9.04 Jaunty Dual boot: Cannot Find Ubuntu File, Error 17

niksfever

New Member
I am a Vista 64-bit user and I wanted to give Ubuntu a spin because I have heard alot of great things. I downloaded the Ubuntu 9.04 32 bit version (i heard the 32 bit version was more stable and better supported) and installed it to a partitioned part of my laptop's HD so that I would be able to dual boot Vista and Ubuntu.

It worked like a charm. To orient things nicely, and to ensure I could easily get into Vista to get to my import files and applications for school, I used EasyBCD 1.7.2 in an attempt to make Vista the default boot OS. I copied the Menu.lst file from Ubuntu over to the EasyBCD NeoGrub and went to reboot my computer. Vista still works fine, but Ubuntu wont boot.

Initially I have the choice of booting Vista or going into the NeoGrub booter, and once going into the NeoGrub booter, I have the original 3 Ubuntu boot choices, the regular one, the recovery kernel, and the memory test, and none of them work. I get an error 17, saying that the files cannot be found. From there, the only thing I can do is go back to Vista...

I can provide you with the information I have. I am new to this stuff so please bear with me. My harddrive was original partitioned into two parts for Vista, one where I could keep my program files and one where I could keep my data files. To install Ubuntu, I used the Disk Manager to shrink the Data drive by approx 58.59 Gb to install Ubuntu. (I followed these exact instructions from apcmag: http://apcmag.com/how_to_dualboot_vi...rst.htm?page=2)

When I went to look at my partitions again after the problem occured, I know that Ubuntu is installed on the partition /dev/sda4 where 56.15 gb of the original shrink went to /dev/sda5 and 2.44 to /dev/sda6

I can also provide you with my Menu.lst file:
# NeoSmart NeoGrub Bootloader Configuration File
#
# This is the NeoGrub configuration file, and should be located at C:\NST\menu.lst
# Please see the EasyBCD Documentation for information on how to create/modify entries:
# http://neosmart.net/wiki/display/EBCD

# 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 15

## 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=59de2945-aab4-40cd-90f0-55e36a87b850 ro

## default grub root device
## e.g. groot=(hd0,0)
# groot=59de2945-aab4-40cd-90f0-55e36a87b850

## 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

## specify if running in Xen domU or have grub detect automatically
## update-grub will ignore non-xen kernels when running in domU and vice versa
## e.g. indomU=detect
## indomU=true
## indomU=false
# indomU=detect

## 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 9.04, kernel 2.6.28-11-generic
uuid 59de2945-aab4-40cd-90f0-55e36a87b850
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.28-11-generic root=UUID=59de2945-aab4-40cd-90f0-55e36a87b850 ro quiet splash
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.28-11-generic
quiet

title Ubuntu 9.04, kernel 2.6.28-11-generic (recovery mode)
uuid 59de2945-aab4-40cd-90f0-55e36a87b850
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.28-11-generic root=UUID=59de2945-aab4-40cd-90f0-55e36a87b850 ro single
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.28-11-generic

title Ubuntu 9.04, memtest86+
uuid 59de2945-aab4-40cd-90f0-55e36a87b850
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/sda2
title Windows Vista (loader)
rootnoverify (hd0,1)
savedefault
makeactive
chainloader +1
I get the feeling its a very small problem I am dealing with that is preventing me from getting into Ubuntu. Perhaps an error in the text of the Menu.lst file. However, I don't understand enough of the problem to locate the its root. And I'm also worried about trying something that will screw up my computer and force me to reformat my harddrive; vista and ubuntu.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. I can provide you with more information if you need it. Thanks a bunch in advance.

Nik

EDIT: Perhaps there is a way to get rid of the EasyBCD MBR and go back to the original GRUB that existed upon installing Ubuntu (That is, with the GRUB having Ubuntu as the default OS). I don't know if changing the EasyBCD MBR would compromise my ability to get back into Vista
 
Last edited:
Hello, niksfever. Welcome to NST.
Get 2.0 beta version of EasyBCD which supports UUID lines (1.7.2 doesn't), and re-add the Linux entry, and then it should work.

Jake.

P.S. There is no such thing as an "EasyBCD MBR". EasyBCD is just an app run from Windows to edit the Vista bootloader. The MBR code belongs to Vista, when using Vista's bootloader to control the boot process.
 
i personally have the issue where it shows the menu and then proceeds to start the ubuntu 9.04 partition (1 partition on second drive hd1,0) but then just hangs with no response
i used ebcd beta2 60 build. and windows 7 rc1, chose neogrub

here is my menu.lst
title Ubuntu 9.04, kernel 2.6.28-11-generic
uuid *****
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.28-11-generic root=UUID=**** ro quiet splash
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.28-11-generic
quiet

title Ubuntu 9.04, kernel 2.6.28-11-generic (recovery mode)
uuid *****
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.28-11-generic root=UUID=****** ro single
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.28-11-generic

title Ubuntu 9.04, memtest86+
uuid *****
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 Windows 7 (loader)
rootnoverify (hd0,0)
savedefault
chainloader +1

uuid is pointing to the correct linux partition
 
Is Linux on the same HDD as W7 ?
If so, delete the linux entry from the BCD, and add it again without the "grub is not ...." box ticked.
 
i resolved this combo issue with grub4dos 0.4.4 build

i stuck menu.lst (using uuid entries) in the root of c drive, added the relevant gdlr enteries into the bcd store using a gui i found on a forum, gldr and gldr.mbr also in the root of windows 7 drive.

now i can see this entry in easybcd under advanced

Real-mode Boot Sector
---------------------
identifier {58fba2b7-38ed-11de-a139-001167000000}
device boot
path \grldr.mbr
description ubuntu
 
I had exactly the same problem. I installed the EasyBCD 2.0 Beta and reinstalled NeoGrub as described above. Ubuntu now boots perfectly. Big Thanks!

BTW: Earlier I had tried using EasyBCD (release version) to remove grub and restore the Vista loader by clicking the Fix MBR button. It did not work -- I still kept getting grub. I had to boot off the Vista DVD, go to the Recovery Console, and use bootcmd.exe to FixMBR and FixBoot.
 
I had exactly the same problem. I installed the EasyBCD 2.0 Beta and reinstalled NeoGrub as described above. Ubuntu now boots perfectly. Big Thanks!
Congrats. :smile: Happy dual-booting.
BTW: Earlier I had tried using EasyBCD (release version) to remove grub and restore the Vista loader by clicking the Fix MBR button. It did not work -- I still kept getting grub. I had to boot off the Vista DVD, go to the Recovery Console, and use bootcmd.exe to FixMBR and FixBoot.
There is no Recovery Console on the Vista DVD, only on the XP installation CD. If you meant you went to the System Recovery Options, clicked on the Command Prompt to open it, and then typed:
Code:
bootrec.exe /fixmbr
bootrec.exe /fixboot
then ok. That makes more sense.
Anyway, its always better to use the latest releases of EasyBCD (even if they're still beta builds) whenever possible, as more features are continually being adding, and bugs being fixed. So basically, you want to keep as up-to-date as possible, if you know what I mean. :wink:

Jake
 
There is no Recovery Console on the Vista DVD, only on the XP installation CD. If you meant you went to the System Recovery Options, clicked on the Command Prompt to open it, and then typed:

Whatever you call it, that's what I did. Thanks for making it explicit for others' benefit.
 
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