10.04 Grub 2 will not load Win7

[MrVidal]

Ok, I installed 10.4 alongside Windows 7. As a user of Ubuntu for a year, I never had a problem booting both OS until the update. Now I cannot boot Win 7 from grub.

Now... I tried asking around to fix it a few weeks ago after updating to 10.4, but I couldn't find a way (I'm still a bit of a noob). Win7 still will not boot. Just a blank black screen with underscore blinking forever to the upper left corner.

I tried some instructions to correct this error, but none of them worked. So I waited a few weeks hoping someone will come up with a clear solution to this problem as I have been told a lot of people are experiencing this.

I put down sudo update-grub and Windows 7 are there on sda1 as I put it.

Basically... What I do know that grub may have overwritten itself over Windows boot on the drive. The thing is, I do not have Win7 disk to correct that and get the grub somewhere else where it won't touch Win boot.

That may be the problem. I don't think going back to older grub (0.97) would be of any help and I'm afraid to even try it. It's all trial and error.

[darkod]

If you are sure win7 is on /dev/sda1, perform this fix on partition #1 on disk /dev/sda:
http://sourceforge.net/apps/mediawiki/bootinfoscript/index.php?title=Boot_Problems:Boot_Sector

If you selected all partitions during the upgrade when asked where to put grub2, it went on the win7 partition too.

It should be fine after the fix.

Or if in doubt, run the boot info script first.

[MrVidal]

Wow...

I tried it before and it never worked a few weeks ago. I guess I was using the wrong drive.



Fixed. So easy and simple.

Thanks! :D

[dkintheuk]

I've got the exact same problem - however the link now doesn't work...

Anyone else around to help?

[bcbc]

It looks like the link has been removed...

The first (preferred) method, involved booting your ubuntu OS (or running a live CD) and installing and running testdisk. (note you need the universe repository enabled to install testdisk)

sudo apt-get install testdisk
sudo testdisk
Select [No Log]
Select media e.g. /dev/sda, [Proceed]
Select partition table type (likely [Intel])
Select [Advanced]
Scroll to your windows partition, and select [Boot]
Then arrow across to [Backup BS] (copy backup boot sector over boot sector)


There were also instructions showing how to use windows to recover the boot sector. For XP run
fixboot and for Vista/Win7 run
bootrec /fixboot - using the windows install dvd/repair cd

[dkintheuk]

Wonderful - I will try this when I get home from work and let you know how I get on!

Cheers,

Rob.

[dkintheuk]

What can I say.... Complete success and all working wonderfully. At least my wife isn't going to kill me for losing all our work again.

Thanks so much for that simple guide and very useful tool.

Cheers,

Rob.

[darkod]

What can I say.... Complete success and all working wonderfully. At least my wife isn't going to kill me for losing all our work again.

Thanks so much for that simple guide and very useful tool.

Cheers,

Rob.

We are always happy to save marriages. :)