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darkChildren
October 2nd, 2011, 10:38 AM
Hi,
I have been trying to figure out what the problem is with my installations, but can't put a finger on it :(...I have a dual boot system with Windows 7 and Ubuntu Natty Narwhal. I installed Ubuntu first, then went ahead to install Windows 7.

The problem now is I can't see any menu to select an OS from. After some troubleshooting, it seems that the menu is there, except that it does not show on my Viewsonic 24" (1920*1020) display. If I blindly press the down arrow key a number of times then press Enter, I can boot to Windows. The first choice seems to be Ubuntu in the menu. Sometimes I wind up in some memory test if I don't press the correct choice from this "invisible" menu.

After running bootinfo script, the RESULTS.txt file shows this:


Boot Info Script 0.60 from 17 May 2011


============================= Boot Info Summary: ===============================

=> Grub2 (v1.99) is installed in the MBR of /dev/sda and looks at sector 1 of
the same hard drive for core.img. core.img is at this location and looks
for (,msdos1)/boot/grub on this drive.

sda1: __________________________________________________ ________________________

File system: ext4
Boot sector type: -
Boot sector info:
Boot file info: Grub2 (v1.97-1.98) in the file /mbr.bin looks at
sector 1 of the same hard drive for core.img, but
core.img can not be found at this location.
Operating System: Ubuntu 11.04
Boot files: /boot/grub/grub.cfg /etc/fstab /boot/grub/core.img

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: /bootmgr /Boot/BCD /Windows/System32/winload.exe

sda3: __________________________________________________ ________________________

File system: btrfs
Boot sector type: -
Boot sector info:
Operating System:
Boot files:

sda4: __________________________________________________ ________________________

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

sda5: __________________________________________________ ________________________

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

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

Drive: sda __________________________________________________ ___________________

Disk /dev/sda: 250.1 GB, 250059350016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 30401 cylinders, total 488397168 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes

Partition Boot Start Sector End Sector # of Sectors Id System

/dev/sda1 63 314,466,303 314,466,241 83 Linux
/dev/sda2 * 314,466,304 420,960,255 106,493,952 7 NTFS / exFAT / HPFS
/dev/sda3 420,960,256 482,398,207 61,437,952 83 Linux
/dev/sda4 482,399,820 488,392,064 5,992,245 5 Extended
/dev/sda5 482,399,883 488,392,064 5,992,182 82 Linux swap / Solaris


"blkid" output: __________________________________________________ ______________

Device UUID TYPE LABEL

/dev/loop0 squashfs
/dev/sda1 9146723b-c9e6-4992-8157-2b0e2aae25f8 ext4
/dev/sda2 291C19CB02E3A898 ntfs Windows
/dev/sda3 85afd767-836a-408b-b5b0-35f7aaebf5b5 btrfs Fedora
/dev/sda5 54ad60b9-8125-4fa8-8557-83125fc6c87b swap

================================ Mount points: =================================

Device Mount_Point Type Options

/dev/loop0 /rofs squashfs (ro,noatime)
/dev/sr0 /cdrom iso9660 (ro,noatime)


=========================== sda1/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='(hd0,msdos1)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 9146723b-c9e6-4992-8157-2b0e2aae25f8
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='(hd0,msdos1)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 9146723b-c9e6-4992-8157-2b0e2aae25f8
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 2.6.38-11-generic' --class ubuntu --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os {
recordfail
set gfxpayload=$linux_gfx_mode
insmod part_msdos
insmod ext2
set root='(hd0,msdos1)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 9146723b-c9e6-4992-8157-2b0e2aae25f8
linux /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.38-11-generic root=UUID=9146723b-c9e6-4992-8157-2b0e2aae25f8 ro quiet splash vt.handoff=7
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.38-11-generic
}
menuentry 'Ubuntu, with Linux 2.6.38-11-generic (recovery mode)' --class ubuntu --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os {
recordfail
set gfxpayload=$linux_gfx_mode
insmod part_msdos
insmod ext2
set root='(hd0,msdos1)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 9146723b-c9e6-4992-8157-2b0e2aae25f8
echo 'Loading Linux 2.6.38-11-generic ...'
linux /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.38-11-generic root=UUID=9146723b-c9e6-4992-8157-2b0e2aae25f8 ro single
echo 'Loading initial ramdisk ...'
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.38-11-generic
}
submenu "Previous Linux versions" {
menuentry 'Ubuntu, with Linux 2.6.38-10-generic' --class ubuntu --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os {
recordfail
set gfxpayload=$linux_gfx_mode
insmod part_msdos
insmod ext2
set root='(hd0,msdos1)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 9146723b-c9e6-4992-8157-2b0e2aae25f8
linux /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.38-10-generic root=UUID=9146723b-c9e6-4992-8157-2b0e2aae25f8 ro quiet splash vt.handoff=7
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.38-10-generic
}
menuentry 'Ubuntu, with Linux 2.6.38-10-generic (recovery mode)' --class ubuntu --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os {
recordfail
set gfxpayload=$linux_gfx_mode
insmod part_msdos
insmod ext2
set root='(hd0,msdos1)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 9146723b-c9e6-4992-8157-2b0e2aae25f8
echo 'Loading Linux 2.6.38-10-generic ...'
linux /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.38-10-generic root=UUID=9146723b-c9e6-4992-8157-2b0e2aae25f8 ro single
echo 'Loading initial ramdisk ...'
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.38-10-generic
}
menuentry 'Ubuntu, with Linux 2.6.38-8-generic' --class ubuntu --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os {
recordfail
set gfxpayload=$linux_gfx_mode
insmod part_msdos
insmod ext2
set root='(hd0,msdos1)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 9146723b-c9e6-4992-8157-2b0e2aae25f8
linux /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.38-8-generic root=UUID=9146723b-c9e6-4992-8157-2b0e2aae25f8 ro quiet splash vt.handoff=7
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.38-8-generic
}
menuentry 'Ubuntu, with Linux 2.6.38-8-generic (recovery mode)' --class ubuntu --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os {
recordfail
set gfxpayload=$linux_gfx_mode
insmod part_msdos
insmod ext2
set root='(hd0,msdos1)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 9146723b-c9e6-4992-8157-2b0e2aae25f8
echo 'Loading Linux 2.6.38-8-generic ...'
linux /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.38-8-generic root=UUID=9146723b-c9e6-4992-8157-2b0e2aae25f8 ro single
echo 'Loading initial ramdisk ...'
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.38-8-generic
}
menuentry 'Ubuntu, with Linux 2.6.35-28-generic' --class ubuntu --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os {
recordfail
set gfxpayload=$linux_gfx_mode
insmod part_msdos
insmod ext2
set root='(hd0,msdos1)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 9146723b-c9e6-4992-8157-2b0e2aae25f8
linux /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.35-28-generic root=UUID=9146723b-c9e6-4992-8157-2b0e2aae25f8 ro quiet splash vt.handoff=7
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.35-28-generic
}
menuentry 'Ubuntu, with Linux 2.6.35-28-generic (recovery mode)' --class ubuntu --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os {
recordfail
set gfxpayload=$linux_gfx_mode
insmod part_msdos
insmod ext2
set root='(hd0,msdos1)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 9146723b-c9e6-4992-8157-2b0e2aae25f8
echo 'Loading Linux 2.6.35-28-generic ...'
linux /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.35-28-generic root=UUID=9146723b-c9e6-4992-8157-2b0e2aae25f8 ro single
echo 'Loading initial ramdisk ...'
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.35-28-generic
}
menuentry 'Ubuntu, with Linux 2.6.32-31-generic' --class ubuntu --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os {
recordfail
set gfxpayload=$linux_gfx_mode
insmod part_msdos
insmod ext2
set root='(hd0,msdos1)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 9146723b-c9e6-4992-8157-2b0e2aae25f8
linux /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.32-31-generic root=UUID=9146723b-c9e6-4992-8157-2b0e2aae25f8 ro quiet splash vt.handoff=7
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.32-31-generic
}
menuentry 'Ubuntu, with Linux 2.6.32-31-generic (recovery mode)' --class ubuntu --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os {
recordfail
set gfxpayload=$linux_gfx_mode
insmod part_msdos
insmod ext2
set root='(hd0,msdos1)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 9146723b-c9e6-4992-8157-2b0e2aae25f8
echo 'Loading Linux 2.6.32-31-generic ...'
linux /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.32-31-generic root=UUID=9146723b-c9e6-4992-8157-2b0e2aae25f8 ro single
echo 'Loading initial ramdisk ...'
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.32-31-generic
}
menuentry 'Ubuntu, with Linux 2.6.31-21-generic' --class ubuntu --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os {
recordfail
set gfxpayload=$linux_gfx_mode
insmod part_msdos
insmod ext2
set root='(hd0,msdos1)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 9146723b-c9e6-4992-8157-2b0e2aae25f8
linux /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.31-21-generic root=UUID=9146723b-c9e6-4992-8157-2b0e2aae25f8 ro quiet splash vt.handoff=7
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.31-21-generic
}
menuentry 'Ubuntu, with Linux 2.6.31-21-generic (recovery mode)' --class ubuntu --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os {
recordfail
set gfxpayload=$linux_gfx_mode
insmod part_msdos
insmod ext2
set root='(hd0,msdos1)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 9146723b-c9e6-4992-8157-2b0e2aae25f8
echo 'Loading Linux 2.6.31-21-generic ...'
linux /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.31-21-generic root=UUID=9146723b-c9e6-4992-8157-2b0e2aae25f8 ro single
echo 'Loading initial ramdisk ...'
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.31-21-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='(hd0,msdos1)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 9146723b-c9e6-4992-8157-2b0e2aae25f8
linux16 /boot/memtest86+.bin
}
menuentry "Memory test (memtest86+, serial console 115200)" {
insmod part_msdos
insmod ext2
set root='(hd0,msdos1)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 9146723b-c9e6-4992-8157-2b0e2aae25f8
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/sda2)" --class windows --class os {
insmod part_msdos
insmod ntfs
set root='(hd0,msdos2)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 291C19CB02E3A898
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 ###
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

=============================== sda1/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 defaults 0 0
# / was on /dev/sda1 during installation
UUID=9146723b-c9e6-4992-8157-2b0e2aae25f8 / ext4 errors=remount-ro 0 1
# swap was on /dev/sda5 during installation
UUID=54ad60b9-8125-4fa8-8557-83125fc6c87b none swap sw 0 0
/dev/scd0 /media/cdrom0 udf,iso9660 user,noauto,exec,utf8 0 0
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

=================== sda1: Location of files loaded by Grub: ====================

GiB - GB File Fragment(s)

0.131709576 = 0.141422080 boot/grub/core.img 1
46.818011761 = 50.270457344 boot/grub/grub.cfg 1
1.571441174 = 1.687322112 boot/initrd.img-2.6.31-21-generic 1
50.108218670 = 53.803290112 boot/initrd.img-2.6.32-31-generic 2
53.439071178 = 57.379765760 boot/initrd.img-2.6.35-28-generic 2
42.773349285 = 45.927534080 boot/initrd.img-2.6.38-10-generic 3
86.650710583 = 93.040492032 boot/initrd.img-2.6.38-11-generic 1
70.593780041 = 75.799494144 boot/initrd.img-2.6.38-8-generic 3
1.165820599 = 1.251790336 boot/vmlinuz-2.6.31-21-generic 2
4.053878307 = 4.352818688 boot/vmlinuz-2.6.32-31-generic 1
6.050952435 = 6.497160704 boot/vmlinuz-2.6.35-28-generic 1
49.183936596 = 52.810849792 boot/vmlinuz-2.6.38-10-generic 1
84.859405041 = 91.117092352 boot/vmlinuz-2.6.38-11-generic 2
51.805026531 = 55.625223680 boot/vmlinuz-2.6.38-8-generic 1
86.650710583 = 93.040492032 initrd.img 1
42.773349285 = 45.927534080 initrd.img.old 3
84.859405041 = 91.117092352 vmlinuz 2
49.183936596 = 52.810849792 vmlinuz.old 1

========= Devices which don't seem to have a corresponding hard drive: =========

sdb sdc sdd sde sdf

=============================== StdErr Messages: ===============================

unlzma: Decoder error
I started to think that it could be that GRUB2 just cannot find an image to display, but the GRUB2 wiki pages indicate that there is default theme in case no images are found. So I ruled that out.
Any help is kindly appreciated.

Quackers
October 2nd, 2011, 01:25 PM
As you seem to have two different versions of grub installed (one in the mbr of the drive and another in /dev/sda1) I would suggest that you follow the guide below to purge then re-install grub.
You should do this from the 11-04 live cd/usb desktop.
You don't have a separate boot partition so you can ignore that part of the guide and the partition you should mount in those commands is /dev/sda1, though Grub should be installed to /dev/sda (not /dev/sda1).

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1581099

darkChildren
October 3rd, 2011, 07:50 PM
Thanks Quackers...I'll let you know how it went

darkChildren
December 6th, 2011, 01:53 PM
Sorry for the long wait...but just to update this, that I tried your solution of purging the old grub and putting a new one and it did not help. I still have a blank display whenever booting my computer after POST. Then either Windows or Ubuntu boots

darkod
December 6th, 2011, 02:36 PM
Did you earlier try some sort of chainloading having grub installed on the /dev/sda1 partition? Why do you have mbr.bin there?

I would use testdisk to repair the partition boot record of /dev/sda1. I suspect you have a grub version that is not continuing to load anything, so the grub on the MBR jumps to /dev/sda1 but you have that mbr.bin there, etc...

With using grub on the MBR you should not have anything on the partition boot sectors (PBR).

darkChildren
December 14th, 2011, 04:09 AM
darkod, no I did not attempt to chainload earlier. What happened was that I used to have Ubuntu oneiric on my PC. Then my wife needed Windows 7 so I decided to do a dual boot. I had read that installing Windows after having Ubuntu is much involved but decided I was going to do it anyway.

So far as installation of the OS is concerned, it went fine. Except I have no boot menu to choose from. We have to blindly press the down arrow key couple of times after the POST screen as nothing is shown. That's how we get to go to either OS now! How terrible!!