Upgrading to 10.04 broke my XP dual boot

[rtrinkner]

Hello,

My laptop happily dual-booted Ubuntu 9 as well as Windows XP until I upgraded to Ubuntu 10.04. Now Grub launches Ubuntu just fine, but leaves me with a black screen and blinking cursor in the top left corner when I try to launch XP. I can see that my Windows data files are fine, because I can access them from Ubuntu.

I've read on this forum that a user named "barkes" had success fixing this problem by downloading a program called "checkdisk" from the Ubuntu software center. I can't find such a program when I search from my machine.

I'd greatly appreciate any help in fixing this situation.

Below, I've pasted the"solution" text from barkes's thread:

Thanks,

Richard

--------------------------------------------

Re: XP will not boot after installing 10.04
oldfred, Its all good now!

Per your suggestions I chose the "Rebuild BS" option inside checkdisk. Checkdisk calculated what the boot sector should be and showed where the current and calculated were different. I then chose the "write" option in checkdisk to make the change.

Upon reboot into windows, XP did its own disk checking and then all was well.

-----------------

Here is what I did to solve my problem.

1. got checkdisk from Ubuntu Software Center
2. sudo checkdisk
3. enter password
4. inside checkdisk select [CREATE]
5. then select the drive that has your windows on it and [PROCEED]
6. then [CONTINUE]
7. then [INTEL]
8. select Advanced
9. select your windows partition and then [BOOT]. If you have a problem it will tell you here. See my previous post in this thread to see what the output looked like for my system.
10. I chose [Rebuild BS] at this point.
11. This will calculate what your Boot sector should look like
12. If you trust the results, select [write] to write the calculated boot sector to your drive.

Thanks oldfred and the author of another post that suggested using checkdisk.

[darkod]

Boot your ubuntu and you should be able to install testdisk with:

sudo apt-get install testdisk

You can run it with:

sudo testdisk

The instructions to remove grub2 from the windows partition with testdisk are here:
http://sourceforge.net/apps/mediawiki/bootinfoscript/index.php?title=Boot_Problems:Boot_Sector

If you don't know which one is your XP partition, ask first (you can see it in the grub menu it will say like "on /dev/sda1").

[rtrinkner]

Thanks. So did barkes mean "testdisk" instead of "checkdisk?"

Also, if I remove Grub 2 from my XP partition, will I no longer be able to dual boot Ubuntu?

Sorry to be a newb --

Richard

[darkod]

You are booting from grub2 on your hdd MBR, so removing the grub2 which is on the XP partition by mistake will not affect the dual boot.

There might be another procedure with a program named checkdisk, I know of this one with testdisk.

[rtrinkner]

Well, rats. I installed testdisk and followed barkes's instructions. I had the same error message, indicating that

Boot Sector
Warning: Incorrect number of heads/cylinder 240 (NTFS) != 255 (HD)

So I followed barkes's instructions to rebuild the BS using testdisk.

This routine completed successfully, and testdisk now reports no errors with the NTFS boot sector.

However, the boot problem remains: when choosing to boot into XP, I receive a blinking cursor, and no activity on my laptop's hard drive access light.

Darkod, thanks very much for the suggestions. Now when I try testdisk per your instructions, I do not receive a "BackupBS" option.

Must I scrounge around for a Windows installation disk? Or is there a fix I can do from within Ubuntu? I don't have immediate access to this laptop's XP disk, because I'm a teacher home for the summer, and the IT department keeps the disks at work.

Thanks again!

[rtrinkner]

I found on SourceForge.net a reference to a problem with two boot folders being created on the NTFS partition: one named Boot and one named boot.

How do I use linux to view the contetnts of the NTFS partition? I can accress the contents of my Windows C: drive already through Ubuntu's file explorer, but there are no "boot" folders of any kind here. They must be in a boot partition that is different from the commonplace C drive.

The sourceforge.net recommendations are at http://sourceforge.net/apps/mediawiki/bootinfoscript/index.php?title=Boot_Problems:Core_On_Windows

Thanks again,

Richard

[darkod]

For more details you would need to download and run the boot info script and post the content of the results file, as explained here:
http://ubuntuforums.org/showpost.php?p=8844901&postcount=4

[darkod]

I found on SourceForge.net a reference to a problem with two boot folders being created on the NTFS partition: one named Boot and one named boot.

How do I use linux to view the contetnts of the NTFS partition? I can accress the contents of my Windows C: drive already through Ubuntu's file explorer, but there are no "boot" folders of any kind here. They must be in a boot partition that is different from the commonplace C drive.

The sourceforge.net recommendations are at http://sourceforge.net/apps/mediawiki/bootinfoscript/index.php?title=Boot_Problems:Core_On_Windows

Thanks again,

Richard

The 'boot' folder started to be used by MS from Vista. You don't have it on XP. However, if you have any boot or Boot folder in C:, it shouldn't be there.

[rtrinkner]

Thanks very much for your help, Darkod. Below, is the output from your analysis program. By the way, I notice that you're in Spain. I lived in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria for two years. Mil gracias!

Boot Info Script 0.55 dated February 15th, 2010

============================= Boot Info Summary: ==============================

=> Grub 2 is installed in the MBR of /dev/sda and looks on the same drive in
partition #5 for /boot/grub.

sda1: __________________________________________________ _______________________

File system: ntfs
Boot sector type: Grub 2
Boot sector info: Grub 2 is installed in the boot sector of sda1 and
looks at sector 101513585 of the same hard drive for
core.img, but core.img can not be found at this
location. No errors found in the Boot Parameter Block.
Operating System: Windows XP
Boot files/dirs: /boot.ini /ntldr /NTDETECT.COM

sda2: __________________________________________________ _______________________

File system: Extended Partition
Boot sector type: -
Boot sector info:

sda5: __________________________________________________ _______________________

File system: ext4
Boot sector type: -
Boot sector info:
Operating System: Ubuntu 10.04 LTS
Boot files/dirs: /boot/grub/grub.cfg /etc/fstab /boot/grub/core.img

sda6: __________________________________________________ _______________________

File system: swap
Boot sector type: -
Boot sector info:

=========================== Drive/Partition Info: =============================

Drive: sda ___________________ __________________________________________________ ___

Disk /dev/sda: 80.0 GB, 80026361856 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 9729 cylinders, total 156301488 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes

Partition Boot Start End Size Id System

/dev/sda1 * 63 101,177,369 101,177,307 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda2 101,177,370 156,296,384 55,119,015 5 Extended
/dev/sda5 101,177,433 153,918,764 52,741,332 83 Linux
/dev/sda6 153,918,828 156,296,384 2,377,557 82 Linux swap / Solaris


blkid -c /dev/null: __________________________________________________ __________

Device UUID TYPE LABEL

/dev/sda1 445C99F10A043A9C ntfs
/dev/sda2: PTTYPE="dos"
/dev/sda5 324e3c76-8f40-4ed1-b405-e3e3bcfbffef ext4
/dev/sda6 70905f0b-1511-41ae-a9e7-62ef45918d47 swap
/dev/sda: PTTYPE="dos"

============================ "mount | grep ^/dev output: ===========================

Device Mount_Point Type Options

/dev/sda5 / ext4 (rw,errors=remount-ro)
/dev/sda1 /media/windows fuseblk (rw,nosuid,nodev,allow_other,blksize=4096,default_ permissions)


================================ sda1/boot.ini: ================================

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOW S
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect /usepmtimer

=========================== sda5/boot/grub/grub.cfg: ===========================

#
# DO NOT EDIT THIS FILE
#
# It is automatically generated by /usr/sbin/grub-mkconfig using templates
# from /etc/grub.d and settings from /etc/default/grub
#

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/00_header ###
if [ -s $prefix/grubenv ]; then
load_env
fi
set default="0"
if [ ${prev_saved_entry} ]; then
set saved_entry=${prev_saved_entry}
save_env saved_entry
set prev_saved_entry=
save_env prev_saved_entry
set boot_once=true
fi

function savedefault {
if [ -z ${boot_once} ]; then
saved_entry=${chosen}
save_env saved_entry
fi
}

function recordfail {
set recordfail=1
if [ -n ${have_grubenv} ]; then if [ -z ${boot_once} ]; then save_env recordfail; fi; fi
}
insmod ext2
set root='(hd0,5)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 324e3c76-8f40-4ed1-b405-e3e3bcfbffef
if loadfont /usr/share/grub/unicode.pf2 ; then
set gfxmode=640x480
insmod gfxterm
insmod vbe
if terminal_output gfxterm ; then true ; else
# For backward compatibility with versions of terminal.mod that don't
# understand terminal_output
terminal gfxterm
fi
fi
insmod ext2
set root='(hd0,5)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 324e3c76-8f40-4ed1-b405-e3e3bcfbffef
set locale_dir=($root)/boot/grub/locale
set lang=en
insmod gettext
if [ ${recordfail} = 1 ]; then
set timeout=-1
else
set timeout=10
fi
### END /etc/grub.d/00_header ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/05_debian_theme ###
set menu_color_normal=white/black
set menu_color_highlight=black/light-gray
### END /etc/grub.d/05_debian_theme ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/10_linux ###
menuentry 'Ubuntu, with Linux 2.6.32-22-generic' --class ubuntu --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os {
recordfail
insmod ext2
set root='(hd0,5)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 324e3c76-8f40-4ed1-b405-e3e3bcfbffef
linux /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.32-22-generic root=UUID=324e3c76-8f40-4ed1-b405-e3e3bcfbffef ro quiet splash
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.32-22-generic
}
menuentry 'Ubuntu, with Linux 2.6.32-22-generic (recovery mode)' --class ubuntu --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os {
recordfail
insmod ext2
set root='(hd0,5)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 324e3c76-8f40-4ed1-b405-e3e3bcfbffef
echo 'Loading Linux 2.6.32-22-generic ...'
linux /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.32-22-generic root=UUID=324e3c76-8f40-4ed1-b405-e3e3bcfbffef ro single
echo 'Loading initial ramdisk ...'
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.32-22-generic
}
menuentry 'Ubuntu, with Linux 2.6.31-20-generic' --class ubuntu --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os {
recordfail
insmod ext2
set root='(hd0,5)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 324e3c76-8f40-4ed1-b405-e3e3bcfbffef
linux /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.31-20-generic root=UUID=324e3c76-8f40-4ed1-b405-e3e3bcfbffef ro quiet splash
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.31-20-generic
}
menuentry 'Ubuntu, with Linux 2.6.31-20-generic (recovery mode)' --class ubuntu --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os {
recordfail
insmod ext2
set root='(hd0,5)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 324e3c76-8f40-4ed1-b405-e3e3bcfbffef
echo 'Loading Linux 2.6.31-20-generic ...'
linux /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.31-20-generic root=UUID=324e3c76-8f40-4ed1-b405-e3e3bcfbffef ro single
echo 'Loading initial ramdisk ...'
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.31-20-generic
}
### END /etc/grub.d/10_linux ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/20_memtest86+ ###
menuentry "Memory test (memtest86+)" {
insmod ext2
set root='(hd0,5)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 324e3c76-8f40-4ed1-b405-e3e3bcfbffef
linux16 /boot/memtest86+.bin
}
menuentry "Memory test (memtest86+, serial console 115200)" {
insmod ext2
set root='(hd0,5)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 324e3c76-8f40-4ed1-b405-e3e3bcfbffef
linux16 /boot/memtest86+.bin console=ttyS0,115200n8
}
### END /etc/grub.d/20_memtest86+ ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/30_os-prober ###
menuentry "Microsoft Windows XP Professional (on /dev/sda1)" {
insmod ntfs
set root='(hd0,1)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 445c99f10a043a9c
drivemap -s (hd0) ${root}
chainloader +1
}
### END /etc/grub.d/30_os-prober ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/40_custom ###
# This file provides an easy way to add custom menu entries. Simply type the
# menu entries you want to add after this comment. Be careful not to change
# the 'exec tail' line above.
### END /etc/grub.d/40_custom ###

=============================== sda5/etc/fstab: ===============================

# /etc/fstab: static file system information.
#
# Use 'blkid -o value -s UUID' to print the universally unique identifier
# for a device; this may be used with UUID= as a more robust way to name
# devices that works even if disks are added and removed. See fstab(5).
#
# <file system> <mount point> <type> <options> <dump> <pass>
proc /proc proc defaults 0 0
# / was on /dev/sda5 during installation
UUID=324e3c76-8f40-4ed1-b405-e3e3bcfbffef / ext4 errors=remount-ro 0 1
# swap was on /dev/sda6 during installation
UUID=70905f0b-1511-41ae-a9e7-62ef45918d47 none swap sw 0 0
/dev/scd0 /media/cdrom0 udf,iso9660 user,noauto,exec,utf8 0 0
/dev/sda1 /media/windows ntfs defaults,uid=1000,gid=1000 0 0


=================== sda5: Location of files loaded by Grub: ===================


51.9GB: boot/grub/core.img
54.7GB: boot/grub/grub.cfg
53.5GB: boot/initrd.img-2.6.31-20-generic
67.8GB: boot/initrd.img-2.6.32-22-generic
52.8GB: boot/vmlinuz-2.6.31-20-generic
53.1GB: boot/vmlinuz-2.6.32-22-generic
67.8GB: initrd.img
53.5GB: initrd.img.old
53.1GB: vmlinuz
52.8GB: vmlinuz.old

[oldfred]

Testdisk has another alternative of rebuild boot sector. I would try that, otherwise it is find a XP disk to run windows repairs.

If Microsoft's Checkdisk (chkdsk) failed to repair the MFT, run TestDisk, also rebuild boot sector
http://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/Advanced_NTFS_Boot_and_MFT_Repair

[confused1]

I lost my ability to dual boot into XP after upgrading from Koala 9.10 to Lucid 10.04. Thanks darkod the testdisk solution worked just right for me.:p

[rtrinkner]

Sadly, I tried using ms-sys to fix the MBR of the XP partition, and that rendered my computer unbootable. It just blinked a cursor at me.

I took the laptop to my company's IT department who replaced the HDD with a new XP-imaged HDD, and gave me the original HDD in case I wanted to try to salvage any data.

I'll try to use a Ubuntu LiveCD to see if I can mount the old XP partition and copy files to a USB drive.

Thanks for all your help, though.

Lessons I've learned:

1. Avoid dual-boot machines. I liked Linux just fine, but would only return to it if I could dedicate a machine to it.

2. If you must use a dual boot machine, avoid upgrading GRUB if your current version is working just fine.

[wilee-nilee]

Sadly, I tried using ms-sys to fix the MBR of the XP partition, and that rendered my computer unbootable. It just blinked a cursor at me.

I took the laptop to my company's IT department who replaced the HDD with a new XP-imaged HDD, and gave me the original HDD in case I wanted to try to salvage any data.

I'll try to use a Ubuntu LiveCD to see if I can mount the old XP partition and copy files to a USB drive.

Thanks for all your help, though.

Lessons I've learned:

1. Avoid dual-boot machines. I liked Linux just fine, but would only return to it if I could dedicate a machine to it.

2. If you must use a dual boot machine, avoid upgrading GRUB if your current version is working just fine.

Just so you know these rules only apply to you. You just made a upgrade mistake, we have all done something similar by acting without knowing. This could have been avoided by just having asked some questions on the forum, or even reading threads on the forum, there are like at all times a similar grub install problem on the main access pages at all times. Basically due to people just not knowing what there doing, which isn't a bad thing, you just have to reason through what you doing.

[rtrinkner]

No doubt, I made a mistake somewhere along the upgrade line. Absolutely, mea culpa.

Still, I'm a techy person (former programmer, years in IT), and all I thought I was doing was clicking "next" during the upgrade process.

As much as I hate to say it, there's something to be said for the legion of paid Microsoft testers.

I do look forward to returning to Linux when more of the wrinkles are ironed out. I'm a huge fan of the open source idea.

Thanks to everybody who tried to help --

Richard