I tried pressing CTRL-ALT-DEL at startup, and that seemed to immediately restart the boot. Even after changing the timeout_hidden line and running update-grub, I still see no change during boot. Pressing Shift shows the loading message for a second, and then in either case Ubuntu loads.
Here is the boot_info_script output:
***************Boot Info Script 0.55 ***dated February 15th, 2010 *******************
============================= Boot Info Summary: ==============================
=> Grub 2 is installed in the MBR of /dev/sda and looks for b2d.
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 /grldr
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: **/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 11.04
***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: **
=========================== Drive/Partition Info: =============================
Drive: sda ___________________ __________________________________________________ ___
Disk /dev/sda: 120.1 GB, 120060444672 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 14596 cylinders, total 234493056 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 ******206,847 ******204,800 **7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda2 ************206,848 ***58,593,279 ***58,386,432 **7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda3 *********58,595,326 ***97,654,783 ***39,059,458 **5 Extended
/dev/sda5 *********58,595,328 ***96,606,207 ***38,010,880 *83 Linux
/dev/sda6 *********96,608,256 ***97,654,783 ****1,046,528 *82 Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sda4 *********97,654,784 **234,491,903 **136,837,120 **7 HPFS/NTFS
blkid -c /dev/null: __________________________________________________ __________
Device **********UUID **********************************TYPE ******LABEL ************************
/dev/sda1 *******3E88879A88874EF9 **********************ntfs ******System Reserved **************
/dev/sda2 *******2C3C910B3C90D166 **********************ntfs ************************************
/dev/sda3: PTTYPE="dos"
/dev/sda4 *******75E1F45F20454C57 **********************ntfs ******Storage **********************
/dev/sda5 *******c7a39c33-2b34-4195-bcc5-fa3e5ee1090b **ext4 ************************************
/dev/sda6 *******9dda919b-c7ff-4813-88a8-f171ec5585a6 **swap ************************************
/dev/sda: PTTYPE="dos"
error: /dev/sdb: No medium found
error: /dev/sdc: No medium found
error: /dev/sdd: No medium found
error: /dev/sde: No medium found
============================ "mount | grep ^/dev *output: ===========================
Device **********Mount_Point *************Type ******Options
/dev/sda5 *******/ ***********************ext4 ******(rw,errors=remount-ro,commit=0)
=========================== sda5/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 "${boot_once}" ]; then save_env recordfail; fi; fi
}
function load_video {
*insmod vbe
*insmod vga
*insmod video_bochs
*insmod video_cirrus
}
insmod part_msdos
insmod ext2
set root='(/dev/sda,msdos5)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root c7a39c33-2b34-4195-bcc5-fa3e5ee1090b
if loadfont /usr/share/grub/unicode.pf2 ; then
*set gfxmode=auto
*load_video
*insmod gfxterm
fi
terminal_output gfxterm
insmod part_msdos
insmod ext2
set root='(/dev/sda,msdos5)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root c7a39c33-2b34-4195-bcc5-fa3e5ee1090b
set locale_dir=($root)/boot/grub/locale
set lang=en_US
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
if background_color 44,0,30; then
*clear
fi
### END /etc/grub.d/05_debian_theme ###
### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/10_linux ###
if [ ${recordfail} != 1 ]; then
*if [ -e ${prefix}/gfxblacklist.txt ]; then
***if hwmatch ${prefix}/gfxblacklist.txt 3; then
*****if [ ${match} = 0 ]; then
*******set linux_gfx_mode=keep
*****else
*******set linux_gfx_mode=text
*****fi
***else
*****set linux_gfx_mode=text
***fi
*else
***set linux_gfx_mode=keep
*fi
else
*set linux_gfx_mode=text
fi
export linux_gfx_mode
if [ "$linux_gfx_mode" != "text" ]; then load_video; fi
menuentry 'Ubuntu, with Linux 2.6.38-8-generic' --class ubuntu --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os {
* *recordfail
* *set gfxpayload=$linux_gfx_mode
* *insmod part_msdos
* *insmod ext2
* *set root='(/dev/sda,msdos5)'
* *search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root c7a39c33-2b34-4195-bcc5-fa3e5ee1090b
* *linux * */boot/vmlinuz-2.6.38-8-generic root=UUID=c7a39c33-2b34-4195-bcc5-fa3e5ee1090b ro **quiet splash vt.handoff=7
* *initrd * */boot/initrd.img-2.6.38-8-generic
}
menuentry 'Ubuntu, with Linux 2.6.38-8-generic (recovery mode)' --class ubuntu --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os {
* *recordfail
* *set gfxpayload=$linux_gfx_mode
* *insmod part_msdos
* *insmod ext2
* *set root='(/dev/sda,msdos5)'
* *search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root c7a39c33-2b34-4195-bcc5-fa3e5ee1090b
* *echo * *'Loading Linux 2.6.38-8-generic ...'
* *linux * */boot/vmlinuz-2.6.38-8-generic root=UUID=c7a39c33-2b34-4195-bcc5-fa3e5ee1090b ro single
* *echo * *'Loading initial ramdisk ...'
* *initrd * */boot/initrd.img-2.6.38-8-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='(/dev/sda,msdos5)'
* *search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root c7a39c33-2b34-4195-bcc5-fa3e5ee1090b
* *linux16 * */boot/memtest86+.bin
}
menuentry "Memory test (memtest86+, serial console 115200)" {
* *insmod part_msdos
* *insmod ext2
* *set root='(/dev/sda,msdos5)'
* *search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root c7a39c33-2b34-4195-bcc5-fa3e5ee1090b
* *linux16 * */boot/memtest86+.bin console=ttyS0,115200n8
}
### END /etc/grub.d/20_memtest86+ ###
### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/30_os-prober ###
menuentry "Windows 7 (loader) (on /dev/sda1)" --class windows --class os {
* *insmod part_msdos
* *insmod ntfs
* *set root='(/dev/sda,msdos1)'
* *search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 3E88879A88874EF9
* *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 ###
### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/41_custom ###
if [ -f *$prefix/custom.cfg ]; then
*source $prefix/custom.cfg;
fi
### END /etc/grub.d/41_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 ***nodev,noexec,nosuid 0 ******0
# / was on /dev/sda5 during installation
UUID=c7a39c33-2b34-4195-bcc5-fa3e5ee1090b / **************ext4 ***errors=remount-ro 0 ******1
# swap was on /dev/sda6 during installation
UUID=9dda919b-c7ff-4813-88a8-f171ec5585a6 none ***********swap ***sw *************0 ******0
/dev/fd0 *******/media/floppy0 *auto ***rw,user,noauto,exec,utf8 0 ******0
=================== sda5: Location of files loaded by Grub: ===================
*47.6GB: boot/grub/core.img
*47.6GB: boot/grub/grub.cfg
*31.0GB: boot/initrd.img-2.6.38-8-generic
*47.6GB: boot/vmlinuz-2.6.38-8-generic
*31.0GB: initrd.img
*47.6GB: vmlinuz
=======Devices which don't seem to have a corresponding hard drive==============
sdb sdc sdd sde