = xy ]; then
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root --hint-bios=hd0,msdos5 --hint-efi=hd0,msdos5 --hint-baremetal=ahci0,msdos5 a16f1983-01f7-49d8-b660-96fdab36cfe1
else
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root a16f1983-01f7-49d8-b660-96fdab36cfe1
fi
echo 'Loading Linux 3.8.0-31-generic ...'
linux /boot/vmlinuz-3.8.0-31-generic root=UUID=a16f1983-01f7-49d8-b660-96fdab36cfe1 ro recovery nomodeset
echo 'Loading initial ramdisk ...'
initrd /boot/initrd.img-3.8.0-31-generic
}
}

### END /etc/grub.d/10_linux ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/20_linux_xen ###

### END /etc/grub.d/20_linux_xen ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/20_memtest86+ ###
menuentry "Memory test (memtest86+)" {
insmod part_msdos
insmod ext2
set root='hd0,msdos5'
if [ x$feature_platform_search_hint = xy ]; then
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root --hint-bios=hd0,msdos5 --hint-efi=hd0,msdos5 --hint-baremetal=ahci0,msdos5 a16f1983-01f7-49d8-b660-96fdab36cfe1
else
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root a16f1983-01f7-49d8-b660-96fdab36cfe1
fi
linux16 /boot/memtest86+.bin
}
menuentry "Memory test (memtest86+, serial console 115200)" {
insmod part_msdos
insmod ext2
set root='hd0,msdos5'
if [ x$feature_platform_search_hint = xy ]; then
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root --hint-bios=hd0,msdos5 --hint-efi=hd0,msdos5 --hint-baremetal=ahci0,msdos5 a16f1983-01f7-49d8-b660-96fdab36cfe1
else
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root a16f1983-01f7-49d8-b660-96fdab36cfe1
fi
linux16 /boot/memtest86+.bin console=ttyS0,115200n8
}
### END /etc/grub.d/20_memtest86+ ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/30_os-prober ###
menuentry 'Windows XP Media Center Edition (on /dev/sda1)' --class windows --class os $menuentry_id_option 'osprober-chain-6405996A0EC063FC' {
insmod part_msdos
insmod ntfs
set root='hd0,msdos1'
if [ x$feature_platform_search_hint = xy ]; then
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root --hint-bios=hd0,msdos1 --hint-efi=hd0,msdos1 --hint-baremetal=ahci0,msdos1 6405996A0EC063FC
else
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 6405996A0EC063FC
fi
drivemap -s (hd0) ${root}
chainloader +1
}
menuentry 'Windows NT/2000/XP (on /dev/sda2)' --class windows --class os $menuentry_id_option 'osprober-chain-4B6E-6BC0' {
insmod part_msdos
insmod fat
set root='hd0,msdos2'
if [ x$feature_platform_search_hint = xy ]; then
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root --hint-bios=hd0,msdos2 --hint-efi=hd0,msdos2 --hint-baremetal=ahci0,msdos2 4B6E-6BC0
else
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 4B6E-6BC0
fi
drivemap -s (hd0) ${root}
chainloader +1
}
### END /etc/grub.d/30_os-prober ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/30_uefi-firmware ###
### END /etc/grub.d/30_uefi-firmware ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/40_custom ###
# This file provides an easy way to add custom menu entries. Simply type the
# menu entries you want to add after this comment. Be careful not to change
# the 'exec tail' line above.
### END /etc/grub.d/40_custom ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/41_custom ###
if [ -f ${config_directory}/custom.cfg ]; then
source ${config_directory}/custom.cfg
elif [ -z "${config_directory}" -a -f $prefix/custom.cfg ]; then

Download and run this and post results.
http://bootinfoscript.sourceforge.net/

Sorry colorpurple21859..........I downloaded but am lost. Being a 70yr old Newbie I haven't the Linux nouse to understand what is required

after downloading the bootinfoscript-061.tar.gz, in the menu find accessories/terminal and click on it. On the teminal screen that opens up type the following one at a time exacly as shown. If the bootinfoscript-061.tar.gz is named a little differently, change accordingly

The first command extracts the file, and the second command runs the bootscript and creates a file called RESULTS.txt, post what is in the RESULTS.txt file.

edit: accessores/leafpad is a text editor