Reinstalling Grub on Ubuntu partion (boot sector)

krul

krul

Member
Hi all,
As many other I made mistake when installing Ubuntu that I install Grub on MBR.
I have three partion
1. Windows XP
2. Windows 7
3 Ubuntu + swap

When I booted I was facing grub menu with ubuntu version boot options and
under "oterh windows" windows longhorn bootloader that once selected lead me to
windows options: Windows XP & Windows7

I wanted to consolidate that boot menu (Without really knowing what I'm doing) so I can after boot have just three boot options: 1. XP, 7 & Ubuntu.
After I've downloaded EeasyBCD, I've
1. Added Ubuntu entry
2.Manage bootloader -> Run MBR

That removed my grub from my MBR and now when I boot I have three options
Windows XP, Windows7 & Ubuntu.
Windows options boots fine but when Ubuntu is selected it reports missing *.mbr file.

I beleive that I've removed grub and that I have to reinstall grub but this time on Ubuntu partion.

I'm afraid that I'm going to mess up my existing windows boots and thinking about reeinstalling Ubuntu completly.

Any idea? :nerd:

P.S. Found realy good site explaining process on Fedora, should it work with Ubuntu?
http://roshan18.wordpress.com/2008/02/03/reinstalling-grub-boot-loader/
 
Last edited:
I have reinstall ubuntu using manual partitioning --> Advanced h4 as bootsector. (Targeting Linux partion) I'm certain that grub installation is on ubuntu partion but using EeasyBCD I was not able to force vista boot loader to point to grub on ubuntu's own partion.

Here is how my drive is partioned:

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 1 12886 103506763+ 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda2 15299 21672 51199155 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda3 21673 30401 70115692+ 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda4 12887 15298 19374390 5 Extended
/dev/sda5 12887 15192 18522913+ 83 Linux
/dev/sda6 15193 15298 851413+ 82 Linux swap / Solaris

Any obvious mistakes?
 
Last edited:
What drive did you choose from EasyBCD when adding the ubuntu entry?

There's a known issue for configurations with mixed SATA/IDE drives where the drive numbers won't be in sync - which partition did you choose from the drop-down list in EasyBCD?
 
Tried partition 4 ...

File: \NST\nst_grub-61AE9FD8BB4DC364FD9F1FBJ854AC3450.mbr
Status: 0xc000000f
Info: The selected entry could not be loaded because the application is missing or corrupt.

:x

Addendum:

Just to let you know that I was able to resolve issue using EasyBCD power terminal & following you helping some other poor sucker like me to resolve similar problem on this forum

Code: 
bcdedit /set {bootmgr} device partition=c:
exit

Here is a link
EasyBCD 1.7 not generating nst_grub.mbr for Ubuntu Linux - The NeoSmart Forums

Thank you very very much for patience and help.
Since I have now three OS on my hard drive:
1. Windows XP (Media)
2. Windows 7 (Boot)
3. Ubuntu
each on each own partition, I wander if I should switch to xp boot loader since Windows7 will expire @ August 1 this year and I'm worried that I'm going to get stuck?

Again THANKS A LOT.
P.S. I like your site very much (font is magnificent, which font you are using?)
 
Last edited:
krul said:
Addendum:

Just to let you know that I was able to resolve issue using EasyBCD power terminal & following you helping some other poor sucker like me to resolve similar problem on this forum
Click to expand...
Glad you got it working. :smile:
Thank you very very much for patience and help.
Since I have now three OS on my hard drive:
1. Windows XP (Media)
2. Windows 7 (Boot)
3. Ubuntu
each on each own partition, I wander if I should switch to xp boot loader since Windows7 will expire @ August 1 this year and I'm worried that I'm going to get stuck?
Click to expand...
Your XP bootloader can not be used to dual-boot...:wink: You will need to reinstall Grub to the MBR, when that times comes, in order to dual-boot XP with Ubuntu.

If you have any more questions, then just ask, and we (at the NeoSmart Technologies) will do our best to answer them, and help you out. :smile:

Cheers,

Coolname007
 
Coolname007 said:
Glad you got it working. :smile:
Your XP bootloader can not be used to dual-boot...:wink: You will need to reinstall Grub to the MBR, when that times comes, in order to dual-boot XP with Ubuntu.
Click to expand...
If I reinstall Grub will it messup my xp?

Coolname007 said:
If you have any more questions, then just ask, and we (at the NeoSmart Technologies) will do our best to answer them, and help you out. :smile:
Click to expand...
You guys are great, thanks again
 
krul said:
If I reinstall Grub will it messup my xp?
Click to expand...

Well...you would need to add an XP entry to Grub, in order to boot into XP after installing Grub to the MBR. If you're using the standard GNU Grub menu.lst, located on your Ubuntu partition, then you will need to add the entry to that menu.lst...but if you're using NeoGrub, you will need to add the XP entry to your NeoGrub menu.lst, which will be on your XP partition at C:/NST/menu.lst. :smile:

For the standard Grub, you would need to add the following entry to the end of your Ubuntu menu.lst:

title Windows XP
root (hdx,y)
chainloader +1
Click to expand...
and replace the x and y with the appropriate disk and partition numbers to allow it to find XP and boot it. x = disk, and y = partition.

And if you're using NeoGrub, you would need to add the following entry in your NeoGrub menu.lst:

title Windows XP #This is our first entry - it's number 0
find --set-root /NTLDR #Search for NTLDR on all partitions. Once found, use that partition as root.
makeactive #Make this the active partition
chainloader /NTLDR #Run NTLDR, the Windows XP bootloader
#If we're using a menu, we don't need to use the `boot` command - it's automatically implied.
Click to expand...
Just make sure to make the changes to the menu.lst you're using, before removing Win 7, or else (if you're using NeoGrub), you would be stuck with a menu.lst that can boot into only Ubuntu, and not XP, and you would need to make to the changes to your NeoGrub menu.lst, from within Ubuntu itself, before you could boot into XP. :wink:

-Coolname007
 
Last edited:
Coolname007 said:
Well...you would need to add an XP entry to Grub, in order to boot into XP after installing Grub to the MBR. If you're using the standard GNU Grub menu.lst, located on your Ubuntu partition, then you will need to add the entry to that menu.lst...but if you're using NeoGrub, you will need to add the XP entry to your NeoGrub menu.lst, which will be on your XP partition at C:/NST/menu.lst. :smile:

For the standard Grub, you would need to add the following entry to the end of your Ubuntu menu.lst:

and replace the x and y with the appropriate disk and partition numbers to allow it to find XP and boot it. x = disk, and y = partition.

And if you're using NeoGrub, you would need to add the following entry in your NeoGrub menu.lst:

Just make sure to make the changes to the menu.lst you're using, before removing Win 7, or else (if you're using NeoGrub), you would be stuck with a menu.lst that can boot into only Ubuntu, and not XP, and you would need to make to the changes to your NeoGrub menu.lst, from within Ubuntu itself, before you could boot into XP. :wink:

-Coolname007
Click to expand...

Why do I feel that I repeat my self so often here ? :smile: Thanks yet again, that was comprehensive answer.
 
krul said:
Why do I feel that I repeat my self so often here ? :smile: Thanks yet again, that was comprehensive answer.
Click to expand...

No problem. :smile: Glad I could be of assistance. If you need any more help, then don't hesitate to ask...there will always be friendly people here to help! :grinning:

-Coolname007
 
Even after Windows 7 expires the bootloader will remain working and intact. You can also use the Vista/7 bootloader with XP alone - shouldn't be a problem, I do that myself.

I'm not sure which font you're referring to?

Anyway, glad you got it to work - congratulations & glad to be of help.

Stick around and enjoy the community if you like - we'd love to have you onboard.
 
Computer Guru said:
Even after Windows 7 expires the bootloader will remain working and intact. You can also use the Vista/7 bootloader with XP alone - shouldn't be a problem, I do that myself.
Click to expand...

Well...I gave all those instructions since he asked if the XP bootloader could be used to dual-boot XP and Ubuntu, and in case he deleted the Win 7 partition or something. :wink:

So what happens when Win 7 expires? I'm downloading my own copy right now, and I should be installing it soon. What exactly happens? Is Win 7 still in existence, but just you can't boot into it?

-Coolname007
 
Last edited:
I imagine it will go into restricted mode like an unvalidated Vista after 30 days, only the restriction will be extreme, no option to get in and validate, no ability to get online, no ability to execute programs, but the bootloader will still work (unless you select W7 of course), because the OS isn't running yet.
 
Terry60 said:
I imagine it will go into restricted mode like an unvalidated Vista after 30 days, only the restriction will be extreme, no option to get in and validate, no ability to get online, no ability to execute programs, but the bootloader will still work (unless you select W7 of course), because the OS isn't running yet.
Click to expand...

:S:wtf: So how would you validate it then?!! How would you enter the product code of a version you purchase? Does that mean that once the Win 7 installation expires, you would have to uninstall it, and then reinstall an purchased version? If so, then that really sucks..:O

So no option to simply enter a product code when the time comes?

-Coolname007
 
Well having to re-install I agree would suck, but sounds like they've devised a stricter method of protecting against piracy. Either that or it'll be put back the way it was with the final product since they don't want beta users to continue using the beta when they call it quits for the testing period. With all the support W7 has out of the box for drivers and such they should provide an additional option on the DVD now to activate it if thats the approach they want to take.
 
Cool, you don't purchase the 7 beta - you can only purchase the final.
When the beta expires, it's gone. legit, or otherwise.
 
I'm very much a newbie at MS Beta testing, so I stand to be corrected, but I believe that they generally require a complete uninstall/reinstall between Betas, so a switch to the production release would require the same new-broom approach.
 
Yep. That's normally the case.

Only exception is many times post-RC builds will have an upgrade to final feature, mainly for debugging the upgrade utility.
 
Back
Top