I don't mean to hijack the thread, but I'm having a similar problem. Installed Ubuntu 10.10 today on my girlfriends laptop with the live cd, it prompted me to restart which I did. When it got past the BIOS all i got was a black screen with a blinking _ in the top left corner. It never does anything past that point. All I can do is manually turn it off with the power button. Like the OP I can boot into the live cd and see ubuntu installed on the hard drive, it just won't boot into it. I checked the boot order and the hard drive is at the top of the list. I got the boot script and it's there below. Thanks for the help.
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 (,msdos1)/boot/grub.
=> No boot loader is installed in the MBR of /dev/sdb
sda1: __________________________________________________ _______________________
File system: vfat
Boot sector type: -
Boot sector info: No errors found in the Boot Parameter Block.
Operating System:
Boot files/dirs:
sdb1: __________________________________________________ _______________________
File system: ext4
Boot sector type: -
Boot sector info:
Operating System: Ubuntu 10.10
Boot files/dirs: /boot/grub/grub.cfg /etc/fstab /boot/grub/core.img
sdb2: __________________________________________________ _______________________
File system: Extended Partition
Boot sector type: Unknown
Boot sector info:
sdb5: __________________________________________________ _______________________
File system: swap
Boot sector type: -
Boot sector info:
=========================== Drive/Partition Info: =============================
Drive: sda ___________________ __________________________________________________ ___
Disk /dev/sda: 1007 MB, 1007681536 bytes
9 heads, 8 sectors/track, 27335 cylinders, total 1968128 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 * 253 1,968,127 1,967,875 6 FAT16
Drive: sdb ___________________ __________________________________________________ ___
Disk /dev/sdb: 160.0 GB, 160041885696 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 19457 cylinders, total 312581808 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 2,048 300,292,095 300,290,048 83 Linux
/dev/sdb2 300,294,142 312,580,095 12,285,954 5 Extended
/dev/sdb5 300,294,144 312,580,095 12,285,952 82 Linux swap / Solaris
blkid -c /dev/null: __________________________________________________ __________
Device UUID TYPE LABEL
/dev/loop0 squashfs
/dev/sda1 FC30-3DA9 vfat
/dev/sda: PTTYPE="dos"
/dev/sdb1 f3465293-3c7b-4b63-a2bc-76165805e5b8 ext4
/dev/sdb2: PTTYPE="dos"
/dev/sdb5 18b7bca6-8815-47c0-86d9-7ff1f414d3c5 swap
/dev/sdb: PTTYPE="dos"
============================ "mount | grep ^/dev output: ===========================
Device Mount_Point Type Options
aufs / aufs (rw)
/dev/sr0 /cdrom iso9660 (ro,noatime)
/dev/loop0 /rofs squashfs (ro,noatime)
=========================== sdb1/boot/grub/grub.cfg: ===========================
#
# DO NOT EDIT THIS FILE
#
# It is automatically generated by grub-mkconfig using templates
# from /etc/grub.d and settings from /etc/default/grub
#
### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/00_header ###
if [ -s $prefix/grubenv ]; then
set have_grubenv=true
load_env
fi
set default="0"
if [ "${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 "${boot_once}" ]; then save_env recordfail; fi; fi
}
function load_video {
insmod vbe
insmod vga
}
insmod part_msdos
insmod ext2
set root='(hd1,msdos1)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set f3465293-3c7b-4b63-a2bc-76165805e5b8
if loadfont /usr/share/grub/unicode.pf2 ; then
set gfxmode=640x480
load_video
insmod gfxterm
fi
terminal_output gfxterm
insmod part_msdos
insmod ext2
set root='(hd1,msdos1)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set f3465293-3c7b-4b63-a2bc-76165805e5b8
set locale_dir=($root)/boot/grub/locale
set lang=en
insmod gettext
if [ "${recordfail}" = 1 ]; then
set timeout=-1
else
set timeout=10
fi
### END /etc/grub.d/00_header ###
### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/05_debian_theme ###
set menu_color_normal=white/black
set menu_color_highlight=black/light-gray
### END /etc/grub.d/05_debian_theme ###
### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/10_linux ###
menuentry 'Ubuntu, with Linux 2.6.35-22-generic' --class ubuntu --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os {
recordfail
insmod part_msdos
insmod ext2
set root='(hd1,msdos1)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set f3465293-3c7b-4b63-a2bc-76165805e5b8
linux /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.35-22-generic root=UUID=f3465293-3c7b-4b63-a2bc-76165805e5b8 ro quiet splash
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.35-22-generic
}
menuentry 'Ubuntu, with Linux 2.6.35-22-generic (recovery mode)' --class ubuntu --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os {
recordfail
insmod part_msdos
insmod ext2
set root='(hd1,msdos1)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set f3465293-3c7b-4b63-a2bc-76165805e5b8
echo 'Loading Linux 2.6.35-22-generic ...'
linux /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.35-22-generic root=UUID=f3465293-3c7b-4b63-a2bc-76165805e5b8 ro single
echo 'Loading initial ramdisk ...'
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.35-22-generic
}
### END /etc/grub.d/10_linux ###
### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/20_linux_xen ###
### END /etc/grub.d/20_linux_xen ###
### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/20_memtest86+ ###
menuentry "Memory test (memtest86+)" {
insmod part_msdos
insmod ext2
set root='(hd1,msdos1)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set f3465293-3c7b-4b63-a2bc-76165805e5b8
linux16 /boot/memtest86+.bin
}
menuentry "Memory test (memtest86+, serial console 115200)" {
insmod part_msdos
insmod ext2
set root='(hd1,msdos1)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set f3465293-3c7b-4b63-a2bc-76165805e5b8
linux16 /boot/memtest86+.bin console=ttyS0,115200n8
}
### END /etc/grub.d/20_memtest86+ ###
### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/30_os-prober ###
if [ "x${timeout}" != "x-1" ]; then
if keystatus; then
if keystatus --shift; then
set timeout=-1
else
set timeout=0
fi
else
if sleep --interruptible 3 ; then
set timeout=0
fi
fi
fi
### 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 ###
### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/41_custom ###
if [ -f $prefix/custom.cfg ]; then
source $prefix/custom.cfg;
fi
### END /etc/grub.d/41_custom ###
=============================== sdb1/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 nodev,noexec,nosuid 0 0
# / was on /dev/sdb1 during installation
UUID=f3465293-3c7b-4b63-a2bc-76165805e5b8 / ext4 errors=remount-ro 0 1
# swap was on /dev/sdb5 during installation
UUID=18b7bca6-8815-47c0-86d9-7ff1f414d3c5 none swap sw 0 0
=================== sdb1: Location of files loaded by Grub: ===================
116.1GB: boot/grub/core.img
90.3GB: boot/grub/grub.cfg
82.3GB: boot/initrd.img-2.6.35-22-generic
116.1GB: boot/vmlinuz-2.6.35-22-generic
82.3GB: initrd.img
116.1GB: vmlinuz
=========================== Unknown MBRs/Boot Sectors/etc =======================
Unknown BootLoader on sdb2
00000000 12 38 cc 70 7d 56 36 a1 30 8a 23 70 8f 9f e2 69 |.8.p}V6.0.#p...i|
00000010 ce 03 14 05 e0 60 77 08 59 25 50 c7 92 41 f9 d6 |.....`w.Y%P..A..|
00000020 02 26 5c 5b f9 90 c0 49 21 27 cc ab 74 c7 55 29 |.&\[...I!'..t.U)|
00000030 54 9b bf 63 0e c1 55 28 b2 b8 50 56 b8 c6 c7 66 |T..c..U(..PV...f|
00000040 83 6e f7 6f 30 78 36 40 f7 f2 4d 18 64 1e 24 54 |.n.o0x6@..M.d.$T|
00000050 ff 8b 09 ad 59 7a 37 0e 70 3d 03 50 3e 1a fb e3 |....Yz7.p=.P>...|
00000060 03 2f 05 5e d9 ff 4e 68 c4 0d 45 e5 5e c7 94 14 |./.^..Nh..E.^...|
00000070 86 a2 da d6 43 5a d7 3d fb e4 10 d9 66 be 64 b8 |....CZ.=....f.d.|
00000080 07 b2 36 56 24 ad dc 5b de df c1 f8 e0 42 11 77 |..6V$..[.....B.w|
00000090 db 2f ad 8c fd 84 79 43 3c 2f ec 4f 8d aa 89 0c |./....yC</.O....|
000000a0 4f e0 ed e2 ae 2a e6 f4 40 d4 e6 e8 b4 75 be 66 |O....*..@....u.f|
000000b0 38 0e a4 7c 57 a4 2b 20 6c 6b 94 ff ac c9 ff fd |8..|W.+ lk......|
000000c0 84 f7 6e 0f 5e 66 14 97 3c 2e 25 f3 93 9d c7 53 |..n.^f..<.%....S|
000000d0 31 6a 19 53 0d 66 fe 9f 0a 20 f9 aa f9 bd 29 0e |1j.S.f... ....).|
000000e0 89 c6 06 0c 41 92 b5 54 6e 76 f0 8c dd 4e 72 16 |....A..Tnv...Nr.|
000000f0 42 40 25 67 a0 41 f3 67 f5 fd 6b 0d 60 41 db f4 |B@%g.A.g..k.`A..|
00000100 cb db d7 ea ea 5e e0 29 c0 2c a0 9a 20 3f 1e bb |.....^.).,.. ?..|
00000110 97 6e 9c f2 6c 1b 89 0c 9f 10 8a 06 3d 4d 33 de |.n..l.......=M3.|
00000120 e7 11 c7 e2 b4 b7 be fc 53 81 20 a4 1b d5 37 b0 |........S. ...7.|
00000130 04 7b e5 13 d2 f7 4a fc 1d 00 42 10 f1 f1 c7 18 |.{....J...B.....|
00000140 e4 c6 c3 0e 3c bf fe fd 3f 96 b0 ff 0e ae 12 d4 |....<...?.......|
00000150 cf 8e 66 11 c3 3f a5 ff 61 e0 27 00 82 08 8e e0 |..f..?..a.'.....|
00000160 59 30 49 5a 74 42 93 92 64 aa c1 fd 3c 7c c4 42 |Y0IZtB..d...<|.B|
00000170 ce 22 c5 d0 09 89 95 97 cc 2d d6 1f fc 97 79 33 |.".......-....y3|
00000180 4d 77 98 92 8e e0 90 10 68 64 f6 db fc c3 05 2e |Mw......hd......|
00000190 4f ff db 91 0f b6 b0 36 47 cf 1c 03 5d 2c 17 2d |O......6G...],.-|
000001a0 f7 03 0f 18 d1 c7 fb 93 e1 70 30 33 82 8b 3d 75 |.........p03..=u|
000001b0 3f be 1e a1 af c2 9c e8 af 82 c0 30 d1 fc 00 fe |?..........0....|
000001c0 ff ff 82 fe ff ff 02 00 00 00 00 78 bb 00 00 00 |...........x....|
000001d0 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 |................|
*
000001f0 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 55 aa |..............U.|
00000200