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Thread: Can't Dual Boot ubuntu. Boots straight to XP

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Beans
    9

    Can't Dual Boot ubuntu. Boots straight to XP

    Whats up all? Glad to be apart of these forums, hope to be on the other end of these problems some day.

    Well I have a little problem. I have no idea what I'm doing.

    Firstly, I was able to make sense of how to partition ubuntu correctly, or so I though. I unpartitioned my HD completely, freeing up the entire thing(160GB). Then I installed ubuntu and and partitioned my drive just like this:

    || -- XP -- || ---- /home ---- || - / - || swap ||

    20 GB 120GB ext3 10GB ext3 4GB

    Except, I left the XP, 20GB portion unpartitioned, unformatted and unmounted. I just set it as Primary as I planned to format it as NFTS with XP. Everything else was carried out as logical, partitioned and formated. Then, I went to install XP, but when I tried to install XP on the 20GB partition which I thought was unpartitioned...it apparently was not (I'm 100% sure I told ubuntu to leave it alone...no mount...nothing. Just a primary empty partition). So, the install told me deleting the 20GB partition, leaving it unpartitioned, and then partitioning over that was the only way to partition the drive...so thats what I did.

    Windows Installed and formatted fine, but upon restart I did not get a dual boot menu, goes straight to windows every time. So, I then installed "FS-Drive". During the install process I saw :


    || -- XP -- || ---- /home ---- || - / - || swap ||

    20 GB NFTS 120GB ext3 10GB ext3 4GB

    got to pick a letter for my partitioned drives and everything. So, everything is partitioned, but where is ubuntu at? The drives show up on windows, but when I click on any of them, other than the NTFS, I get a pop up saying " the disk in drive x is not formatted would you like to format it now?" I click no.

    THEN, I restart my PC with the ubuntu install CD in there, and it boots up ubuntu, but as if I'm about to instll the OS for the first time. So, I clicked Install ubuntu. It started the install process all over. When I got to the partition portion, I chose manual, and there was nothing to partition. That /dev/sda5(whatever it is by default) was there, but no partitions showed up. So, I could've unpartition everything, but I just left it alone and hit quit. Then....ubuntu LOADED. I could use firefox and everything.

    I then went to click on the NFTS partition/volume/drive/whatever to open it (apparently mount it?), but I got some unclean shutdown message:

    $LogFile indicates unclean shutdown (0, 0)
    Failed to mount '/dev/sdf1': Operation not supported
    Mount is denied because NTFS is marked to be in use. Choose one action:

    Choice 1: If you have Windows then disconnect the external devices by
    clicking on the 'Safely Remove Hardware' icon in the Windows
    taskbar then shutdown Windows cleanly.

    Choice 2: If you don't have Windows then you can use the 'force' option for your own responsibility. For example type on the command line:

    mount -t ntfs-3g /dev/sdf1 /mnt/external/ -o force

    Or add the option to the relevant row in the /etc/fstab file:

    /dev/sdf1 /mnt/external/ ntfs-3g defaults,force 0 0


    Got the same message even with ext3 volumes.

    Thats when it hit me..."I'm in over my head". I didn't dare try any of that recommended stuff. Partly...because I have no clue where to under it or what it means. I'll figure that out in a tutorial though as I'm sure any help will require me using some commands....

    So, I'm obviously completely oblivious to this crap. I'll be looking at tuts as I wait for a response, but I highly doubt I'll come up with anything. Thanks for looking! Any replys appreciated.
    Last edited by Liveone; March 15th, 2009 at 08:27 AM.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    Okieville, USA
    Beans
    3,178
    Distro
    Ubuntu 10.04 Lucid Lynx

    Re: Can't Dual Boot ubuntu. Boots straight to XP

    you're supposed to install XP first see this to fix your GRUB: http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.p...t=grub+restore
    MCP, A+/Linux+ Certified IT Technician
    System Specs | Dress up your "Super Button" FREE
    "If sometimes you can't be good, then be VERY good at being naughty!"

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Beans
    9

    Re: Can't Dual Boot ubuntu. Boots straight to XP

    Thanks for the quick reply. I tried to follow the instructions, but I couldnt "load" /swap /boot or / without formating as the directions clearly stated not to. Interestingly though...I was able to mount all drives this time around. I feel so leet.

    Buuuuuut i canceled, popped in the xp CD, deleted the ubuntu partitions. Ill be defragging windows, and partitioning the right way this time around. hopefully that solves it.

    Edit: for anyone who is interested, this worked like a charm.
    Last edited by Liveone; March 15th, 2009 at 06:12 PM. Reason: SOLVED

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