How to revert to my previous setup please?

**ntu** · April 27th, 2012

I have Ubuntu 10.4 istalled on one hdd and xp on the other and switch from one to the other using bios. Normally the xp hdd is uninstalled as I rarely use it. However last update was done with it installed and now I cannot run 10.4 without the xp hdd being installed. How to revert to my previous setup so that I can run the 10.4 hdd on its own?

I am an old timer and particularly like having xp and ubuntu on completely separate hdds that I can remove at will as I have got into a horrible muckup before with Grub.

**haqking** · April 27th, 2012

Originally Posted by ntu

I have Ubuntu 10.4 istalled on one hdd and xp on the other and switch from one to the other using bios. Normally the xp hdd is uninstalled as I rarely use it. However last update was done with it installed and now I cannot run 10.4 without the xp hdd being installed. How to revert to my previous setup so that I can run the 10.4 hdd on its own?

I am an old timer and particularly like having xp and ubuntu on completely separate hdds that I can remove at will as I have got into a horrible muckup before with Grub.

OK so grub is on your MBR on the first drive which you dont have connected is this correct ?

And you want to boot as you did previously by choosing in the BIOS ?

**ntu** · April 27th, 2012

I imagine that is where mbr has been put. I can easily disconnect the xp drive and want to do this.

**ntu** · April 27th, 2012

And yes when I put the xp drive back in I want to boot using bios.

**haqking** · April 27th, 2012

Originally Posted by ntu

I imagine that is where mbr has been put. I can easily disconnect the xp drive and want to do this.

out of interest, it works when both drives are connected right ? so why do you need to have one disconnected ?

**ntu** · April 27th, 2012

It gives me flexibility with other hdds I have here - for copying ubuntu to another hdd for backup and trying out other disros. I know this is unusual but it is what I like.

**gordintoronto** · April 28th, 2012

Can you boot Ubuntu, disconnect the XP drive, then in Terminal run: sudo update-grub

**ntu** · April 28th, 2012

Thanks for the advice gordintoronto. Tried what you said and it sounded like something was happening when I gave the command, but 10.4 hdd will still not boot when installed without the xp hdd.

Edit: And I made sure the jumper was in the master position on the hdd.

**gordintoronto** · April 29th, 2012

"hdd will still not boot" -- what happens?

I hope you know that leaning on the shift key might help Grub appear.

Do you know which version of Grub is on the computer?

**ntu** · May 4th, 2012

Thank you for your efforts gordintoronto. I have decided to use 10.04 as it is here and install 12.04 on a spare hdd I have here and move onto that. Thanks again.