Error 8: Kernel must be loaded before booting

**highrun** · January 5th, 2013

So I dual booted Ubuntu 12.04.1 LTS x64 with my Windows 7 laptop. I have it burned to a dvd, so I booted the CD, selected to try Ubuntu, then installed inside the "trial" environment. I installed the boot partition as sda6 as /boot, then my root partition was sda7 as /, I made another partition for my home on sda8 as /home. I then made a 4gb swap partition. I did NOT allow it to update, but even when I did allow it to update, the same issue occured. I have another NTFS partition as use as my media partition which is why my boot partition does not start as sda5.
Any suggestions, ideas, comments? I'm practically ignorant of Linux, so y'all will have to greatly simplify any suggestions. Thanks in advance!

I should also say how I got to this screen. I went to the windows side and set up the boot screen to "see" the Ubuntu boot partition using easyBCD.
I then tried to boot to the partition which came up to a command prompt like screen with grub. I typed "boot" and this error message is what occurred.

**oldfred** · January 5th, 2013

I do not know about EasyBCD and that complicates it. EasyBCD uses grub4dos as the boot loader, since Windows does not multi-boot other systems.

A few have reported EasyBCD does work, but you may have to fix grub on major updates as it forces grub into a partition which grub does not like.
http://neosmart.net/blog/
http://neosmart.net/wiki/display/EBCD/Linux
http://neosmart.net/wiki/display/EBCD/Ubuntu

Or you can use Boot-Repair to install grub2's boot loader to the MBR. Since you have a separate /boot be sure to check that box also. You can run from your liveCD or download a full repair ISO.

Post the link to the BootInfo report that this creates. Is part of Boot-Repair:
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Boot-Info
Boot Repair -Also handles LVM, GPT, separate /boot and UEFI dual boot.:
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Boot-Repair
You can repair many boot issues with this or 'Create BootInfo' report (Other Options) & post the link it creates, so we can see your exact configuration and diagnose advanced problems.
Install in Ubuntu liveCD or USB or Full RepairCD with Boot-Repair (for newer computers)
http://sourceforge.net/p/boot-repair/home/Home/
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/UbuntuSecureRemix

**highrun** · January 5th, 2013

I'll try the boot repair using the live CD. I tried to reinstall under the suggestion to allow Ubuntu to do the partitioning using the "install alongside windows 7" option. It just made two partitions. The Linux partition and the swap. Same problem and I used the same easyBCD process.

**highrun** · January 5th, 2013

Success! I am now able to boot into Ubuntu. Instead of the Windows boot loader thought, the Ubuntu boot loader comes first. I'm not altogether against that. It is greatly more aesthetically pleasing; however, I have heard that sometimes a windows antivirus program will try to write to the boot partition and that can mess grub up. Is that true? If so, what can I do to stop that or fix it if it does?

Here is the link it generated while repairing: http://paste.ubuntu.com/1500562/

Thanks you so Much!

**oldfred** · January 5th, 2013

Most of the issues with DRM or over agressive virus checkers have been worked around. But it pays to have a live CD/DVD/Flash for the current version of every operating system installed including a Windows repairCD.

And knowing how to run Boot-Repair often simplifies repairs or creates the BootInfo report so we can suggest fixes.