Did I delete Windows during Ubuntu installation?

[carpenter.katie.e]

Hi all,

I am an absolute Ubuntu newbie, so please bear with me. I believe I accidentally deleted Windows from my computer. Here's what I did:

1. I had Ubuntu 12.04 and Windows 7 installed side by side.
2. I installed Ubuntu 13.10 onto a USB to boot and upgrade (because wireless didn't work in 12.04).
3. When I switched the boot order in BIOS, instead of just changing the order, I made the USB the first boot option and accidentally disabled the second option, which would have been my SSD.
4. I installed the Ubuntu upgrade using the USB.
5. When I started up my computer without the USB, I got the "error: file not found grub rescue>" message.
6. I booted again from the USB, connected to the internet and ran Boot Repair PPA.
7. When I rebooted my computer without the USB, the only option in grub is Ubuntu, which works fine without the USB (hooray!), but I see no Windows 7.

When I run


sudo fdisk -lu

here is what I get:


Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 63 140101797 70050867+ 7 HPFS/NTFS/exFAT
/dev/sda2 232187445 250067789 8940172+ 1c Hidden W95 FAT32 (LBA)
/dev/sda3 140103678 232185855 46041089 5 Extended
/dev/sda5 140103680 223997951 41947136 83 Linux
/dev/sda6 224000000 232185855 4092928 82 Linux swap / Solaris

Another thing: if I do need to reinstall Windows....I don't have a CD drive. Any other options?

Thanks so much for any help!

[Bashing-om]

carpenter.katie.e Hello ;

From that output, windows is still alive and well.

Try this:
boot up ubuntu to the desk top, key combo ctl+alt+t -> terminal:

Enter terminal commands:


sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get upgrade
sudo update-grub

update to sync your data base with that of the mirror (package management system);
upgrade to insall the updated versions of all packages on your system
update-grub to activate os-prober and hunt up Windows and chainload the Window's boot loader to that of grub.

Reboot the system and see if Windows now appears in the grub boot menu.



ain't nothing but a thing

[carpenter.katie.e]

That worked! What a relief. Thank you so much, Bashing-om.

[Bashing-om]

carpenter.katie.e; Great !

It is all in knowing how ( hey, I had great teachers !).

As this little episode is a success story and is now concluded, please mark this thread as solved: 1st post -> thread tools .


just keep on


keep'n on