windows xp and grub. fresh install

[noname580]

So i did a fresh install of windows xp MCE. then i installed ubuntu 9.04. First time i tried to manual create partitions and such. when i reboot no grub. straight to windows. gr. then i delete the ubuntu partition and try installing by choosing the first choice saying about choosing at boot. still no grub. double gr. not sure if i would have been better off installing ubuntu first, creating a NTFS partition, and then installing windows. Though my windows needs to have a recovery partition. No install cd. So now im not sure quite what to do. If your response could be well detailed it would be nice. Some of the stuff is new to me. I have been using ubuntu for 6 months or so now, so that part isnt. just the dual booting. Thank you in advance for your time and responses

[merlinus]

If you can run from the live cd, open a terminal and post results of:



sudo fdisk -l

[noname580]

Disk /dev/sda: 200.0 GB, 200049647616 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 24321 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0xcab10bee

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 1 23969 192530961 83 Linux
/dev/sda2 23970 24321 2827440 82 Linux swap / Solaris

Disk /dev/sdb: 120.0 GB, 120060444672 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 14596 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0xcbaacbaa

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sdb1 * 1 2490 20000893+ 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sdb2 13493 14596 8867880 c W95 FAT32 (LBA)
/dev/sdb3 2491 13492 88373565 83 Linux

Partition table entries are not in disk order


now the first HDD isnt the problem thats my storage one. its the second one, as if that wasnt noticable. i did try with a GParted LIVE cd go in and label sdb3 as boot but after restarting sdb1 still was lableed as boot. as at the end of install where it gives you a run down of what it is going to do there is the advance button. i clicked that and grub was selected to be installed on hd0. anymore info you need let me know

[merlinus]

Linux does not need a boot flag. Why don't you change the booting order in bios, since both oses are on hdb?

If not, then you can try this:



sudo grub
root (hd1,2)
setup (hd0)
quit


You also may need to edit the windows entry in /boot/grub/menu.lst.

[noname580]

well i tried going into my bios and the only thing i can change are what HDD to read first. there is no operating system on my large 200 gig so that doesnt help. then i tried the terminal way with the commands you told me and still no. so i know i have to edit the menu.lst. here is what mine says. i just copied the important stuff. thank you so far by the way


## ## End Default Options ##

title Ubuntu 9.04, kernel 2.6.28-11-generic
uuid e807ff05-10e6-4013-8659-aa17ace586ef
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.28-11-generic root=UUID=e807ff05-10e6-4013-8659-aa17ace586ef ro quiet splash
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.28-11-generic
quiet

title Ubuntu 9.04, kernel 2.6.28-11-generic (recovery mode)
uuid e807ff05-10e6-4013-8659-aa17ace586ef
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.28-11-generic root=UUID=e807ff05-10e6-4013-8659-aa17ace586ef ro single
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.28-11-generic

title Ubuntu 9.04, memtest86+
uuid e807ff05-10e6-4013-8659-aa17ace586ef
kernel /boot/memtest86+.bin
quiet

### END DEBIAN AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST

# This is a divider, added to separate the menu items below from the Debian
# ones.
title Other operating systems:
root


# This entry automatically added by the Debian installer for an existing
# linux installation on /dev/sda1.
title Ubuntu 9.04, kernel 2.6.28-11-generic (on /dev/sda1)
root (hd0,0)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.28-11-generic root=UUID=5a4e554b-285b-4da5-ae5e-d38dbf6d003a ro splash vga=791
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.28-11-generic
savedefault
boot


# This entry automatically added by the Debian installer for an existing
# linux installation on /dev/sda1.
title Ubuntu 9.04, kernel 2.6.28-11-generic (recovery mode) (on /dev/sda1)
root (hd0,0)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.28-11-generic root=UUID=5a4e554b-285b-4da5-ae5e-d38dbf6d003a ro single
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.28-11-generic
savedefault
boot


# This entry automatically added by the Debian installer for an existing
# linux installation on /dev/sda1.
title Ubuntu 9.04, memtest86+ (on /dev/sda1)
root (hd0,0)
kernel /boot/memtest86+.bin
savedefault
boot


# This entry automatically added by the Debian installer for a non-linux OS
# on /dev/sdb1
title Windows NT/2000/XP
rootnoverify (hd1,0)
savedefault
makeactive
map (hd0) (hd1)
map (hd1) (hd0)
chainloader +1


# This entry automatically added by the Debian installer for a non-linux OS
# on /dev/sdb2
title Windows NT/2000/XP
rootnoverify (hd1,1)
savedefault
makeactive
map (hd0) (hd1)
map (hd1) (hd0)
chainloader +1

[merlinus]

Comment out all these lines by making sure there is a hashmark (#) at the beginning of each:

# This entry automatically added by the Debian installer for an existing
# linux installation on /dev/sda1.
title Ubuntu 9.04, kernel 2.6.28-11-generic (on /dev/sda1)
root (hd0,0)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.28-11-generic root=UUID=5a4e554b-285b-4da5-ae5e-d38dbf6d003a ro splash vga=791
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.28-11-generic
savedefault
boot


# This entry automatically added by the Debian installer for an existing
# linux installation on /dev/sda1.
title Ubuntu 9.04, kernel 2.6.28-11-generic (recovery mode) (on /dev/sda1)
root (hd0,0)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.28-11-generic root=UUID=5a4e554b-285b-4da5-ae5e-d38dbf6d003a ro single
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.28-11-generic
savedefault
boot


# This entry automatically added by the Debian installer for an existing
# linux installation on /dev/sda1.
title Ubuntu 9.04, memtest86+ (on /dev/sda1)
root (hd0,0)
kernel /boot/memtest86+.bin
savedefault
boot

and delete these:

# This entry automatically added by the Debian installer for a non-linux OS
# on /dev/sdb2
title Windows NT/2000/XP
rootnoverify (hd1,1)
savedefault
makeactive
map (hd0) (hd1)
map (hd1) (hd0)
chainloader +1

[presence1960]

In BIOS make sure your disk with your OS is set to boot first. If you ran merlin's terminal commands then change your windows entry in menu.lst to this :


# This entry automatically added by the Debian installer for a non-linux OS
# on /dev/sdb1
title Windows NT/2000/XP
rootnoverify (hd0,0)
chainloader +1

# This entry automatically added by the Debian installer for a non-linux OS
# on /dev/sdb2
title Windows Recovery
rootnoverify (hd0,1)
chainloader +1

Sometimes BIOS and Ubuntu read drive order differently. If your sdb disk is first in boot order that is why your windows entry needs to be (hd0,0) and recovery (hd0,1). Don't ask me why but that's what works. Try it out!

here is mine

Disk /dev/sda: 250.0 GB, 250059350016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 30401 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x0000d179

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 1 4569 36700461 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda3 4570 29879 203302575 83 Linux
/dev/sda4 29880 30401 4192965 82 Linux swap / Solaris

Disk /dev/sdb: 160.0 GB, 160041885696 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 19457 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0xa7a57e45

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sdb1 1 14519 116623836 83 Linux
/dev/sdb2 * 16478 18389 15358140 83 Linux
/dev/sdb3 18390 19457 8578710 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sdb4 14520 16477 15727635 83 Linux

My windows is on sda1, but note my menu.lst entry:

# This entry automatically added by the Debian installer for a non-linux OS
# on /dev/sda1
title Microsoft Windows XP Professional
rootnoverify (hd1,0)
map (hd0) (hd1)
map (hd1) (hd0)
chainloader +1

reason: my sdb disk is first in my boot order.

P.S. map entries are needed when windows is not on the first boot device. It "tricks" windows into thinking it is first

[noname580]

i tried what you guys said and still no grub. one more thing to try and then im trwoing in the towel. im going to try deleting windows and installing ubuntu first then reinstall windows and use the terminal commands for grub that merlin stated first. maybe that will help. if not then im lost. thanks for your help though i appreciate it