Setting Up Grub After Windows 7 Install

[Trilby]

I have a laptop which this morning had Ubuntu installed on it with no partitioning. Since then I have partitioned the hard-drive into three sections: A partition called "William", the original Ubuntu partition and a general data storage partition called "DATA" (in that order). I then installed Windows 7 Professional 64-Bit on the William partition with no problems to speak of. I have been following the instructions on how to re-enable grub & grub2 after a Windows install at https://help.ubuntu.com/community/RecoveringUbuntuAfterInstallingWindows

At the final stage, I am required to input into terminal:


ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ sudo grub-install --root-directory=/media/5bb17d6a-493b-4561-855d-7a9033a30b8b /dev/sda2Where the 5bb1... and sda2 were identified in previous stages of the instructions.
However, instead of getting:


Installation finished. No error reported.
This is the contents of the device map /boot/grub/device.map.
Check if this is correct or not. If any of the lines is incorrect,
fix it and re-run the script `grub-install'.

(hd0) /dev/sdaI get:


ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ sudo grub-install --root-directory=/media/5bb17d6a-493b-4561-855d-7a9033a30b8b /dev/sda2
/usr/sbin/grub-setup: warn: Attempting to install GRUB to a partition instead of the MBR. This is a BAD idea..
/usr/sbin/grub-setup: warn: Embedding is not possible. GRUB can only be installed in this setup by using blocklists. However, blocklists are UNRELIABLE and its use is discouraged..
/usr/sbin/grub-setup: error: if you really want blocklists, use --force.What should I do?

Many thanks,
Trilby.

[NFblaze]

I think you want ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ sudo grub-install --root-directory=/media/5bb17d6a-493b-4561-855d-7a9033a30b8b /dev/sda

Not /dev/sda2

Grub has to go in the MBR. Which is the first 512 of the hard-disk. Which isnt really a partition.

Give it a whirl.

[drs305]

NFblaze is correct, and I took a look at the document you linked to make sure the instructions are correct. They are - don't add the partition at the end of the command (use sda and not sda2).

If it doesn't see your Windows partition when you reboot, run "sudo update-grub" and it will usually find it the second time.

[lindsay7]

Here is the was to do this.

http://www.webupd8.org/2009/12/how-to-recover-grub2-linux.html

[Trilby]

I have grub back
Thanks guys, you've all be very helpful :-)