Dual Booting Vista/Ubuntu, EasyBCD doesn't help

gopchandani

gopchandani

New Member
So I tried to look forum for similar problem, kindly help out and bear with me for the longer post.

I installed Vista and then installed Ubuntu and unchecked the box for installing bootloader in MBR (wanted to have Vista controlling things). After Ubuntu was installed, I plugged in EasyBCD (which helps to manipulate Vista's bootloader) and put an entry for Linux. (I tried it both ways, checking/unchecking the GRUB isn't installed to the bootsector checkbox) it doesn't work.

I do get the Linux options when Vista's bootloader shows up but when I choose to go in, instead of booting Ubutu, it takes me to grub> prompt. Here I have tried to use find /boot/grub/stage1 but I get an error 17.

Then I tried to go about doing it using Ubuntu LiveCD and following this tutorial here: How to install Grub from a live Ubuntu cd. - Ubuntu Forums - assuming that my Grub is not installed. But it doesn't work. Grub still shows an error 17.

I check /boot folder but there is no "grub" sub-directory so I am thinking that grub hasn't been installed at all. How should I do it now, is there any other tutorial than the one mentioned above? Can you think of stuff which I am doing incorrectly.


Thanks

:O
 
You need to let Ubuntu install to the mbr. Otherwise the correct grub configuration needed to boot Ubuntu well not be present. You could try specifying a paticular partition, but you'll probably just get an error. After Ubuntu is installed, it should detect Vista on the drive and add an entry for it in GRUB. Use this entry to boot into Vista and fire up EasyBCD. Recover Vista's bootloader to the mbr and then add a linux entry pointing to Ubuntu's partition. Though grub has been installed, you may also need to check grub is not installed to mbr to get a working entry.
 
You dont need Ubuntu to install GRUB to the MBR. It can be installed to the drive that you are installing Ubuntu on which checking that box would work with.

From what i am gathering GRUB didnt install at all. Which means you will have to configure NeoGRUB to boot Ubuntu.

Check our documentation.

Ubuntu - NeoSmart Technologies Wiki
 
Don't know about a fresh install under hardy, but any install I've done with grub under any previous version of Ubuntu gave me errors when I specified a specific partition.

You could check into NeoGrub though as suggested. I just think it is easier to have it be configured automatically rather then having to manually set up the correct settings (especially for someone who is new to using Linux).
 
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