Vista - Ubuntu dual boot

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987a654

Member
Hi all
I want to keep windows boot loader in control, so i installed grub to separate partition along with Ubuntu. then used EASYBCD to add the ubuntu entry after installing it. Both vista and ubuntu show up while booting but if i select ubuntu, I am getting an error like this:

File: \NST\nst_grub-9657..............c43.mbr
Status: 0xc0000001
Info: the selected entry could not be loaded because the application is missing or corrupt.

Any help will be appreciated.

this is what I followed
Ubuntu - NeoSmart Technologies Wiki

and this is what i want to get at:

Linux and Lilo/Grub
When you install Linux you will usually get an option during setup of where to place Lilo or Grub. The choices will include to the MBR of the boot hard drive or to the Linux partition. If you choose the MBR then part of Lilo/Grub will replace the Microsoft IPL and the other part will remain on the Linux partition and be configured to operate as a bootmanager for the other OSes on the computer. If you already have a Windows dual/multiboot using the Microsoft bootmanager then Linux may only add the Windows system partition to its boot menu. If you have various independent Windows installs you may still have to add most of them yourself to the Linux bootmanager.
Boot sequence for a Windows OS when Lilo/Grub is in the MBR.

​
Linux.png



If you instead choose to have Lilo or Grub installed entirely to the Linux partition then you can use your preferred bootmanager to start Linux by way of its own PBR, in exactly the same way as you start independent Windows by their PBRs. It's a cleaner method of doing things and also removes the certainty of breaking the boot sequence chain to your Windows OSes if you later decide to reinstall or remove the Linux OS. Unlike Windows an independent Linux install will not overwrite your MBR bootmanager.

I am trying for the second scenario, GRUB in its own PBR
thanks
Roch

Dug through the forums and found a fix but still not satisfied, I am using NEoGrub but would like to know why GRUB is not loading from PBR.

This is the fix I used:

Ubuntu/Vista Dual Boot Problem - The NeoSmart Forums

C:\NST contained 2 nst_grub-9657..............c43.mbr entries thats it.

then i loaded Neogrub and configured. and this is what It conatained:

# NeoSmart NeoGrub Bootloader Configuration File
#
# This is the NeoGrub configuration file, and should be located at C:\NST\menu.lst
# Please see the EasyBCD Documentation for information on how to create/modify entries:
# EasyBCD Documentation Home - NeoSmart Technologies Wiki

Then I followed Your advise form the other post and added the following to the menu.lst file and saved it.

find --set-root --ignore-floppies /boot/grub/menu.lst
configfile /boot/grub/menu.lst

# All your boot are belong to NeoSmart!

reboot and voila, ubuntu boots through NeoGrub,

But I still would like to know why GRUB cant load ubuntu.

waiting for your answer computer Guru.

Thanks.
Roch
 
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You don't need to configure NeoGrub before nor after adding the entry for Ubuntu. EasyBCD well set it up automatically for you when you add the entry for Ubuntu. Make sure when adding the entry that Grub is not installed is checked. This seems to be the only way to get Linux entries added to work for most.

You also most importantly need to make sure you are pointing to Ubuntu's partition. This well tell EasyBCD where to tell NST\nst_grub.mbr Ubuntu is so it can chainload Grub from there to load it.

If Grub continues to refuse to load Ubuntu, you need to re-install it. This indicates that it was either not installed or not installed correctly. You can do it from Ubuntu's live CD from a terminal using the sudo grub command.
 
Thanks for the reply

Every thing was going fine with NEOGRUB, then I had to do some thing stupid, I played with the entries in EASYBCD deleting Vista entry thinking NEOgrub will be able to handle both VISTA and ubuntu. Now I can only boot into ubuntu. to fix my mistake tried GAG from floppy but to no use, then I unstalled GRUB to MBR but still can't load into vista. Please let me know anyway of getting back into vista.

thabks guys
Roch
 
Start here for instructions on repairing the Vista boot. Or if you have a Vista DVD, boot it and select "repair my computer" then "repair startup". You'll probably need to do this more than once, as it warns you on the screens in question, until the Vista boot is fully functional.
 
Thanks Terry

I am trying to fix using the Vista recovery disc that I found here:
Windows Vista Recovery Disc Download The NeoSmart Files
After using the disk once and running startup repair, I amable to get into vista through the recovery CD but not
So far I was able to get into vista but am unable to completely fix the issue.

By booting from the recovery disk, I can get into vista but not without it. Once I select DVD drive to boot from, I get an option to press any key to boot from the DVD drive. If I don't press any key Vista loads with out any glitch. If I press any key I get into the recovery disk. I am stuck at this point.

After getting into vista and opening up EasyBCD, there is only one entry for vista (recovered). It looks very clean. But I don't see the same when I boot normally. GRUB still has control over MBR. I don't mind having GRUB as it shows an entry for vista but by selecting it, it runs few lines of code and comes back to the same GRUB menu. It's like as if it is on a loop. So there has to be some link missing there.
I tried the first two options in recovery through EasyBCD, no use. Before I try the third I will back up my users folder in C:\. If it doesn't work I will go for a clean install. I tried using GAG, Super Grub, and now even the vista recovery CD.
I was able to get in to vista to recover my data, I guess I will go for a clean install.

Thanks
Roch
 
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Did you ask the Vista DVD to do the repair for you ?
That's the simplest way to get the Vista IPL back on the MBR, requires you to know nothing, just boot and select repair 2 or 3 times, and you should be back to a clean Vista boot. You don't need to do a full reinstall, it's only the boot that's broken.
After Vista is booting again, use EasyBCD to add an entry for your linux, but be more careful this time and have a good read of the wiki before you jump in.
 
If NeoGrub is still installed in EasyBCD after you get Vista working again, select the option to uninstall it before adding the entry for Ubuntu.
 
Thanks for the prompt reply

firstly Vista recovery Disk, doesn't overwrite the MBR IPL with that of Vista's. Grub IPL is still in the MBR. I tried repairing it 3 to 4 times. no use. But why isn't EasyBCD unable to write Vista IPL to the MBR with "write MBR" option.

And evrytime I start EasyBCD aftergetting into vista through recovery disk, it prompts me to select the drive in which vista is installed. Wonder why is this happenning.

I have exhausted all the options to load vista bootloder.
I will try to edit Grub to get vista working back again.
Thanks for all the help guys.

Finally fixed the problem:
system and boot partitions were on different hard drives

I have both OSs in one hard drive, so I unplugged the second HD and repaired the startup using the Vista recovery Cd, and voila Vista is in control of MBR, and using linux with NeoGrub.
Not the way I wanted but everythings back to normal, almost.
I used McTavish website, great resource to understand the boot process:
Multibooters - System and Boot partitions


 
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Sounds as if you were booting from the second hard drive, which would not do you any good as the startup repair would have fixed the mbr for the disk on which the selected installation is located. When you disconnected the second drive, the boot device would have been changed in the BIOS to boot the first drive in the system.

Regardless, glad to hear you got it to a somewhat working state. Post if you still have any other questions :smile:
 
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The error listed in the original post here means that the Ubuntu entry in the BCD is pointing to a non-existent drive. Usually this is fixed by going to the "Change Settings" page in EasyBCD and specifying a valid drive (usually C: or BOOT) for the entry in question.
 
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