Updated Ubuntu which removed MBR and Grub following successful dualboot installation

[shayno90]

Ok I ran into a problem now, I updated Ubuntu now and the updated kernel has removed the EasyBCD settings for dual booting and now once the system boots up, a cursor flashes in the top right hand corner and then boots straight into Ubuntu without showing any options for booting into Ubuntu or Windows!

Has this problem being fixed yet or are there any solutions to retrieve the original EasyBCD bootloading setup?

============================= 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: Windows Vista/7
Boot sector info: No errors found in the Boot Parameter Block.
Operating System:
Boot files/dirs: /bootmgr /Boot/BCD

sda2: __________________________________________________ _______________________

File system: ntfs
Boot sector type: Windows Vista/7
Boot sector info: No errors found in the Boot Parameter Block.
Operating System: Windows 7
Boot files/dirs: /bootmgr /boot/BCD /Windows/System32/winload.exe

sda3: __________________________________________________ _______________________

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

sda5: __________________________________________________ _______________________

File system: ext4
Boot sector type: -
Boot sector info:
Operating System: Ubuntu 10.04.1 LTS
Boot files/dirs: /boot/grub/grub.cfg /etc/fstab /boot/grub/core.img

sda6: __________________________________________________ _______________________

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

sda4: __________________________________________________ _______________________

File system: ntfs
Boot sector type: Windows Vista/7
Boot sector info: No errors found in the Boot Parameter Block.
Operating System:
Boot files/dirs: /bootmgr /boot/bcd

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

Drive: sda ___________________ __________________________________________________ ___

Disk /dev/sda: 320.1 GB, 320072933376 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 38913 cylinders, total 625142448 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 * 2,048 409,599 407,552 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda2 409,600 337,010,687 336,601,088 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda3 337,012,734 598,984,703 261,971,970 5 Extended
/dev/sda5 337,012,736 588,257,279 251,244,544 83 Linux
/dev/sda6 588,259,328 598,984,703 10,725,376 82 Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sda4 598,984,704 625,139,711 26,155,008 7 HPFS/NTFS


blkid -c /dev/null: __________________________________________________ __________

Device UUID TYPE LABEL

/dev/sda1 122656F62656D9F5 ntfs SYSTEM
/dev/sda2 BE26AE8326AE3C71 ntfs
/dev/sda3: PTTYPE="dos"
/dev/sda4 488E0E1C8E0E0364 ntfs RECOVERY
/dev/sda5 bf00db6b-11e7-442c-b27b-7e508a37c0cc ext4
/dev/sda6 63fc54eb-ccbe-43ae-aabe-7785981c2d56 swap
/dev/sda: PTTYPE="dos"

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

Device Mount_Point Type Options

/dev/sda5 / ext4 (rw,errors=remount-ro)

Coutesy of sudo bash [path/to/the/download_folder]/boot_info_script*.sh the boot info script.

Generating grub.cfg ...
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.32-24-generic
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-2.6.32-24-generic
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.32-21-generic
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-2.6.32-21-generic
Found memtest86+ image: /boot/memtest86+.bin
Found Windows 7 (loader) on /dev/sda1
Found Windows Vista (loader) on /dev/sda2
Found Windows Vista (loader) on /dev/sda4
done

So if I cannot boot into Windows I cannot configure EasyBCD settings. Any idea how I can get the Grub2 boot menu to appear and not just boot straight into Ubuntu?

Do I need to reinstall GRUB 2 since it doesn't appear then change the grub config to boot into Windows 7 partition and then configure the MBR with EasyBCD?

[oldfred]

I do not know about easyBCD.

Have you tried this to get grub to find windows?


sudo update-grub

It should find your windows and let you boot it.

If you do not want grub to update, choose no drives, use spacebar to unchoose also. Does easyBCD require an install to a partition?

to get grub to remember where to reinstall on updates:
sudo dpkg-reconfigure grub-pc
spacebar to choose drive, enter to accept, do not choose partitions

If you install to a partition understand that you are using blocklists which are less reliable. They are hardcoded address to find boot files. Any movement of files by partition movement, file updates or filechecks may move files and require grub to be reinstalled to boot.

[shayno90]

No the system boots straight into Ubuntu so can only access Easy BCD in WIndows.

The dual boot was fine until I updated the Ubuntu system which updated the kernel and changed the grub setting i had configured.

I tried the sudo grub update but those partitions for each OS only appear in terminal and not when I reboot the system

Generating grub.cfg ...
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.32-24-generic
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-2.6.32-24-generic
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.32-21-generic
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-2.6.32-21-generic
Found memtest86+ image: /boot/memtest86+.bin
Found Windows 7 (loader) on /dev/sda1
Found Windows Vista (loader) on /dev/sda2
Found Windows Vista (loader) on /dev/sda4
done

Yet this doesnt appear when I reboot the system!!

Any ideas otherwise I will have to reinstall the grub2?!

Plus when I ran this sudo dpkg-reconfigure grub-pc

│ The following Linux command line was extracted from /etc/default/grub or the `kopt' parameter in GRUB Legacy's menu.lst. Please verify that it is correct, and │
│ modify it if necessary. │
│ │
│ Linux command line:

It did not give me an option to pick a drive as it prompts for one to be manually written, the Ubuntu Ext 4 is on /dev/sda5, do I enter this?

[oldfred]

Are you sure you do not have the windows entries. Sometimes if you have a lot of lines, all do not show in the grub menu box and you have to scroll down to see them. One of your Vista's is just the recovery.

I do not know easyBCD and do not think you should add any settings from old grub unless you know you need them.

[shayno90]

The problem is the Grub boot menu box doesn't appear with a selection of Ubuntu and WIndows 7 partitions so it is not possible so either I need to change the grub config file to not make an automatic timed selection by extending it to 10 seconds or so, or reinstall grub2 after which i boot into windows and redo the easybcd configuration as it is a much tidier option for dual booting.

first i installed grub2 to the MBR, then reinstalled the Windows boot loader to the MBR, then i booted Windows and installed EasyBCD to configure the settings. (the previous procedure for booting)

Also what do i enter into the command line for reconfiguring the packages in grub-pc?

[shayno90]

Ok I downloaded startupmanager and changed the selection in the boot menu to 10 seconds (essentially it edited the configuration file for grub where the default time is) (it was set to 0 from the previous boot configuration) and there you go the boot menu appeared with all the Ubuntu and Window partitions.

When i selected the windows 7 mbr it presented me with my previous EasyBCD bootup configuration. So I will configure it now to boot with the new Ubuntu kernel which was installed.

Will update later.

[HealingMindOS]

I'm watching this thread very closely. I consider it a master selling point for Ubuntu.

I am deeply considering a dual boot config w/ Ubuntu / WinXP. Unfortunately, I do not understand the instructions under the heading: Master Boot Record and Boot Manager at https://help.ubuntu.com/community/WindowsDualBoot, then I found this thread.

Since I am a linux newbie, I'm not sure what goes into updating Ubuntu. When Xandros had an update (long ago) my whole dual boot system got whacked and I had to start everything from scratch again. I thought Ubuntu had tons of support for these kinds of problems.

[shayno90]

Well I configured the EasyBCD to organize the booting process. The oiriginial problem for not seeing the boot up grub menu was the time in /etc/default/grub and was set to 0 from the previous EasyBCD configuration. I would recommend not to change this 0 and leave it at the original as once the updated Ubuntu starts the changes to the kernel cause the grub to override the EasyBCD dualbooting settings and thus it would boot straight into Ubuntu 10.04 if the GRUB _TIMEOUT=0 so better leave it at 10. I have a guide for dualbooting WIndows 7 and Ubuntu 10.04 below, the only thing to be careful of is when you update the newly installed system you will have repeat the EasyBCD process as the GRUB from the new updated Ubuntu overrides the MBR containing the EasyBCD setup.

Hint download startupmanager to handle the /boot/grub/grub.cfg and /etc/default/grub settings

~$ sudo apt-get install startupmanager

http://www.ubuntugeek.com/startup-manager-change-settings-in-grub-grub2-and-usplash.html

This is

~$ cat /etc/default/grub
# If you change this file, run 'update-grub' afterwards to update
# /boot/grub/grub.cfg.

GRUB_DEFAULT=0
#GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT=0
GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT_QUIET=true
GRUB_TIMEOUT=10
GRUB_DISTRIBUTOR=`lsb_release -i -s 2> /dev/null || echo Debian`
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash"
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX=""

Installation Guide:

Ok, I have successfully installed Ubuntu 10.04 with Windows 7.

Make sure you back up your important files and have the recovery discs or Windows 7 cd ready!

Step 1
I defragmented the Windows 7 hard disk and then partitioned it with the Windows disk manager by shrinking the main NTFS volume.
Guide at this link https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Ho...dowsPartitions (https://help.ubuntu.com/community/HowtoResizeWindowsPartitions)

Step 2
Downloaded Ubuntu 10.04 from http://www.ubuntu.com/desktop/get-ubuntu/download
the x86 version or 32bit

Step 3
Downloaded Infrarecorder at http://infrarecorder.org/?page_id=5
Burn the ISO image at the lowest speed of 4x and used a Memorex 700MB CD-R on an external CD-ROM Drive

Step 4
Checked the MD5Sum by downloading http://www.nullriver.com/products/winmd5sum to check the ubuntu hash matches the mirror version.
The guide for windows is here https://help.ubuntu.com/community/HowToMD5SUM

Step 5
Once verified installation begins by placing the burnt ISO CD image into the external CD-ROM drive and booted into it using F9 key
Follow the on screen instructions once the Live CD boots up, make sure to select the largest continuous space for the Ubuntu partition
this guide gives more detail http://members.iinet.net.au/~herman546/p23.html (http://members.iinet.net.au/%7Eherman546/p23.html)

Step 6
Following the install you may get an I/O error as the external device has ejected the Live CD following the reboot, so just type 'shutdown -r now' which restarts the bootloader

Step 7
Boot into Windows 7 and download EasyBCD to configure the bootloaders for Windows and Ubuntu at http://neosmart.net/dl.php?id=1
This guide shows how to configure it http://neosmart.net/wiki/display/EBCD/Ubuntu

Step 8
Once the bootloader has been set up, if you log into Windows 7 and all your desktops icons are missing, infrarecorder has somehow removed them but the can be restored by right clicking the desktop and select show desktop icons.

Step 9
Hint download startupmanager to handle the /boot/grub/grub.cfg and /etc/default/grub settings as once you update Ubuntu this will make it easier to make changes to those sensitive files.

~$ sudo apt-get install startupmanager

http://www.ubuntugeek.com/startup-manager-change-settings-in-grub-grub2-and-usplash.html

Dual boot complete!! :)