Grub, Partitions, and MBR

I am not sure how I have gotten into this mess, but maybe a little help from someone more experienced may help:

this is my setup:
when I startup my computer, the computer loads grub off of an external drive. if the drive is not plugged in, I get an error (which I will post after check it again) that will not allow me to boot. although I should still be able to boot a live-cd or live-usb

when I do boot I get grub version 1.98+20100804-5ubuntu3
I have these option to boot

Ubuntu
ubuntu recovery,
memtest (memtest86+)
memtest (memtest86+, serial console 115200)
windows recovery environment (loader) (on /dev/sda1)
windows(loader) (on /dev/sda2)

now ubuntu boots perfect
ubuntu recovery boots perfect
memtest works fine
windows recovery boots regular windows
windows boots windows recovery

if I choose to boot windows (under windows recovery) i get a Windows boot menu with windows or ubuntu, from a previously installed version of ubuntu that wouldn't work after i tried the 10.10 beta, :( ,but windows works fine from there.

what would be preferred
one boot screen from startup that would allow me to choose from windows, or ubuntu. with ubuntu installed on the external drive.

one last ? why is the external drive not recognized in windows?, you can see it in device manager, but it doesn't mount a file system...

Hi,
in order to give us a better overview of what is where, please boot the computer with a LiveCD and post the results of the boot-script linked at the bottom of my post.

Wrap the text with the # tag when posting or generate the tag and paste the text between.

Thanks.

this is what i get,
# Boot Info Script 0.55 dated February 15th, 2010

============================= Boot Info Summary: ==============================

=> Grub 2 is installed in the MBR of /dev/sda and looks on the same drive in
partition #1 for (,msdos1)/boot/grub.
=> Syslinux is installed in the MBR of /dev/sdb
=> No boot loader is installed in the MBR of /dev/sdc

sda1: __________________________________________________ _______________________

File system: ntfs
Boot sector type: Windows Vista/7
Boot sector info: No errors found in the Boot Parameter Block.
Operating System: Windows Vista
Boot files/dirs: /bootmgr /boot/bcd /wubildr.mbr /wubildr

sda2: __________________________________________________ _______________________

File system: ntfs
Boot sector type: Windows Vista/7
Boot sector info: No errors found in the Boot Parameter Block.
Operating System:
Boot files/dirs: /bootmgr /boot/BCD

sdb1: __________________________________________________ _______________________

File system: vfat
Boot sector type: Fat32
Boot sector info: No errors found in the Boot Parameter Block.
Operating System:
Boot files/dirs:

sdc1: __________________________________________________ _______________________

File system: ext4
Boot sector type: -
Boot sector info:
Operating System: Ubuntu 10.10
Boot files/dirs: /boot/grub/grub.cfg /etc/fstab /boot/grub/core.img

sdc2: __________________________________________________ _______________________

File system: Extended Partition
Boot sector type: -
Boot sector info:

sdc5: __________________________________________________ _______________________

File system: swap
Boot sector type: -
Boot sector info:

=========================== Drive/Partition Info: =============================

Drive: sda ___________________ __________________________________________________ ___

Disk /dev/sda: 250.1 GB, 250059350016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 30401 cylinders, total 488397168 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0xbe809154

Partition Boot Start End Size Id System

/dev/sda1 * 63 463,218,209 463,218,147 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda2 463,218,210 488,392,064 25,173,855 7 HPFS/NTFS


Drive: sdb ___________________ __________________________________________________ ___

Disk /dev/sdb: 4022 MB, 4022337024 bytes
124 heads, 62 sectors/track, 1021 cylinders, total 7856127 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x000f0a87

Partition Boot Start End Size Id System

/dev/sdb1 * 62 7,849,447 7,849,386 b W95 FAT32


Drive: sdc ___________________ __________________________________________________ ___

Disk /dev/sdc: 320.1 GB, 320072932864 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 38913 cylinders, total 625142447 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x000c1abe

Partition Boot Start End Size Id System

/dev/sdc1 2,048 606,713,855 606,711,808 83 Linux
/dev/sdc2 606,715,902 625,141,759 18,425,858 5 Extended
/dev/sdc5 606,715,904 625,141,759 18,425,856 82 Linux swap / Solaris


blkid -c /dev/null: __________________________________________________ __________

Device UUID TYPE LABEL

/dev/loop0 squashfs
/dev/loop1 db64d9b0-715b-4516-b9f4-ab9f30f17b41 ext3
/dev/sda1 3E18FB4F18FB0525 ntfs
/dev/sda2 2C88743C8874071C ntfs HP_RECOVERY
/dev/sdb1 7EFA-773D vfat
/dev/sdc1 e22a6976-9e50-46e4-a61a-686ca4cab2dd ext4
/dev/sdc5 c153b13b-a8af-4d40-a231-899eb4c7fcc9 swap

============================ "mount | grep ^/dev output: ===========================

Device Mount_Point Type Options

aufs / aufs (rw)
/dev/sdb1 /cdrom vfat (rw)
/dev/loop0 /rofs squashfs (rw)
/dev/sdc1 /media/e22a6976-9e50-46e4-a61a-686ca4cab2dd ext4 (rw,nosuid,nodev,uhelper=devkit)


=========================== sdc1/boot/grub/grub.cfg: ===========================

#
# DO NOT EDIT THIS FILE
#
# It is automatically generated by grub-mkconfig using templates
# from /etc/grub.d and settings from /etc/default/grub
#

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/00_header ###
if [ -s $prefix/grubenv ]; then
set have_grubenv=true
load_env
fi
set default="4"
if [ "${prev_saved_entry}" ]; then
set saved_entry="${prev_saved_entry}"
save_env saved_entry
set prev_saved_entry=
save_env prev_saved_entry
set boot_once=true
fi

function savedefault {
if [ -z "${boot_once}" ]; then
saved_entry="${chosen}"
save_env saved_entry
fi
}

function recordfail {
set recordfail=1
if [ -n "${have_grubenv}" ]; then if [ -z "${boot_once}" ]; then save_env recordfail; fi; fi
}

function load_video {
insmod vbe
insmod vga
}

insmod part_msdos
insmod ext2
set root='(hd1,msdos1)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set e22a6976-9e50-46e4-a61a-686ca4cab2dd
if loadfont /usr/share/grub/unicode.pf2 ; then
set gfxmode=640x480
load_video
insmod gfxterm
fi
terminal_output gfxterm
insmod part_msdos
insmod ext2
set root='(hd1,msdos1)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set e22a6976-9e50-46e4-a61a-686ca4cab2dd
set locale_dir=($root)/boot/grub/locale
set lang=en
insmod gettext
if [ "${recordfail}" = 1 ]; then
set timeout=-1
else
set timeout=10
fi
### END /etc/grub.d/00_header ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/05_debian_theme ###
set menu_color_normal=white/black
set menu_color_highlight=black/light-gray
### END /etc/grub.d/05_debian_theme ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/10_linux ###
menuentry 'Ubuntu, with Linux 2.6.35-22-generic' --class ubuntu --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os {
recordfail
insmod part_msdos
insmod ext2
set root='(hd1,msdos1)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set e22a6976-9e50-46e4-a61a-686ca4cab2dd
linux /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.35-22-generic root=UUID=e22a6976-9e50-46e4-a61a-686ca4cab2dd ro vga=775 splash quiet splash
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.35-22-generic
}
menuentry 'Ubuntu, with Linux 2.6.35-22-generic (recovery mode)' --class ubuntu --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os {
recordfail
insmod part_msdos
insmod ext2
set root='(hd1,msdos1)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set e22a6976-9e50-46e4-a61a-686ca4cab2dd
echo 'Loading Linux 2.6.35-22-generic ...'
linux /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.35-22-generic root=UUID=e22a6976-9e50-46e4-a61a-686ca4cab2dd ro single vga=775 splash
echo 'Loading initial ramdisk ...'
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.35-22-generic
}
### END /etc/grub.d/10_linux ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/20_linux_xen ###
### END /etc/grub.d/20_linux_xen ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/20_memtest86+ ###
menuentry "Memory test (memtest86+)" {
insmod part_msdos
insmod ext2
set root='(hd1,msdos1)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set e22a6976-9e50-46e4-a61a-686ca4cab2dd
linux16 /boot/memtest86+.bin
}
menuentry "Memory test (memtest86+, serial console 115200)" {
insmod part_msdos
insmod ext2
set root='(hd1,msdos1)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set e22a6976-9e50-46e4-a61a-686ca4cab2dd
linux16 /boot/memtest86+.bin console=ttyS0,115200n8
}
### END /etc/grub.d/20_memtest86+ ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/30_os-prober ###
menuentry "Windows Recovery Environment (loader) (on /dev/sda1)" {
insmod part_msdos
insmod ntfs
set root='(hd0,msdos1)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 3e18fb4f18fb0525
drivemap -s (hd0) ${root}
chainloader +1
}
menuentry "Windows Vista (loader) (on /dev/sda2)" {
insmod part_msdos
insmod ntfs
set root='(hd0,msdos2)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 2c88743c8874071c
chainloader +1
}
### END /etc/grub.d/30_os-prober ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/40_custom ###
# This file provides an easy way to add custom menu entries. Simply type the
# menu entries you want to add after this comment. Be careful not to change
# the 'exec tail' line above.
### END /etc/grub.d/40_custom ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/41_custom ###
if [ -f $prefix/custom.cfg ]; then
source $prefix/custom.cfg;
fi
### END /etc/grub.d/41_custom ###

=============================== sdc1/etc/fstab: ===============================

# /etc/fstab: static file system information.
#
# Use 'blkid -o value -s UUID' to print the universally unique identifier
# for a device; this may be used with UUID= as a more robust way to name
# devices that works even if disks are added and removed. See fstab(5).
#
# <file system> <mount point> <type> <options> <dump> <pass>
proc /proc proc nodev,noexec,nosuid 0 0
/dev/sdc1 / ext4 errors=remount-ro 0 1
# swap was on /dev/sdc5 during installation
UUID=c153b13b-a8af-4d40-a231-899eb4c7fcc9 none swap sw 0 0

=================== sdc1: Location of files loaded by Grub: ===================


307.2GB: boot/grub/core.img
281.6GB: boot/grub/grub.cfg
71.2GB: boot/initrd.img-2.6.35-22-generic
307.2GB: boot/vmlinuz-2.6.35-22-generic
71.2GB: initrd.img
307.2GB: vmlinuz
#