Vista/Ubuntu Dual Boot problem

G

gladcorps

Member
I have an (Attempted) Dual boot on single disk with 3 partitions.
Vista on first partition and ubuntu on 2nd/3rd (SWAP and EXT3 formats)
When installing ubuntu I put the bootloader onto the same partition as the linux filesystem hd0,2.
Using Easybcd 1.7 I've created a linux grub entry and pointed it at Disk 0 Partion 2 (which shows up as linux native) but when I select this option on boot up I get the error:

Loading new partition
Bootsector from CH Hochstatter
Cannot load from harddisk.
Press any key to load from system disk

If I press a key it goes back to the boot selection screen

If I use the "Grub isnt installed option" in easybcd it drops into the GRUB> prompt saying "Unrecognised Partition table for drive 80"

Code: 
Windows Boot Manager
--------------------
identifier {9dea862c-5cdd-4e70-acc1-f32b344d4795}
device partition=C:
description Windows Boot Manager
locale en-US
inherit {7ea2e1ac-2e61-4728-aaa3-896d9d0a9f0e}
default {09885a5c-832e-11dc-a27d-df1305edd62d}
resumeobject {09885a5d-832e-11dc-a27d-df1305edd62d}
displayorder {09885a5c-832e-11dc-a27d-df1305edd62d}
{75e3523f-86e4-11dc-859b-00164126c36b}
toolsdisplayorder {b2721d73-1db4-4c62-bf78-c548a880142d}
timeout 30
Windows Boot Loader
-------------------
identifier {09885a5c-832e-11dc-a27d-df1305edd62d}
device partition=C:
path \Windows\system32\winload.exe
description Microsoft Windows Vista
locale en-US
inherit {6efb52bf-1766-41db-a6b3-0ee5eff72bd7}
osdevice partition=C:
systemroot \Windows
resumeobject {09885a5d-832e-11dc-a27d-df1305edd62d}
nx OptIn
Real-mode Boot Sector
---------------------
identifier {75e3523f-86e4-11dc-859b-00164126c36b}
device boot
path \NST\nst_grub.mbr
description NeoSmart Linux

Any Suggestions?

Many Thanks
 
Last edited:
I have been a similar problem trying set up it.

How am I doing?

My Laptop came with its first partition hidden. It is used for a possible recovery in the future. Its size it's about 6 GB.

The second partition it's Windows Vista with about 100 GB.

After this partition I created 2 other ones.

My device looks like so:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4
hidden | VISTA | ext3 | swap

What happens?

I can install Ubuntu with success. But ubuntu erases windows visto boot loader and put grub under it.

It gives an option to start Windows, but when I select it, it doesn't show me the correct OS..it shows me the point at the first partition: the recovery one.

I fixed this problem with Vaio Recovery CD..I try to set up by hands using grub..but I coudn't set up properly.

At the time of ubuntu instalation how can I avoid it writes on the MBR instead of in the current partition bootsector?

I really dont know how I could fix it.

What I would like? to avoid grub takes control of boot loader.
I know how not install it at the time of ubuntu instalation. but dont know how set tup it by hands using grub installed by EAsy BCD..

any ideas?
 
Last edited:
Hi oalexandrino, welcome to NeoSmart Technologies.

during Ubuntu setup, you'll see a little button called "Advanced."

Clicking it should provide you with a dialog you can use to choose where GRUB is installed to.
 
Thanks Guru, that seems to have got me one stage further, I now get to the grub boot loader screen that shows the ubuntu option, but when I select it I get:

"Warning: Unrecognised Partition table for drive 80. Please rebuild it ising a microsoft compatible FDISK tool (err=23). Current C/H/S=16383/240/63

Error 17: File not Found

Press any key to continue...."

If I press a key I got back to the boot loader

Seems to suggest it can't actually see the linux install at all, the ext3 partition is quite a long way down a 160GB disk, will the loader have issues looking for OS at the end of a large disk?
 
It depends on if your motherboard has LBA support or not.

But it sounds to me it's more like a matter of your /boot/grub/menu.lst in your Ubuntu partition containing a reference to an incorrect drive/partition number.
 
It's currently pointing to root=/dev/sda3 for the kernel which is correct (3rd partition on the only physical disk) and I've double checked the kernel versions to make sure they are correct. It seems to initiate when selected in the vista loader but crashes early down to "GRUB4DOS" with a CodeEnd 0x3EF2C
 
Cracked it..........Seems to be that the Linux partition was too far down the HDD for the bios to see. Shrank Vista partition another 40GB and reinstalled Linux and it works fine now....

Cheers for all the help
 
If that is the case, you might want to check and see if your BIOS has a update. That problem shouldnt occur. With a updated BIOS you wouldnt have that problem.
 
Computer Guru said:
Hi oalexandrino, welcome to NeoSmart Technologies.

during Ubuntu setup, you'll see a little button called "Advanced."

Clicking it should provide you with a dialog you can use to choose where GRUB is installed to.
Click to expand...

thanks for the reply guru.

So, what have I done?

1. I let, in advance option, Ubuntu saves grub on the (hd0)
(it writes on the MBR, in this case Windows Vista Loader is not available anymore)

2. I uncheck, in the advance options, ubuntu saves
(I back to windows vista, and use EasyBcd to install grub)

by performing option 2, I restart the computer..and go to Ubuntu.
Grub is loaded...

I follow the steps.

a. root(hd0,4);
b. kernel /vmlinuz root=/dev/hda4
c. initrd /initrd.img
d. boot

everything is done with success...several command lines are displayed after I execute the commands above..

but it stops at some point and neither go...neither back...

I had to restart...I think there is a simple stuff that I have to do...because all ubuntu folder can be found ..I can see them there..


any ideas?

thanks!
 
Ah, you should have not unchecked but changed the value from hd0 to hd0,x where x is the number of the ubuntu partition itself.
 
Computer Guru said:
Ah, you should have not unchecked but changed the value from hd0 to hd0,x where x is the number of the ubuntu partition itself.
Click to expand...


YES MAN!

that has worked!

I've done a mistake when I was defining the number of the ubuntu partition.

that's because you have to define as a text field plain text.

Now Vista has control on MBR and Grub has control just on the its own partition.

thanks a milion!
 
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