cannot dual boot

[ikki_72]

i installed ubuntu 12.04 on a second hard disk


$ sudo fdisk -l

Disk /dev/sda: 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
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x000af68f

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 2048 147914751 73956352 83 Linux
/dev/sda2 147916798 156301311 4192257 5 Extended
/dev/sda5 147916800 156301311 4192256 82 Linux swap / Solaris

Disk /dev/sdb: 80.0 GB, 80025280000 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 9729 cylinders, total 156299375 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x000dad98

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sdb1 * 2048 206847 102400 7 HPFS/NTFS/exFAT
/dev/sdb2 206848 156297215 78045184 7 HPFS/NTFS/exFAT


after setting on bios to boot to second hard disk, i ran

$ sudo os-prober
$ sudo upgrade-grub

after changed hiden grub to timeot 5 second, i'm able to select windows 8 but it only get to windows loading and then it restarts

directly booting first hard disk to boot windows 8 successfully boots into windows.

below is my windows menuentry done by os-prober


### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/30_os-prober ###
menuentry "Windows 8 (loader) (on /dev/sdb1)" --class windows --class os {
insmod part_msdos
insmod ntfs
set root='(hd1,msdos1)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 38A0A8BFA0A884CA
drivemap -s (hd0) ${root}
chainloader +1
}
### END /etc/grub.d/30_os-prober ###

when i tried to change it, sudo update-grub changed it back to above entries

had i missed any step?

[ikki_72]

i tried editing /etc/grub.d/40_custom


#!/bin/sh -e
exec tail -n +3 $0
# 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.
echo "Adding Windows 8 to GRUB 2 menu"
cat << EOF
menuentry "Windows 8" {
set root=(hd0,1)
chainloader (hd0,1)+1
}
EOF

got some error when updating grub


$ sudo update-grub
Generating grub.cfg ...
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-3.2.0-29-generic
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-3.2.0-29-generic
Found memtest86+ image: /boot/memtest86+.bin
Found Windows 8 (loader) on /dev/sdb1
error: syntax error.
error: Incorrect command.
error: syntax error.
error: line no: 162
Syntax errors are detected in generated GRUB config file.
Ensure that there are no errors in /etc/default/grub
and /etc/grub.d/* files or please file a bug report with
/boot/grub/grub.cfg.new file attached.
done

[pavitrabalse]

can we use 2 os system at the same time along with ubuntu????

[adityamagadi]

can we use 2 os system at the same time along with ubuntu????


yup thats pretty much possible !! and you are meaning to tell you wanna have totally 3 os's on your system??

[sudodus]

If it is a new system with Windows 8, you might succeed better with Ubuntu 12.10.

General tips:

Try the instructions in the following link to repair your system

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Grub2/Installing (https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Grub2/Installing)

In order to help we might need some more information about your system.

- Can you run the installed Ubuntu system at all?
- What computer is it? cpu, ram, bios or equivalent?

[oldfred]

You said you installed Ubuntu to second drive, but it is showing Ubuntu as sda & Windows as sdb. If SATA drives that usually is port order as read by BIOS.

So if Windows is sdb, it will be hd1 if you have grub in sda. But realize whichever drive you boot from with grub will be hd0, then drives are in port order (normally). I find my flash drives sometimes are anywhere in the order, just to keep me on my toes on which drive is which.

The old, original instructions on adding an entry to 40_custom were actually from a command line where you echo the text into a file. Then most were copy and pasting the echo command also and it worked, but the newest grub does not work with those (incorrect) commands. So remove the echo, cat & EOF commands on any entry to 40_custom.

Some have reported issues chain loading to Windows 8. It seems to have to do with its hibernation. Best not to hibernate any dual booted system anyway.

WARNING for Windows 8 Dual-Booters
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1953674
It defaults shutdown to a hybrid hibernation/off state for fast boot
http://www.kapilarya.com/how-to-enable-disable-fast-start-up-in-windows-8
But then files may be corrupted similar to Windows 7 Hibernation:
http://ubuntu-with-wubi.blogspot.ca/2012/09/windows-8-fast-start-and-hybrid-sleep.html
http://superuser.com/questions/144720/missing-files-when-windows-7-returns-from-hibernate-w-dual-boot

[ikki_72]

If it is a new system with Windows 8, you might succeed better with Ubuntu 12.10.

General tips:

Try the instructions in the following link to repair your system

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Grub2/Installing (https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Grub2/Installing)

In order to help we might need some more information about your system.

- Can you run the installed Ubuntu system at all?
- What computer is it? cpu, ram, bios or equivalent?

forgot to mention that my desktop is using mbr mode bios, not gpt

ubuntu is running ok when i choose to boot to second hdd (set it as first boot since bios cannot choose to boot to multiple hdd ordering)

CPU: AMD Athlon 64 X2 4600+
RAM: 4GB

a bit info on bios

# dmidecode 2.11
SMBIOS 2.5 present.
48 structures occupying 1721 bytes.
Table at 0x000FC060.

Handle 0x0000, DMI type 0, 24 bytes
BIOS Information
Vendor: MS-7309
Version: V1.9
Release Date: 08/31/2007
Address: 0xF0000
Runtime Size: 64 kB
ROM Size: 512 kB

$ sudo dmidecode -s bios-version
V1.9

ubuntu info


$ lsb_release -a
No LSB modules are available.
Distributor ID: Ubuntu
Description: Ubuntu 12.04.1 LTS
Release: 12.04
Codename: precise

$ uname -r
3.2.0-29-generic

[sudodus]

I am multi-booting Ubuntu alongside with Windows XP (came with the computer) and Windows 8 developer's preview in a computer of similar age. And I use several drives, so my situation is quite similar. My experience is that the SATA drive with Windows XP can be moved (to another SATA port and number) but the drive with Windows 8 cannot be moved if you want to boot it. So you should keep it as the first one, /dev/sda or (hd0).

However it is possible that there are some extra features in the final Windows 8 version, that makes it hard to dual boot.
Ubuntu 12.10 was developed later than 12.04, and should be better managing Windows 8. So if no luck with 12.04, consider installing 12.10 to succeed with dual booting.

But don't skip 12.04 yet. I suggest you try according to the following tips. And look carefully at oldfred's tips and links.

You de-activate 30_osprober like this

sudo chmod ugo-x /etc/grub.d/30_os-prober ###
and re-activate it again with

sudo chmod ugo+x /etc/grub.d/30_os-prober ###



below is my windows menuentry done by os-prober


### originally from /etc/grub.d/30_os-prober ###
menuentry "Windows 8 (loader) (on /dev/sdb1)" --class windows --class os {
insmod part_msdos
insmod ntfs
set root='(hd1,msdos1)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 38A0A8BFA0A884CA
drivemap -s (hd0) ${root}
chainloader +1
}
### END /etc/grub.d/30_os-prober ###

1. Add this (as is after the 'exec tail' statements) to

/etc/grub.d/40_custom

Make a backup copy after that


sudo cp /etc/grub.d/40_custom /etc/grub.d/40_custom0

Check that the backup copy is not executable!

and start tweaking it. I think that grub gets mixed up because you changed the wiring of the drives, so try to deactivate the drivemap command

# drivemap -s (hd0) ${root}

First make temporary tests 'live' at boot time in the grub menu (click 'e' to enter edit mode). You can also click 'c' to enter simple commands. For example

ls

will show you which drives there are, and help you identify which (drive,partition) is the windows one at boot time.

And when you have found what works to boot Windows, write that into

/etc/grub.d/40_custom

Edit: ... and run
update-grub

[ikki_72]

the thing is, i could not boot from hard disk if it had been configured as 2nd hdd on bios.

any other workround? configure grub on win 8?

i need 12.04 for steam linux. the only reason i'm using ubuntu instead of debian.

[sudodus]

the thing is, i could not boot from hard disk if it had been configured as 2nd hdd on bios.

any other workround? configure grub on win 8?

i need 12.04 for steam linux. the only reason i'm using ubuntu instead of debian.

Maybe this link will help

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Grub2/Installing (https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Grub2/Installing)

See for example the chapter about

Reinstalling GRUB 2 from a Working System

What you want to do is to install grub to the boot sector of the first HDD, /dev/sda (to the head of the drive, not to a partition). And you want it to point from there to /boot on the second drive, which should work if you swap the cables again so that the Windows drive is /dev/sdb, and run the following command

sudo grub-install /dev/sdX # Example: sudo grub-install /dev/sdb

Normally grub identifies the partition with its UUID, so that it will be found even after changing place and x in /dev/sdx for the drive.

[ikki_72]

thanks for guiding me on solving this problem sudodus
that method definitely worked

after i ran

sudo grub-install /dev/sdb
sudo update-grub

from within ubuntu, i set it to boot windows 8 hdd and grub shows
afterward i selected windows 8 and bam! it boots into windows 8 :D

[sudodus]

You are welcome :KS