Ubuntu 10.04 / Windows XP dual boot (using Grub2) Issue

[dbeloved]

Compliments.

I had Windows XP on my Hp Compaq Mini and I tried to install Ubuntu 10.04 LTS on it.

During the installation, I shrunk the Hard Drive from the normal 160gb to 130 and I used the 30gb shrunk to make the swap and boot for Ubuntu.

First thing I saw after reboot was the boot loader did not show and it only led me to Ubuntu 10.04 CLI intro which I entered.

I have tried to check through but the Windows XP is not there in the boot order again.

When I used Ubuntu 7.10 LiveCD on it and checked for the partitions using sudo fdisk -l, it read the following:
/dev/sda1 * .... HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda2 ..... Extended
/dev/sda3 ...... Linux
/dev/sda5 ...... Linux swap / Solaris

Can my Windows XP still be retrieved? How do I go about it.

[An Sanct]

Welcome to the forums!

If you installed on the 30Gb partition, then Windows is still there.

Boot from the installation media again and select "Try Ubuntu (without changes to the system)", from there, you can confirm if Windows is still there.

If you can still see it, then proceed with GRUB reinstall (more info in this thread (http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?p=10440484)). If you have any problems or questions, please let us know.

[Rubi1200]

Hi and welcome to the forums dbeloved :)

I highly recommend you post the results of the boot info script before making any more changes to the system.

There is a link at the bottom of my post with instructions.

Thanks.

[dbeloved]

I must confess, Ubuntu is rich! With the prompt response I am receiving on my enquiries since it was posted, I am definitely bought over now.

I will post the boot info script shortly in giving you the breakdown. Seems I can boot in with a 7.10 LiveCD to do that. Thanks Rubi1200

I appreciate An Sanct too for the comment. Save for Rubi1200, I wanted to proceed with recommendations on this thread:
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1669478
Seems it is a similar problem and what Quackers (http://ubuntuforums.org/member.php?u=369240) recommended with testdisk http://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/TestDisk_Step_By_Step should work I suppose.

But first I will try to get the boot info script out now.

Merci.

[An Sanct]

Thank you dbeloved ;)

Please post the output of the boot info script Rubi1200 proposed (it saved mi behind a few times...). After doing so, it will be clear in what state your system is and a solution will be simpler.

[dbeloved]

Thanks a big deal, I have my RESULTS.TXT and it is posted below:



Boot Info Script 0.60 from 17 May 2011


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

=> Windows is installed in the MBR of /dev/sda.
=> Windows is installed in the MBR of /dev/sdb.

sda1: __________________________________________________ ________________________

File system:
Boot sector type: -
Boot sector info:
Mounting failed: mount: unknown filesystem type ''

sda2: __________________________________________________ ________________________

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

sda5: __________________________________________________ ________________________

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

sda3: __________________________________________________ ________________________

File system: ext3
Boot sector type: -
Boot sector info:
Mounting failed: mount: unknown filesystem type ''
mount: wrong fs type, bad option, bad superblock on /dev/sda3,
missing codepage or helper program, or other error
In some cases useful info is found in syslog - try
dmesg | tail or so


sdb1: __________________________________________________ ________________________

File system: vfat
Boot sector type: Windows XP: FAT32
Boot sector info: No errors found in the Boot Parameter Block.
Operating System:
Boot files:

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

Drive: sda __________________________________________________ ___________________

Disk /dev/sda: 160.0 GB, 160041885696 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 19457 cylinders, total 312581808 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x000b88a7

Partition Boot Start Sector End Sector # of Sectors Id System

/dev/sda1 * 63 263,739,104 263,739,042 7 NTFS / exFAT / HPFS
/dev/sda2 263,753,726 267,659,263 3,905,538 5 Extended
/dev/sda5 263,753,728 267,659,263 3,905,536 82 Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sda3 267,659,264 312,580,095 44,920,832 83 Linux


Drive: sdb __________________________________________________ ___________________

Disk /dev/sdb: 3820 MB, 3820486656 bytes
214 heads, 62 sectors/track, 562 cylinders, total 7461888 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0xc3072e18

Partition Boot Start Sector End Sector # of Sectors Id System

/dev/sdb1 * 64 7,461,887 7,461,824 b W95 FAT32


"blkid" output: __________________________________________________ ______________

Device UUID TYPE LABEL

/dev/sda3 fa216e63-354a-45cd-83a5-09435d7104a7 ext3
/dev/sda5 5de07369-f7ac-48d3-9606-26bd7b164caa swap
/dev/sdb1 FCB5-74B3 vfat MICKEN

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

Device Mount_Point Type Options

/dev/scd1 /media/nProtectScanner iso9660 (ro,nosuid,nodev,uid=999,utf8)
/dev/sdb1 /media/MICKEN vfat (rw,nosuid,nodev,shortname=mixed,uid=999,utf8,umas k=077,usefree)


======================== Unknown MBRs/Boot Sectors/etc: ========================

Unknown BootLoader on sda2

00000000 85 96 7c 27 0c 80 12 e0 1e 15 4f 90 17 58 c9 64 |..|'......O..X.d|
00000010 bd 50 2b b0 34 56 0b e8 fe 6a 9e 08 b2 c5 03 64 |.P+.4V...j.....d|
00000020 ea d6 5c 6c 0f 83 af 0e d3 9b 5b 8a c1 7b 35 de |..\l......[..{5.|
00000030 f6 12 37 a2 b6 de 9f 39 13 8d 89 79 18 fa 16 83 |..7....9...y....|
00000040 cd 1c 12 00 82 43 e0 76 e9 9d b6 46 94 f2 7a c8 |.....C.v...F..z.|
00000050 66 71 9e 72 21 bd 3d 6d 8d cb dc f0 4a 08 ac fd |fq.r!.=m....J...|
00000060 13 d4 e9 85 bd f9 97 99 ce c8 57 5a d1 c0 e0 16 |..........WZ....|
00000070 1f 49 71 1e 85 1a 8a ab f3 13 e8 c1 99 c3 82 04 |.Iq.............|
00000080 30 b4 02 38 90 0c 47 4c 1e 3f 5a 09 50 31 2e bd |0..8..GL.?Z.P1..|
00000090 fb e4 99 45 f9 0f 27 6c 04 6a 50 e3 1a 8b 7e b5 |...E..'l.jP...~.|
000000a0 07 cd 25 00 00 82 00 00 08 5d 02 ba 25 00 00 74 |..%......]..%..t|
000000b0 01 01 1b 00 00 00 00 08 9d 0b 00 00 af 2e 00 00 |................|
000000c0 a8 00 36 13 f6 bf a4 e3 5c 68 e3 42 55 7c fe 93 |..6.....\h.BU|..|
000000d0 8d 71 a3 8d 09 55 f3 fb fe 4e c1 b1 d0 1d 2d 82 |.q...U...N....-.|
000000e0 6d c7 c7 5c 0f a8 4d 14 94 05 ba b5 28 9a 56 d1 |m..\..M.....(.V.|
000000f0 2d 46 ea 5b ed 91 61 94 a6 96 1c a4 92 d0 35 26 |-F.[..a.......5&|
00000100 30 90 c3 23 fc 89 c1 4d 01 d6 00 5e 5d 96 e4 05 |0..#...M...^]...|
00000110 c8 ea fd 6b 45 9b 90 22 34 ab 36 6e 9b bb 05 97 |...kE.."4.6n....|
00000120 99 1a 7b c8 cd 28 8c de ef 62 44 d2 07 80 f7 d6 |..{..(...bD.....|
00000130 05 c9 7b e9 9d 05 8b 38 a0 a4 c2 41 0d a9 04 16 |..{....8...A....|
00000140 4a 4a cb 1b c9 21 a8 9f 1f 49 03 7a d5 05 a5 34 |JJ...!...I.z...4|
00000150 4b f6 ab dd 01 0d 64 69 b1 0b 8a 05 0a 19 09 0d |K.....di........|
00000160 21 89 d2 42 15 21 bc 0c 18 dc f6 19 41 fc dd 3f |!..B.!......A..?|
00000170 7e 54 3f 14 be aa 87 e9 6c a5 04 3f 08 7c 98 62 |~T?.....l..?.|.b|
00000180 58 25 d6 65 f6 1d e8 43 57 b0 48 c7 78 90 17 4e |X%.e...CW.H.x..N|
00000190 74 f0 58 16 c4 9e 77 4f a0 f3 82 87 0d f2 78 38 |t.X...wO......x8|
000001a0 89 62 26 97 45 c1 88 6d 38 89 35 04 13 35 a1 28 |.b&.E..m8.5..5.(|
000001b0 e6 82 b9 ea 9c 43 d2 84 ac 6a 61 17 ef 84 00 fe |.....C...ja.....|
000001c0 ff ff 82 fe ff ff 02 00 00 00 00 98 3b 00 00 00 |............;...|
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



I hope this would unearth the issue on the system.

Thanks.

[oldfred]

Did you run boot script from your 7.10 liveCD? That may have have had the NTFS drivers to 'see' sda1. It says sda3 is ext3 but if you installed ext4 then the 7.10 would not have drivers for that either.

But script is saying it cannot mount the NTFS & your main Linux partitions. That could be the missing drivers or you need chkdsk on the NTFS partition, and fsck on the Linux partition, or a failing hard drive.

First try using your XP install disk and run chkdsk on the c: partition.
XP CD fixboot
http://www.ehow.com/how_4891476_reinstall-xp-bootloader.html
Description of the Windows XP Recovery Console for advanced users list of commands
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314058/
To run the Recovery Console from the Windows XP startup disks or the Windows XP CD-ROM, follow these steps:
1. Insert the Windows XP startup disk into the floppy disk drive, or insert the Windows XP CD-ROM into the CD-ROM drive, and then restart the computer.

Click to select any options that are required to start the computer from the CD-ROM drive if you are prompted.
2. When the "Welcome to Setup" screen appears, press R to start the Recovery Console.
3. If you have a dual-boot or multiple-boot computer, select the installation that you must access from the Recovery Console.
4. When you are prompted, type the Administrator password. If the administrator password is blank, just press ENTER.
5. At the command prompt, type commands one at a time.

chkdsk c: /r

You really should have a current liveCD of the same verison of Ubuntu has you have installed.

#From liveCD so everything is unmounted,swap off if necessary, change sda3 to your partition(s)
#e2fsck is used to check the ext2/ext3/ext4 family of file systems.
sudo e2fsck -C0 -p -f -v /dev/sda3
#if errors:
sudo e2fsck -f -y -v /dev/sda3

[dbeloved]

Did you run boot script from your 7.10 liveCD? That may have have had the NTFS drivers to 'see' sda1. It says sda3 is ext3 but if you installed ext4 then the 7.10 would not have drivers for that either.

But script is saying it cannot mount the NTFS & your main Linux partitions. That could be the missing drivers or you need chkdsk on the NTFS partition, and fsck on the Linux partition, or a failing hard drive.

First try using your XP install disk and run chkdsk on the c: partition.
XP CD fixboot
http://www.ehow.com/how_4891476_reinstall-xp-bootloader.html
Description of the Windows XP Recovery Console for advanced users list of commands
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314058/
To run the Recovery Console from the Windows XP startup disks or the Windows XP CD-ROM, follow these steps:
1. Insert the Windows XP startup disk into the floppy disk drive, or insert the Windows XP CD-ROM into the CD-ROM drive, and then restart the computer.

Click to select any options that are required to start the computer from the CD-ROM drive if you are prompted.
2. When the "Welcome to Setup" screen appears, press R to start the Recovery Console.
3. If you have a dual-boot or multiple-boot computer, select the installation that you must access from the Recovery Console.
4. When you are prompted, type the Administrator password. If the administrator password is blank, just press ENTER.
5. At the command prompt, type commands one at a time.

chkdsk c: /r

You really should have a current liveCD of the same verison of Ubuntu has you have installed.

#From liveCD so everything is unmounted,swap off if necessary, change sda3 to your partition(s)
#e2fsck is used to check the ext2/ext3/ext4 family of file systems.
sudo e2fsck -C0 -p -f -v /dev/sda3
#if errors:
sudo e2fsck -f -y -v /dev/sda3

I am looking at your post, thanks.

But I have an issue, the Windows XP installation disk I have is not giving an option of repair. It just saw the Windows XP partition as unallocated.

Yes I used the Ubuntu 7.10 Live CD. I think I will look through my archive to use Ubuntu 10 for the next line of action.
Hope Ubuntu 10 Desktop Edition would be ok since I installed Server Edition initially i.e. 10.04

I am thinking I should use the Testdisk! What do you think. I already have it downloaded on my flash drive.

Thanks and great work helping out.

[oldfred]

I like testdisk for recovering partitions. Yours look ok, but need repair. Teskdisk also has a function to restore backup partition boot sector - PBR or create a new boot sector. If Windows disk is not seeing the c: drive then that may be a problem.

This was for those who installed grub to the PBR but you can use it to check if the PBR or backup PBR are valid. If backup is valid you then can restore it.

Fix for most, a few have other issues, better than windows fix in many cases as it also fixes other parameters:

This has instructions on using testdisk to repair the install of grub to the boot sector for windows from Ubuntu or Linux LiveCD.
http://sourceforge.net/apps/mediawiki/bootinfoscript/index.php?title=Boot_Problems:Boot_Sector

Instructions
http://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/TestDisk_Step_By_Step
http://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/Menu_Analyse
http://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/TestDisk:_undelete_file_for_NTFS