i cant boot in windows xp.

[alx_gom]

i have two HD.
in one i have windows xp, i just installed ubuntu in the other, but now i cant boot in windows.

[alx_gom]

also, i cant install sofware from ubuntu software center.
it says " Previous installation hasn't been completed. the installation could have failed because of an error in the corresponding software package or it was cancelled in an unfriendly way. You have to repair this before you can install or remove any further software"

[oldfred]

Did you try
sudo update-grub
That will usually find windows.

To update system from command line - may need sudo in front of each line as I copied this from a chroot version that does not need sudo:
#houseclean
apt-get autoclean # only removes files that cannot be downloaded anymore (obsolete)
apt-get clean
#refresh
apt-get update #resync package index
apt-get upgrade #newest versions of all packages, update must be run first
#would upgrade you to the latest kernel in the repositories
#dist-upgrade is also able to remove existing packages if required
apt-get dist-upgrade
apt-get -f install
dpkg --configure -a

[alx_gom]

thanks. that solve the ubuntu software problem.
but i still cant use windows.
is there any way i can see if the HD with windows still has it?
in disk utility it apears as bootable, partition type: HPFS/NTFS (0x07), type NTFS, device: /dev/sdb1.

[cavalier911]

Open nautilus file manager,the drive will be in the left column.You have to click on the drive to mount,the files will be on the right. Is there a boot menu with ubuntu and winxp listed ? Or no menu and you boot into ubuntu ?

[alx_gom]

the boot info script was really helpfull, i still have the xp.
but i dont know how to boot it.
i dont see any boot menu in the file browser

[alx_gom]

if it of any use. these are the results ive got.
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 #1 for /boot/grub.
=> Windows is installed in the MBR of /dev/sdb

sda1: __________________________________________________ _______________________

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

sda2: __________________________________________________ _______________________

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

sda5: __________________________________________________ _______________________

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

sdb1: __________________________________________________ _______________________

File system: ntfs
Boot sector type: Windows XP
Boot sector info: No errors found in the Boot Parameter Block.
Operating System: Windows XP
Boot files/dirs:

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

Drive: sda ___________________ __________________________________________________ ___

Disk /dev/sda: 40.0 GB, 40020664320 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 4865 cylinders, total 78165360 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 75,239,423 75,237,376 83 Linux
/dev/sda2 75,241,470 78,163,967 2,922,498 5 Extended
/dev/sda5 75,241,472 78,163,967 2,922,496 82 Linux swap / Solaris


Drive: sdb ___________________ __________________________________________________ ___

Disk /dev/sdb: 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/sdb1 * 63 156,296,384 156,296,322 7 HPFS/NTFS


blkid -c /dev/null: __________________________________________________ __________

Device UUID TYPE LABEL

/dev/sda1 5da985e6-6608-47a7-869e-482cb82360b4 ext4
/dev/sda2: PTTYPE="dos"
/dev/sda5 44964e36-6dcc-48d3-9dff-6abadc6a3cf8 swap
/dev/sda: PTTYPE="dos"
/dev/sdb1 F8209B4D209B11AC ntfs
/dev/sdb: PTTYPE="dos"

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

Device Mount_Point Type Options

/dev/sda1 / ext4 (rw,errors=remount-ro)
/dev/sdb1 /media/F8209B4D209B11AC fuseblk (rw,nosuid,nodev,allow_other,blksize=4096,default_ permissions)


=========================== sda1/boot/grub/grub.cfg: ===========================

[cavalier911]

Open terminal:

sudo update-grubReboot,if it detected winxp on /dev/sdb the grub menu will appear.
If no menu appears once your in ubuntu you'll make a custom entry.

gksudo gedit /etc/grub.d/40_customAdd this entry below everything else on the file.

menuentry "Microsoft Windows XP" {
insmod chain
set root=(hd1)
devicemap -s hd0 hd1
chainloader +1
}
Save the file,verify that it's executable,rerun sudo update-grub to add entry to grub menu,reboot.
Boot menu should appear with winxp boot option. Hold down Shift key after power on to force menu to appear if it doesn't.

[oldfred]

You seem to be missing the boot files. Did you have another copy of windows installed? Windows moves the boot files to one copy to allow booting and if you then delete that copy the second is missing its boot files.

Should be this:
Boot files/dirs: /boot.ini /ntldr /NTDETECT.COM
You have this:
Boot files/dirs:

XP CD fixboot
http://www.ehow.com/how_4891476_reinstall-xp-bootloader.html
Can you boot into Ubuntu? If so you can mount your Windows drive and navigate to C:\windows\ServicePackFiles\i386 folder and copy
ntdetect.com and ntldr to root of C:\.

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?p=5726832

Or you can run windowss repairs from the XP install disk. You may also have to update boot.ini

[cavalier911]

If you install Windows 7 or Vista after WindowsXP even on another drive it wipes out critical boot files on Windows XP ? So when you remove Vista/Win7 you have to restore these bootloader files for Windows XP . I guess this might explain why grub2 did not detect WindowsXP and autoconfigure a menu entry.What happens if you have Win7/Vista installed and then add WinXP to multiboot and then remove Vista/Win7. I guess since WinXP was last installed it's boot loader is untouched and functional?

Ignore my previous post about creating the custom menu for now. Follow oldfred's info for restoring winxp's bootloader files, after that run sudo update-grub and maybe grub will autoconfigure the menu for winxp.

[alx_gom]

it's fixed. thanks to all. i followed what oldfred said.