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Antoine_PURNELLE
February 2nd, 2014, 01:52 PM
I the Dell Inspiron 17R SE laptop with 3 disks :


sda : 128 GB SSD SATA III
sdb : 750 GB HDD SATA III
sdc : 240 GB SSD mSATA III


I want to have Windows 7 on sbc because it needs a lot of space. I managed to do that but since the mSATA isn't recognized by the BIOS as a boot device, the 100MB system partition has been placed on sda. After that, I wanted to install Ubuntu on sda. I used gparted to create the necessary partitions without touching the 100MB one and installed the system. After that, my computer loops on the BIOS. I tried several things that I found on the internet but nothing worked. Actually, I didn't seem to find someone who was trying to do something like this.
I have used Windows Repair to be able to boot Windows but I really want to be able to do this configuration.
I don't have a problem with erasing Windows to start with a perfectly clean computer. I don't really know what do to here. Should I install Ubuntu first then Windows, is there something to do with a live CD (other than just installing Ubuntu)?
Thank you for the help. It will be much appreciated. :)

PS : I hope that I posted my thread at the right place and respected the rules. I also hope that I am clear enough.

fantab
February 2nd, 2014, 05:30 PM
Boot with Ubuntu Live DVD, then 'Try Ubuntu without Installation'. Open Terminal [ctrl+alt+T], run the following commands and post their output here.


sudo parted -l
sudo fdisk -l

oldfred
February 2nd, 2014, 05:58 PM
Did you install Windows 7 in BIOS or UEFI mode. DVD only installs in BIOS, but you can convert flash drive to UEFI if desired.
Windows 7 in BIOS mode will default to another 100MB boot partition and put that on the drive that BIOS is set to boot from. Can you not boot at all from msata drive? Most systems seem to just see it as another drive. Or did mdata still have RAID meta-data left over from Intel SRT that caused boot issues?

some other Dell threads.
Dell XPS 8700 with Intel SRT - Install 13.10 - just change UEFI to AHCI mode
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2199382
Dell Inspiron 3521
http://www.everydaylinuxuser.com/2013/09/install-ubuntu-linux-alongside-windows.html
Ubuntu on the Precision M3800 or XPS15 Nov 2013
http://en.community.dell.com/techcenter/b/techcenter/archive/2013/11/14/ubuntu-on-the-precision-m3800.aspx
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/HardwareSupport/Machines/Laptops/Dell/XPS/15z
Dell 14z & 17r with Intel SRT
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2038121
Dell 17R Brightness
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2195650
Dell UltraBook - Instructions & Details in Post #15 & 16 Devine Shine
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2144853
Installing Ubuntu 12.10 x64 on Dell XPS 13 Alongside Windows from USB New user with Details post 10
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2108450
Dell Inspiron 17R SE - 12.04.2 but otherwise similar to XPS13 above
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2125701

Antoine_PURNELLE
February 2nd, 2014, 07:39 PM
Hi. Thank you both for your answers.

Here are the two outputs :

ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ sudo parted -l
Model: ATA OCZ-VERTEX4 (scsi)
Disk /dev/sda: 128GB
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/512B
Partition Table: msdos

Number Start End Size Type File system Flags
1 1049kB 106MB 105MB primary ntfs boot
2 107MB 128GB 128GB extended
6 107MB 119GB 119GB logical ext4
5 119GB 128GB 8589MB logical linux-swap(v1)


Model: ATA INTEL SSDMCEAC24 (scsi)
Disk /dev/sdb: 240GB
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/512B
Partition Table: msdos

Number Start End Size Type File system Flags
1 1049kB 240GB 240GB primary ntfs


Model: ATA ST9750420AS (scsi)
Disk /dev/sdc: 750GB
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/4096B
Partition Table: msdos

Number Start End Size Type File system Flags
1 1049kB 750GB 750GB primary ntfs
2 750GB 750GB 105MB primary ntfs


Model: PLDS DVDRWBD DS-6E2SH (scsi)
Disk /dev/sr0: 4700MB
Sector size (logical/physical): 2048B/2048B
Partition Table: mac

Number Start End Size File system Name Flags
1 8192B 24.6kB 16.4kB Apple
2 3669MB 3678MB 9306kB EFI



ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ sudo fdisk -l

Disk /dev/sda: 128.0 GB, 128035676160 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 15566 cylinders, total 250069680 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: 0x0002c62b

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 2048 206847 102400 7 HPFS/NTFS/exFAT
/dev/sda2 208894 250068991 124930049 5 Extended
/dev/sda5 233293824 250068991 8387584 82 Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sda6 208896 233293823 116542464 83 Linux

Partition table entries are not in disk order

Disk /dev/sdb: 240.1 GB, 240057409536 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 29185 cylinders, total 468862128 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: 0x003d975b

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sdb1 2048 468860927 234429440 7 HPFS/NTFS/exFAT

Disk /dev/sdc: 750.2 GB, 750156374016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 91201 cylinders, total 1465149168 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 4096 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 4096 bytes / 4096 bytes
Disk identifier: 0xd00a002d

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sdc1 2048 1464842239 732420096 7 HPFS/NTFS/exFAT
/dev/sdc2 1464842240 1465047039 102400 7 HPFS/NTFS/exFAT



@oldfred, using the Windows Repair Tool and the "bootrec /fixmbr" command, I can boot from the mSATA as I did before installing Ubuntu. Sadly, it only allows to boot on Windows (which is quite obvious).

oldfred
February 2nd, 2014, 08:48 PM
Did you install grub2's boot loader to the MBR of the Ubuntu drive? Then in BIOS choose to boot from that?

You can change where grub is installed only if you use Something Else or manual install. Or you can use Boot-Repair, but do not run auto fix as that just installs grub2's boot loader to every MBR. You want to use advanced, choose Ubuntu install partition and choose to install to the MBR of the ubuntu drive.

fantab
February 3rd, 2014, 03:22 AM
If you have fixed Windows boot (and had Ubuntu installed during this) then Windows would have messed with Grub boot files. You will need to reinstall Grub (http://howtoubuntu.org/how-to-repair-restore-reinstall-grub-2-with-a-ubuntu-live-cd).

Antoine_PURNELLE
February 3rd, 2014, 11:54 AM
It doesn't seem to be enough...

Here's what I did and the output :

ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ sudo mount /dev/sda6
mount: can't find /dev/sda6 in /etc/fstab or /etc/mtab
ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ sudo mount /dev/sda6 /mnt
ubuntu@ubuntu:~$
ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ sudo mount --bind /dev /mnt/dev && sudo mount --bind /dev/pts /mnt/dev/pts && sudo mount --bind /proc /mnt/proc && sudo mount --bind /sys /mnt/sys
ubuntu@ubuntu:~$
ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ sudo chroot /mnt
root@ubuntu:/# grub-install /dev/sda
Installation finished. No error reported.
root@ubuntu:/#
root@ubuntu:/# grub-install --recheck /dev/sda
Installation finished. No error reported.
root@ubuntu:/#
root@ubuntu:/# update-grub
Generating grub.cfg ...
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-3.11.0-12-generic
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-3.11.0-12-generic
Found memtest86+ image: /boot/memtest86+.bin
Found Windows 7 (loader) on /dev/sda1
Found Windows 7 (loader) on /dev/sdc2
done
root@ubuntu:/# exit && sudo umount /mnt/dev && sudo umount /mnt/dev/pts && sudo umount /mnt/proc && sudo umount /mnt/sys && sudo umount /mnt
exit

After that, same problem as before : the computer is stuck in a loop displaying the Dell logo then rebooting. Any idea please?

fantab
February 3rd, 2014, 12:59 PM
Install Boot-Repair (https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Boot-Repair) on Ubuntu DVD/USB, create and post the 'Bootinfo Summary', just post the LINK.

Antoine_PURNELLE
February 3rd, 2014, 01:22 PM
Here's my Bootinfo Summary : http://paste.ubuntu.com/6866858/
By the way, what's on sdb is copy of the Windows MBR partition that I made.

I don't think it is needed but here's my Bootinfo Summary before reinstalling grub : http://paste.ubuntu.com/6866848/

oldfred
February 3rd, 2014, 03:32 PM
You had Windows boot files in sda1 or 128GB drive in first BootInfo, but second does not show any. Did you delete them or did BootInfo report just not show them?

Are you Booting in BIOS boot mode from your UEFI/BIOS? The other 17R we have seen are UEFI systems, but you can boot in UEFI or BIOS mode. You also must have UEFI secure boot off as with secure boot on only secure boot systems will be allowed to boot. And no BIOS boot is secure boot.

The way Windows shows in first link, is that you installed Windows to sdb, but had BIOS set to boot from sda, so Windows put its boot partition on sda. Windows defaults boot to drive set as default in BIOS and then every install of Windows put boot files into the one primary partition with the boot flag or active partition as Windows calls it.

Antoine_PURNELLE
February 4th, 2014, 09:18 AM
Okay it is solved.

I deleted the 100MB Windows partition that I had in backup on the sdb, I completely erased the sda, even the Windows partition and created 2 primary partitions for Ubuntu : / and swap. Then, I reinstalled Ubuntu and now everything works perfectly. The grub found Windows on sdb and I can dual-boot without any problem.

Thank you very much fantab and oldfred. You helped me to better understand how it works. :D