Vista - Ubuntu - Multiple Hard Drives

shifty38

Member
Currently, I have an internal 320GB SATA HD installed with Vista (NTFS) & an external 120GB HD (FAT32). I also have a new 320GB SATA HD, and would like to do the following:

Disconnect the Vista drive, hook up the new 320GB drive and partition some space for Ubuntu (how much should I partition?), install Ubuntu on that partition on the 2nd drive. Format the rest of the drive NTFS. GRUB would be on the 2nd HD.

Connect both drives, and use EasyBCD to Dual-boot Visa and Ubuntu.

Does this make sense? Will it work? Is there a better way to do this?

Thanks in advance.
 
Hi Shifty, welcome to NeoSmart Technologies.

I'm afraid that won't work, because GRUB will be installed to the MBR of the 2nd drive, instead of the bootsector of the Ubuntu partition on the 2nd drive.

These instructions should do what you need though: Ubuntu - NeoSmart Technologies Wiki
 
Thanks Computer Guru, I really appreciate it.

I've read through the tutorial (thanks). After I hook up the 2nd hd, should I :

1) boot off the Live CD right away, install Ubuntu, then format the NTFS partition later or
2) boot to Vista and use the disk manager tool to create the partitions and format the NTFS partition, then install Ubuntu on the empty partition?
Or does it matter?

In step 6, you use (hd0,1) and say that came from step 4 (Partition #1, I assume). Since I will be using a 2nd hd, I'm guessing that it won't be hd0 in my case, but somthing like (hd1,1) or (hd1,2), is this correct?
I think this is going to be the trickiest step.

Thanks
 
Like you guessed - either will work.

If you're using the second HD, it'll be (hd1,x) where x is the partition number on the 2nd hd (counting from 0).
 
I've ran into a problem.

I installed Ubuntu on the 2nd partition of the 2nd HD and GRUB (hd1,1). When I start up and pick Linux to boot, I get an error:

"Windows failed to start, insert the Vista disk and repair... The selection couldn't be loaded because the application was missing or corrupt."

I can still boot to Vista. I reinstalled Ubuntu.... same thing. Any idea on what I did wrong?

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                 {e8709fb6-fa5f-11db-be4d-e219ece5282e}
displayorder            {e8709fb6-fa5f-11db-be4d-e219ece5282e}
                        {ac706424-aa9a-11dc-9b2b-001a4d6295eb}
toolsdisplayorder       {b2721d73-1db4-4c62-bf78-c548a880142d}
timeout                 10

Windows Boot Loader
-------------------
identifier              {e8709fb6-fa5f-11db-be4d-e219ece5282e}
device                  partition=C:
path                    \Windows\system32\winload.exe
description             Windows Vista
locale                  en-US
inherit                 {6efb52bf-1766-41db-a6b3-0ee5eff72bd7}
osdevice                partition=C:
systemroot              \Windows
resumeobject            {e8709fb7-fa5f-11db-be4d-e219ece5282e}
nx                      OptOut

Real-mode Boot Sector
---------------------
identifier              {ac706424-aa9a-11dc-9b2b-001a4d6295eb}
device                  partition=E:
path                    \NST\nst_grub-D3F3C5D210020426847915BB4CABE16D.mbr
description             NeoSmart Linux
 
Last edited:
Hi Shifty,

Why is it set to drive E:\?
Did you change it, or is that what it was like when you added it?

If so, this could be a possible bug so please let me know ASAP.
 
Drive E:\ is the 2nd hd, the one with Ubuntu installed, I changed it from C:\, so it is not a bug. should I have kept it C:\?

Edit: I changed it back to C:, and did a quick format of drive E:'s ntfs partition. Everything works great, I can boot into Ubuntu and Vista.

Maybe the MBR of disk 2 got corrupted somehow?

Thanks for your help Computer Guru.
 
Last edited:
Yep, it should point to the boot drive where EasyBCD creates the "NST" folder and the needed boot files.

Cheers!
 
Hi m8
Ive installed VISTA and leopard on 2 different hd
my boot.ini file in easybcd 1.7.1
should look like this

------------cut--------------
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 {e8709fb6-fa5f-11db-be4d-e219ece5282e}
displayorder {e8709fb6-fa5f-11db-be4d-e219ece5282e}
{982fe91e-9dde-11dc-a86e-001a92634854}
toolsdisplayorder {b2721d73-1db4-4c62-bf78-c548a880142d}
timeout 10

Windows Boot Loader
-------------------
identifier {e8709fb6-fa5f-11db-be4d-e219ece5282e}
device partition=C:
path \Windows\system32\winload.exe
description Windows Vista
locale en-US
inherit {6efb52bf-1766-41db-a6b3-0ee5eff72bd7}
osdevice partition=C:
systemroot \Windows
resumeobject {e8709fb7-fa5f-11db-be4d-e219ece5282e}
nx OptOut

Real-mode Boot Sector
---------------------
identifier {982fe91e-9dde-11dc-a86e-001a92634854}
device partition=C:CHAIN0="Mac OS 10.5.10
path \NST\chain0
description NST Mac OS X


--------------cut----------------------------

How do I fix this ???

regards
l0pht

Addendum:

It´s only the 3 last lines that needs to be changed

l0pht
 
Last edited:
Hi l0pht, welcome to NeoSmart Technologies.

Looks like a corrupted entry - delete it with the add/remove entries page then add it once more.
 
Back
Top