Kernel panic - not syncing: VFS: Unable to mount root fs on unknown - block

[LacrimaMax]

Hello!

Sorry, if my English isn't very proper.
I use Ubuntu 9.10 and Windows 7 together. I installed Ubuntu via Wubi.
I had been succesfuly using this configuration for a month untill yesterday. Yesterday I made latest updates suggested by Update Manager to my Ubuntu. After that my Ubuntu crashed.
Now after turning on my laptop I got this error:

Kernel panic - not syncing: VFS: Unable to mount root fs on unknown - block (8,5)

Windows 7 always boots succesfuly.
Ubuntu doesn't boot even in recovery mode.

Could you please help me to resolve this problem?

Thanks in advance.

[abdurrm]

it's happens to me too.. can anyone help us?

My system:
-Windows XP, using ubuntu 9.10

[Juamps]

Same here. -VFS: Unable to mount root fs on unknown-block (8,1)-

I'm running Vista and Karmic Koala

Thanks for your help

[jesamjasam]

I installed Ubuntu 9.10 using wubi on my WindowsXP machine. It worked just fine until today. Now i have the same problem you all have. Here's a printout:
Kernel panic - not syncing: VFS: Unable to mount root fs on unknown-block(8,1)

Now my project is locked in ubuntu and i can't reach it

[drew2222]

I installed Ubuntu 9.10 using wubi on my WindowsXP machine. It worked just fine until today. Now i have the same problem you all have. Here's a printout:
Kernel panic - not syncing: VFS: Unable to mount root fs on unknown-block(8,1)

Now my project is locked in ubuntu and i can't reach it

I am running 9.10 latest release and after the latest updates the following errors occured:
Ubuntu would not boot from grub, froze on first splash screen
Ubuntu would boot from recovery mode, screen cycled unreadable messages at speed.Received a kernel panic message at some point.
After trying various suggestions, I got it back by:
Select recovery option (second line in grub)
Wait for screen message "cycling" to start
Press [CTRL+ALT+F2]
This took me to a login screen
Enter Ubuntu username & password
Got to login prompt for Ubnutu installation(Terminal)
Run [sudo fdisk -l]
All seemed ok here as before boot problem started
Type [exit] to close terminal
Reboot to Ubuntu login as normal
I tried other CRTL_ALT options as suggested but F2 seemed to work this time?
Not sure why this happened, and if it was just a fluke I got it back
Will do some research.
My system is not under wubi tho and is dual boot with xp pro.

[Gridwalker]

Same problem, same error message, with a freshly installed version of 9.10 installed "within windows" on an XP Home laptop.

The problem only started after I updated to the latest kernel.

I can still boot into Karmic using the previous version of the kernel.

Any thoughts?

[mfratus2001]

I did the recommended updates last night, and it cannot mount the drive.
I am using a SATA hard drive, which looks like a SCSI. The kernel seems to be looking for a RAID drive, but this hardware has been working fine until this update.
The generic version of this kernel update (2.6.31-15-generic) is fine, but the 386 version (2.6.31-15-386) won't run.
I am running the generic release right now, the previous 9.10 installation.
I guess they left something vital out of the kernel.

[inforfang]

same problem here ...

-Windows XP
-ubuntu 9.10

[inforfang]

I did the recommended updates last night, and it cannot mount the drive.
I am using a SATA hard drive, which looks like a SCSI. The kernel seems to be looking for a RAID drive, but this hardware has been working fine until this update.
The generic version of this kernel update (2.6.31-15-generic) is fine, but the 386 version (2.6.31-15-386) won't run.
I am running the generic release right now, the previous 9.10 installation.
I guess they left something vital out of the kernel.

How should i use previous version of Kernel ? and where should i find its version ?

[obroyz]

Hi everyone,

I'm absolutely new to Linux, leave aside Ubuntu. Having installed Ubuntu Karmic Koala just a few days ago, using Wubi, I have been extremely impressed with this O/S.

Getting to the point, I ran into this problem yesterday and I really couldn't understand a word everyone was saying about fixing this issue. My kernel had been updated to 2.6.31-15 and last morning, my machine wouldn't boot.

I noticed that I was able to boot into 2.6.31-14, so I worked on it for a while, trying to find a 'simple' solution before I went on learning all the technical stuff.

Anyhow, the fix:

1) Go to System > Administration > Synaptic Package Manager
2) Put in a search for linux-image
3) Locate the package "linux-image-2.6.31-15-generic"
4) Select the check-box next to this package and choose "Mark for Reinstallation"
5) Apply this changes
6) Reboot your machine

(For me) problem solved.

I hope it works for all of you as well.

Thanks,

J.