EBDC 2.0b60 crashes on linux tab

[Coolname007]

And another thing...
When you said

Did as you suggested. Used Gparted to expand all partitions which had free space on either side of them. Even increased the Windows partition by 1mb just to ensure there was no free space anywhere on the disk.

I then had an error booting up and had to 'Repair' with the Windows disc, but since then I'm booting up fine.

Where did that extra 1 MB come from that you mentioned? Was it showing free space after the NTFS partition too in Gparted?
Maybe when you resized the NTFS partition, it messed up the cylinder boundaries, which might also explain why you had a problem booting up after doing it...
If that problem still exists, it could also explain the Disk Management issue. We've had users on here who resized NTFS partitions with Gparted, and obtained bad results doing so. If I remember correctly, there is an option one would either have to select or leave unselected (I'm not sure which) when resizing NTFS partitions, in order to resize an NTFS partition correctly with Gparted. Otherwise, it may produce trouble as you experienced.
One thing I can suggest now that I've thought of it is running a

chkdsk /f /r C:

from the Command Prompt in Win 7, and see if it finds any problems, and fixes them. Since you can't perform a check on a partition that is being used, it will give you an option to schedule the check the next time you reboot, so do that, and see if it finds anything.

Addendum:

*Sigh* No dice, I'm afraid. I suppose I'll have to hold tight for a couple of days; Ubuntu isn't essential to my job, it's just a bit of fun for my spare time.

While I haven't tried installing it in the Beta 2.0, I believe I'm able to access the NeoGRUB tab, yes. But I don't know anything about NeoGRUB, so be prepared to walk me through any ideas you have.

Ok, so navigate to the NeoGrub tab, click on the "Install NeoGrub" button. Next, click on "Configure" which will open up the /NST/menu.lst which is generated.

So copy and paste the following lines into your menu.lst, at the end:

title Ubuntu
root (hd0,1) #Load Ubuntu from the 1st hard drive's second partition
chainloader +1
boot

#End Ubuntu entry

Now save the changes, and reboot. See if Ubuntu boots when you select "NeoGrub bootloader" in the Win 7 boot menu, and then select "Ubuntu".

 

[nogoodreason]

Where did that extra 1 MB come from that you mentioned? Was it showing free space after the NTFS partition too in Gparted?
Maybe when you resized the NTFS partition, it messed up the cylinder boundaries, which might also explain why you had a problem booting up after doing it...
If that problem still exists, it could also explain the Disk Management issue. We've had users on here who resized NTFS partitions with Gparted, and obtained bad results doing so. If I remember correctly, there is an option one would either have to select or leave unselected (I'm not sure which) when resizing NTFS partitions, in order to resize an NTFS partition correctly with Gparted. Otherwise, it may produce trouble as you experienced.
One thing I can suggest now that I've thought of it is running a

chkdsk /f /r C:

from the Command Prompt in Win 7, and see if it finds any problems, and fixes them. Since you can't perform a check on a partition that is being used, it will give you an option to schedule the check the next time you reboot, so do that, and see if it finds anything.

How weird. I expected that scan to take all night and it just told me 'volume is clean' and then booted straight back into Windows. Perhaps I ought to use a third party prog to double-check that. :S

I've got nothing important on this OS as I only installed it last night. If you thinking giving C: a full format and then reinstalling Windows and Ubuntu would be a wise idea, say so and I will.

 

[Coolname007]

Yes, that may be a good idea (i.e. to reinstall both Win 7 and Ubuntu) if NeoGrub doesn't boot it for you.
Have you tried the menu.lst I posted above?

 

[nogoodreason]

NeoGrub = Fail. (I even tried changing hd0,1 to /dev/sdb3 but still didn't work)

It's half 1 in the morning here so I'm heading to bed. Have a think about whether it's worth formatting C: and then reinstalling the OS's in a particular order. Obviously if it's not worth it then I won't, but I'm now slightly nervous about the state this disk is in!

 

[Coolname007]

One thing I forgot to mention before is you will need to have GNU Grub installed to the partition's bootsector before that will work. Just boot from the LiveCD, open up Applications>Accessories>Terminal, and type the following command:

sudo grub-install /dev/sda2

An alternate method would be to type

sudo grub
find /boot/grub/stage1
root (hdx,y)
setup (hdx,y)
quit
exit

where the "x"s and the "y"s are replaced with the location returned by the "find" command, which will probably be

root (hd0,1)

Addendum:

NeoGrub = Fail. (I even tried changing hd0,1 to /dev/sdb3 but still didn't work)

hd0,1 and /dev/sdb3 are nowhere near the same. sdb3 is the second drive (in the boot sequence in the BIOS), third partition, while hd0,1 is the first drive (in the boot sequence in the BIOS), and second partition (since the count begins at 0 for both drives and partitions). Basically, telling it that would be pointing it at one of your data drives, which aren't even partitioned.

 

[Terry60]

FYI Jake. You don't need a swap partition with Ubuntu. This works fine. If you want the ability to multi-task beyond the capacity of your available RAM, it's possible to add a swap file inside the root partition just the way Windows does. It was discussed back here.

 

[nogoodreason]

After the Format

Hi Guys.

Instead of going to bed, I deleted all the Linux partitions on C: and formatted the big NTFS partition. Reinstalled Windows 7, haven't touched Ubuntu, and the problems remain.


When I boot up Windows 7: My second drive (Dio) has vanished from My Computer again, and I need to go into Disk Management and assign it a drive letter before it is recognised.

In easyBCD: bootgrabber.exe still crashes, as does trying to access the Linux tab.

Here are the two latest screenshots. I'll load up Gparted and get a screenshot from that, too. THEN I shall sleep.

 

[Terry60]

The reason Dio is disappearing is because you're allowing W7 to create the hidden "system" partition for bitlocker (dio is "system")
I don't know if that's what also upsets bootgrabber.
If you force W7 to install its system files on the W7 partition, like you'll see in my last post link, build60 bootgrabber works perfectly.

 

[Coolname007]

FYI Jake. You don't need a swap partition with Ubuntu. This works fine. If you want the ability to multi-task beyond the capacity of your available RAM, it's possible to add a swap file inside the root partition just the way Windows does. It was discussed back here.

You need one for hibernation at least. I wont attempt to guess if a swap file can allow hibernation or not (probably it can), but if you plan on hibernation, you need a swap partition. Now, I agree that it would probably be better to add more RAM than more space allocated to a swap partition, but I still think having a swap partition is useful at least for hibernation.

Anyway, I think its good practice for new users of Linux to have a swap partition, even if they technically don't need one, because they don't have to have the know-how of how it all works with a swap partition, though they would with a swap file.

Addendum:

The reason Dio is disappearing is because you're allowing W7 to create the hidden "system" partition for bitlocker (dio is "system")
I don't know if that's what also upsets bootgrabber.
If you force W7 to install its system files on the W7 partition, like you'll see in my last post link, build60 bootgrabber works perfectly.

Good point.
I missed that when I looked at his previous screenshots. But he's still (and was before reformatting) booting from his "active" C: partition, apparently, because the drive that contained Win 7, Ubuntu, his swap and home partitions (but now only contains Win 7) is still his boot drive (i.e. disk 0). So that would seem to indicate, he must also have the Win 7 boot files on the C: partition, or else he would not be able to boot without changing the boot order in the BIOS to boot his "Dio" drive first.

Addendum:

Hi Guys.

Instead of going to bed, I deleted all the Linux partitions on C: and formatted the big NTFS partition. Reinstalled Windows 7, haven't touched Ubuntu, and the problems remain.

@Dan: Which method did you use to reformat the C: partition? Maybe you should try straight out deleting it, and then using the Win 7 setup program to reformat the partition, and try reinstalling Win 7 again. Then go ahead, and put Ubuntu on there too, remembering to use the "Advanced" option to put Grub onto the partition, by specifying a location like /dev/sda2 (only replace it with wherever the setup program tells you the root partition is if not correct) as where to install Grub to.
Then, your Win 7 MBR will remain intact, and eliminate the need to run Startup Repair after installation of Ubuntu.
Then, try using EasyBCD again by attempting to add a normal Linux entry, and see if the same crashing occurs, as it did previously.

 

[nogoodreason]

The reason Dio is disappearing is because you're allowing W7 to create the hidden "system" partition for bitlocker (dio is "system")
I don't know if that's what also upsets bootgrabber.
If you force W7 to install its system files on the W7 partition, like you'll see in my last post link, build60 bootgrabber works perfectly.

Terry, can you give me the link you're referring to? I'm unsure which one you mean.

I'm wondering how to proceed. Could I use gparted to delete all the partitions on C: and then give the drive a good format? Of course, I'll need to know how to force W7 to install its system files on the W7 partition (as it currently seems to be sneaking onto Dio).

 

[Terry60]

The link I was referring to was just the screenshot of my disks showing W7 without a separate boot partition and Ubuntu without a swap partition, both of which are often considered to be necessary, but are really optional.
It seems that if you boot the W7 DVD and enter setup with unformatted disk space available, it will create itself 2 partitions leaving the boot files in the unlabelled unlettered one.
If you do as I did, and create a partition for W7, labelled and formatted; then point setup at it, you'll get everything in one place. Easy2 runs perfectly in that environment. I don't know whether your problem is related or not.
You could try installing Easy into the "system" partition instead of W7 to see if that fixes the problem if you don't want to go to the bother of a reinstall.

 

[nogoodreason]

VICTORY! (I hope...)

I really hope I'm not speaking too soon, as I'm pretty sure that IT WORKS!!

The theory about W7 sneakily installing stuff into my D: Drive (Dio) was correct. I unplugged all my hard drives except C: and Windows couldn't even boot. Sneaky Microsoft b*stards.

While it's hardly the easiest way to install an operating system, here is step by step of what I did:

1. Unplugged all hard drives except C:
2. Booted into Gparted using the liveCD
3. Deleted all partitions on the drive
4. Added a primary NTFS partition and labelled it "Windows 7"
5. Added a primary EXT 3 partition and labelled it "Ubuntu" to the remaining space, so there was no 'free space' on the disk
6. Inserted Windows 7 CD and installed successfully. See attached screenshots for proof of working bootgrabber etc.

Now, in theory I should be able to install Ubuntu on that other partition, and then plug my other drives back in safe in the knowledge that nothing has been sneakily added to them. I will report back if things go horribly wrong, but with any luck this'll now work.

Thanks for all the help offered here, I greatly appreciate it. Does anyone know when EasyBCD 2.0 is likely to be finalised and released? I may wait for that before trying to set up the dual-boot to be on the safe side.

 

[JustinW]

The developer is working very hard on it. It is expected to be a big update to 1.7.2, so it might be awhile. The beta itself doesn't incorporate all of the features the final version well have.

 

[Terry60]

You should have no problem adding the Ubuntu install to the BCD with Easy2 Beta, it works fine.
Since they're both on the same disk, make sure that you use the "advanced" button to put grub in the Ubuntu partition during the Linux install, and add the Linux entry selecting that partition from the dropdown and NOT ticking the "grub is not...." box.

 

[mqudsi]

You had some invalid info in the MBR that was causing EasyBCD to crash on the Linux tab (it tries to manually parse the contents of the MBR so as to avoid all the BS info returned by Windows - such as the quirks in the disk management screen, etc.)

Clearing the disk of all partitions fixed the MBR problem and let EasyBCD b60 work.

 

[nogoodreason]

Hi guys. Um... remember me?

I'd been having some driver-problems with Ubuntu and, to cut a long story, tried reinstalling Ubuntu to get around the problems. I formatted my ext3 partition and reinstalled Ubuntu back onto it. While I installed it correctly (put GRUB in /dev/sda2 - the same partition as the OS) I am now having the exact same problem I had to begin with: trying to add a Linux entry to easyBCD causes the program to freeze and crash.

I've tried the version I was using before (60) and the latest version (61, I believe). Same problem with both of them.

Any suggestions??

If using gparted to flat out delete the ext3 partition and then create a new one might solve the problem I could try that. But there's no way in hell I'm touching my NTFS partition like I did last time I fixed this issue.

 

[JustinW]

Open EasyBCD -> Useful Utilities -> Power Console. Post the output from bootgrabber.exe /l. Is bootgrabber hanging?

 

[nogoodreason]

Open EasyBCD -> Useful Utilities -> Power Console. Post the output from bootgrabber.exe /l. Is bootgrabber hanging?

BootGrabber utility.
Copyright NeoSmart Technologies 2009 <http://neosmart.net/>

BootGrabber.exe /list : /bootcfg device : /grab /d /diskNo [/p partNo] /file path

 

[JustinW]

Sorry, must be "bootgrabber.exe /list" apparently...

 

[mqudsi]

Do you have any OS X partitions on this drive?