Dual Boot Vista and Ubuntu

Craig_S · #1 04-25-2011, 12:11 AM

Resized a windows partition, in Linux, to make more room--because I like Ubuntu so much. Screwed up the boot loader. The machine wouldn't boot either OS. Reinstalled ubuntu. Wouldn't recognize the windows partition. Had to reinstall Windows to make it boot (because that's the only way I know...). Now I have to reinstall EVERYTHING ELSE, including Ubuntu.

Why me?

Joe Nerve · #2 04-25-2011, 12:17 AM

At least it sounds like you know what you're doing. That kind of computer crap happens to me all the time and I don't even know what you're talking about.

Munjibunga · #3 04-25-2011, 12:22 AM

User error.

Craig_S · #4 04-25-2011, 12:23 AM

Thanks Joe, But if I really knew what I was doing, I don't think I would have screwed it up in the first place.

Live and learn--again and again and again... lol!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Munjibunga

User error.

So was your post. You're always SO helpful. Thanks, very much.

Atoz · #5 04-25-2011, 01:12 AM

You can usually fix a hosed boot sector with your original Ubuntu CD by booting with the CD and typing at a terminal prompt:

mount | tail -1

to get the UUID your boot drive, then typing

sudo grub-install --root-directory=/media/*YOUR UUID*/dev/sda

where *YOUR UUID* is the UUID you got from step 1, and assuming your boot drive is "sda," which it is most of the time. Change it if it's not. You might have to do a

sudo update-grub2

but you might not. It doesn't hurt. Then reboot. GRUB should be there with all your OS's listed.

Craig_S · #6 04-25-2011, 01:29 AM

Thank you! That's great info. I saved it to a text file. I wish I would have known that before going through all this junk. I'm still installing updates...

MIJ-VI · #7 04-25-2011, 02:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Atoz

You can usually fix a hosed boot sector with your original Ubuntu CD by booting with the CD and typing at a terminal prompt:

mount | tail -1

to get the UUID your boot drive, then typing

sudo grub-install --root-directory=/media/*YOUR UUID*/dev/sda

where *YOUR UUID* is the UUID you got from step 1, and assuming your boot drive is "sda," which it is most of the time. Change it if it's not. You might have to do a

sudo update-grub2

but you might not. It doesn't hurt. Then reboot. GRUB should be there with all your OS's listed.

That's pretty much what's here:

RecoveringUbuntuAfterInstallingWindows
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Re...tallingWindows

Munjibunga · #8 04-25-2011, 02:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Craig_S

Thanks Joe, But if I really knew what I was doing, I don't think I would have screwed it up in the first place.

Live and learn--again and again and again... lol!

So was your post. You're always SO helpful. Thanks, very much.

No charge. Damned computers ... they never do what you tell them to.

Atoz · #9 04-25-2011, 07:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MIJ-VI

That's pretty much what's here:

RecoveringUbuntuAfterInstallingWindows
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Re...tallingWindows

Ah... that might have been where I learned how to do the fix. I currently have the steps on a piece of paper in my desk, and have used it successfully on a few occasions. I couldn't remember where I originally found the info, though. Thanks for posting the bookmark.

sloasdaylight · #10 04-25-2011, 08:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Munjibunga

No charge. Damned computers ... they never do what you tell them to.

I <3 Munji.

Craig_S · #11 04-25-2011, 09:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Munjibunga

No charge. Damned computers ... they never do what you tell them to.

I hosed the boot loader while resizing a partition. They warn of data loss, but it had never happened to me before. Thanks for your wonderfully helpful insight. I'm sure you could write a book.

Don't you have a hose to polish, or something?

*adds munji to blocked list*

onestring · #12 04-25-2011, 10:50 AM

What do you need Windows for currently? Unless you are doing heavy duty multimedia work in Windows, try the virtualizing route.

Rather than dual booting, you can wipe the drive entirely and then just install your distro of choice (I only partition for swap, / and /home).

A Windows 7 install can run fine in Virtalbox. You can back up the virtual disk easily, and you may find you rarely need it. It's quite nice to have a Windows-free machine--the only time I fire up my virtual Windows these days is to stream Netflix.

I'm actually a switcher from Mac, but 100% Linux user at home for five years this month

and Windows user at work

.

Munjibunga · #13 04-25-2011, 11:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Craig_S

I hosed the boot loader while resizing a partition. They warn of data loss, but it had never happened to me before. Thanks for your wonderfully helpful insight. I'm sure you could write a book.

Don't you have a hose to polish, or something?

*adds munji to blocked list*

_{... you hurt me ...}

Munjibunga · #14 04-25-2011, 11:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sloasdaylight

I <3 Munji.

You're less than three Munjis?

Craig_S · #15 04-25-2011, 04:05 PM

Got her all straightened out. I'll do things a little differently, next time.

I like Ubuntu better than Vista, fo sho. No more hard drive ticking away when nothing is going on. It boots fast, looks pretty and works really well on my laptop. It's running with 4gigs of ram and a 2 gig, dual core AMD processor. So far, it's blowing Windows out of the water. Good stuff!

MIJ-VI · #16 04-25-2011, 05:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Craig_S

Got her all straightened out. I'll do things a little differently, next time.

I like Ubuntu better than Vista, fo sho. No more hard drive ticking away when nothing is going on. It boots fast, looks pretty and works really well on my laptop. It's running with 4gigs of ram and a 2 gig, dual core AMD processor. So far, it's blowing Windows out of the water. Good stuff!

Are the processor cycling, fan speeds, hard drive spin-down and sleep functions all working properly?

It doesn't happen often, but two TB'ers have reported overheating issues running older versions of Ubuntu (or other GNU/Linux distros) on ostensibly Windows-only notebooks. And this was the likely culprit:

"DSDT (Differentiated System Description Table) is a part of the ACPI specification and it supplies configuration information about a base system. ACPI capable computers come with a preinstalled DSDT from the manufacturer. ...A common linux problem is missing ACPI functionality (fans not running, screens not turning off when the lid is closed, etc.) stemming from DSDTs made with Windows specifically in mind..."
http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/DSDT

HOWTO Fix A Buggy DSDT File
HOWTO Fix A Buggy DSDT File - Ubuntu Forums

However, successive versions of the GNU/Linux kernel have incorporated support for an ever-expanding range of PC hardware thus bum fan speeds etc are less likely to be a problem.

But I like to monitor temps & speeds et al anyway, so I install (Gnome) sensors-applet which can be dragged into a Gnome panel to provide a real-time read-out of hardware operating parameters:

SensorInstallHowto
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/SensorInstallHowto

A slew of additional, unrelated info:

Ubuntu Guide
Ubuntu 10.10 (Maverick Meerkat)
Ubuntu:Maverick -

Craig_S · #17 04-25-2011, 05:55 PM

Everything seems to be fine, so far. It seems like the fan is running about the same as with Windows.

**john turner** · #18 04-25-2011, 06:00 PM

i use a vm under windows to run ubuntu, and it runs flawlessly, and i can use both at the same time (have an ubuntu window running now as i type this into ie.)

if you're considering alternatives, check out ...

Downloads - VirtualBox

install it and then just install ubuntu on it and it works great - pops up the virtual machine in a window, and there's no chance of it hosing up the host partition, at least no more of a chance than any other program.

actually like it a lot more than using the ubuntu partition on my machine (i also have multiple boots including an ubuntu partition). the vm has no problem finding all my hardware, whereas the ubuntu partition had some trouble finding my wireless card that i haven't been able to fix.

MIJ-VI · #19 04-25-2011, 06:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by john turner

i use a vm under windows to run ubuntu, and it runs flawlessly, and i can use both at the same time (have an ubuntu window running now as i type this into ie.)

if you're considering alternatives, check out ...

Downloads - VirtualBox

install it and then just install ubuntu on it and it works great - pops up the virtual machine in a window, and there's no chance of it hosing up the host partition, at least no more of a chance than any other program.

actually like it a lot more than using the ubuntu partition on my machine (i also have multiple boots including an ubuntu partition). the vm has no problem finding all my hardware, whereas the ubuntu partition had some trouble finding my wireless card that i haven't been able to fix.

What's the make & model # of the Wi-Fi card?

**john turner** · #20 04-25-2011, 06:38 PM

not sure atm - it's one that is bundled with dell laptops. i went through all the drivers provided both from the dell website and from a few ubuntu support sites.

tbh, don't really care now heh. the ubuntu vm works great so i'm probably going to kill the ubuntu partition anyway, when i need the space on that particular drive.