Dual Boot Vista & Ubuntu resulted in 2 bootloaders

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kmhobbs

Member
Yeah, I read through some , not all threads, regarding dula boot's gone wrong.
I didn't really come across what happened to me as of yet.
Thought I'd post it and if it's already been discussed, please just point the specific thread.

-> So it's a spanking new install of Vista Home Premiun, only about a week on this 3 yesr old computer that has been supporting windows XP since just before SP2 was released.

-> so here's what i did . . .
> My Win Home Prem. Vista was installed, I then installed Easy BCD 1.52,
> I then used Acronis Disk Director suite to resize my vista partition and build an Ext3 and swap partition for linux.
> after acronis had completed it's tasks, rebooted the PC.
> inserted CD of ubuntu-7.04-desktop-i386 and followed through installation.
><NOTE>< I did read in one of the threads here that during the linux install, i should have the option to point the bootloader to the partition that Linux is on and not where the MBR is.
-> well, the install completed and I didn't actually see or was prompted to choose where the bootloader was going to write.
-> On the Reboot i was presented with a Linux bootloader offering Windows Vista/Longhorn at the bottum.
> when I choose Vista/Longhorn it gave me the Vista Bootloader offering Windows Vista.
> I chose Vista &amp; it loaded successfully - no hang ups.
> i then opened Easy BCD and added Linux Ubuntu to the Vista Bootloader options.
> Things are working fine so far, but this isn't the end result I was looking for.
> Should be just the Vista Bootloader with the addd entries using Esay BCD
-> I also decided that I'm not that fond of the Gnome Desktop in Ubuntu, but prefer the KDE desktop of Kubuntu

=> so here's what I want to do . . .
> i want to get rid of the Linux Bootloader that I'm experiencing, after all that's why I installed Easy BCD . . .
> and I'd like to then uninstall or remove Ubuntu's current installation on my EXT3 and Swap partitions

> Then I'd like to know what i missed during the install of Ubuntu that allows me to change where the Bootloader goes,
> because I'll be install Kubuntu very shortly and don't want the Linux Bootloader appearing.

I still have another 20 GB partition that is not in use on this same drive, as well another 30 GB drive that I'm hoping to place Mac OS X on. I also have Solaris Express OS i've been meaning to try out.

Any suggestions as where to start with cleaing up the current issue before installing Kubuntu would be great.
> one of my main gopals is to NOT have to reinstall Vista during any of this. :smile:
 
hello Hobbs, welcome to NeoSmart Technologies.

EasyBCD 1.6 is what you're looking for. From within Windows Vista, go to the "manage bootloader" tab and select "reinstall vista bootloader"

This will get rid of the Ubuntu bootloader, and you'll be presented With the Vista BCD bootloader at startup.

Form here you can choose either Windows Vista or Ubuntu thanks to EasyBCD.

To remove UBuntu (though GNOME kicks KDE's sorry (*^&amp; all the way to mars!! :tongueout:) just open acronis and delete the Ubuntu partition.

Teh option to install grub to what HD/partition is avaailbale after you boot into the Live CD and choose to begin setup. You'll be asked a bunch of questions, and on the very last screen, you'll have a button called "advanced."

Click advanced, and it'll ask you where you want to install the grub bootloader.
default is something like hda or hd0
you need to change that to something along the lines of hda1 or hd0,0 depending on your configuration.

exact numbers to be used depend on your setup, refer to the documentatino for more info|: http://neosmart.net/wiki/display/EBCD/
 
Awesome, Thanks Computer Guru,

With nearly 1500 posts, i'm guessing you've answered this question before. Now that you mention it, i do recall seeing that advanced button when i was done selecting my partition setup while beginning the install from the Live CD. I figured i was in for some cryptic adventure into the gizzards of linux where i'm not yet prepared to go, so i ignored it and moved forward, my Bad ! ! !
Your opinion on "Gnome vs KDE" in that in just in general or to a sepcific flavor of Linux?

You pointed out that the new version of EasyBCD 1.6 is what i could use to correct this. Here's my question to that. Do i simply install 1.6 over 1.52, will it just update the app. or do i need to uninstall 1.52 first. Since it has the ability to write to my Bootloader, i was a little hesitant in how to proceed with the new version.
 
Yeah, you could say I have :smile:

KDE vs. Gnome is an ongoing debate no matter who you ask. I find KDE to be a pitiful attempt to copy the GUI of OS X, except the guys don't have an inkling about real design, so it ends up looking like... well, you'll see :wink:

Gnome is a bit harder to get used to for someone coming from non-Linux, but it's uniform, clean, and relatively bug-free.

It's up to you though, you try em both out and see what suites you - that doesn't make a difference to the quality of support you'll get from NST :smile:

EasyBCD 1.6 can be installed without uninstalling 1,52, though you should note that it won't auto-uninstall 1.52 for you (and you shouldn't remove it after having insatlled 1.6).

Basically, no harm done either way :smile:
 
Giving credit where due. Thanks Computer Guru.

In Vista, the install of EasyBCD 1.6 prompted me with option to either let it uninstall 1.52 and then complete the install of 1.6 or to exit the installer.
> I chose uninstall 1.52 - the installation GUI disappeared for about 30-40 secs and then the install screen for 1.6 presented itself for me to continue the installation.
> As you said I went to the "manage bootloader" tab and selected "reinstall vista bootloader" and clicked button to "Write MBR".
>I restarted the computer for changes to take effect and "No More Grub" Horray!!!
-> I was presented with the Vista Bootloader showing me "Windows Vista" and "Ubuntu".
> out of curiousity i tried to launch into the Ubuntu from here - got a blank screen and white flashing cursor, that's it, "no ubuntu".
So I assume this is what should have happened, by rewriting the MBR, I broke Ubuntu's path to itself.
> Now I have this entry in the Vista Bootloader for Ubuntu that doesn't work. I instinctivly went to the add/remove entries tab, selected "Ubuntu" and deleted it then highlight just "Windows Vista" and clicked Save, then back to the "manage bootloader" tab and select "reinstall vista bootloader" and clicked button to "Write MBR".
> Rebooted the PC - it loaded right into Vista no stopping at the bootloader for choice.
> Opened up Acronis, reformated the partitions for Ubuntu and Swap.

> With your quick, kinda and curtious response, I am now ready to reinstall Linux ( either Ubuntu or Kubuntu, hmmmmm . . .
decisions, decisions . . . .

Cheers to Computer Guru,
a wealth of positive feedback and handy information.

KMHobbs
 
Hey thanks KMHobbs! I'm glad I'm on a PC, I haven't blushed this much since I was 12 :tongueout:

The problem with Ubuntu wasn't so much that it broke the path to it but that GRUB was never installed to the bootsector, only the MBR.

You could have followed the section for Reinstalling Grub in our Linux/Vista guide @ http://neosmart.net/wiki/display/EBCD/Linux to get Ubuntu working, but since you formatted, no need for that now :smile:

One more thing: it's kinda stupid, but yeah, that "advanced" button during linux setup doesn't have ANY options except where to install GRUB. I'll be contacting the ubuntu developers about that, it's such a misleading caption!

cheers, and good luck!
 
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