Vista SP1 wipes out grub/ubuntu on load

[art_s]

Hi all,

It's really weird, but:

I've installed Ubuntu (8.04) and on the first load got Grub screen with two Vistas listed.

If I select either of those, vista starts loading its system restore procedure, which end us displaying huge red ERROR word in some sort of broken window. And, of course, it dies.

Rebooting after that gives grub 22 or 17 error (I got different ones after couple of reinstalls).

If I don't load vista first and just start Ubuntu, it's all good.
But as soon as I try to load windows - it stuffs everything up.

Please help!

Thanks

[Pumalite]

Post:
sudo fdisk -l

[art_s]

Thanks for your uberprompt reply!

Disk /dev/sda: 250.0 GB, 250059350016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 30401 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x3bef74b8

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 1 1020 8192000 1c Hidden W95 FAT32 (LBA)
Partition 1 does not end on cylinder boundary.
/dev/sda2 * 1021 7313 50548522+ 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda3 7314 15823 68356575 83 Linux
/dev/sda4 15824 30402 117100090+ f W95 Ext'd (LBA)
/dev/sda5 16221 30402 113905664 7 HPFS/NTFS

[Pumalite]

Post:
cat /boot/grub/menu.lst (from sda3)

[art_s]

Post:
cat /boot/grub/menu.lst (from sda3)
Sorry, how do I do that?
Tried that in sudo grub,
it gave

"grub> cat /boot/grub/menu.lst

Error 12: Invalid device requested"

tried

grub> device /dev/sda3

Error 11: Unrecognized device string

[Pumalite]

Sorry;
sudo mkdir /media/sda3
sudo mount -t ext3 /dev/sda3 /media/sda3
cat /media/sda3/boot/grub/menu.lst

[art_s]

Actually, I think I managed to mount it... :)
Bot the file is pretty big though...

# menu.lst - See: grub(8), info grub, update-grub(8)
# grub-install(8), grub-floppy(8),
# grub-md5-crypt, /usr/share/doc/grub
# and /usr/share/doc/grub-doc/.

## default num
# Set the default entry to the entry number NUM. Numbering starts from 0, and
# the entry number 0 is the default if the command is not used.
#
# You can specify 'saved' instead of a number. In this case, the default entry
# is the entry saved with the command 'savedefault'.
# WARNING: If you are using dmraid do not use 'savedefault' or your
# array will desync and will not let you boot your system.
default 0

## timeout sec
# Set a timeout, in SEC seconds, before automatically booting the default entry
# (normally the first entry defined).
timeout 10

## hiddenmenu
# Hides the menu by default (press ESC to see the menu)
#hiddenmenu

# Pretty colours
#color cyan/blue white/blue

## password ['--md5'] passwd
# If used in the first section of a menu file, disable all interactive editing
# control (menu entry editor and command-line) and entries protected by the
# command 'lock'
# e.g. password topsecret
# password --md5 $1$gLhU0/$aW78kHK1QfV3P2b2znUoe/
# password topsecret

#
# examples
#
# title Windows 95/98/NT/2000
# root (hd0,0)
# makeactive
# chainloader +1
#
# title Linux
# root (hd0,1)
# kernel /vmlinuz root=/dev/hda2 ro
#

#
# Put static boot stanzas before and/or after AUTOMAGIC KERNEL LIST

### BEGIN AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST
## lines between the AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST markers will be modified
## by the debian update-grub script except for the default options below

## DO NOT UNCOMMENT THEM, Just edit them to your needs

## ## Start Default Options ##
## default kernel options
## default kernel options for automagic boot options
## If you want special options for specific kernels use kopt_x_y_z
## where x.y.z is kernel version. Minor versions can be omitted.
## e.g. kopt=root=/dev/hda1 ro
## kopt_2_6_8=root=/dev/hdc1 ro
## kopt_2_6_8_2_686=root=/dev/hdc2 ro
# kopt=root=UUID=ed761946-10e7-4c11-b295-3a7bbe5c6fc6 ro

## Setup crashdump menu entries
## e.g. crashdump=1
# crashdump=0

## default grub root device
## e.g. groot=(hd0,0)
# groot=(hd0,3)

## should update-grub create alternative automagic boot options
## e.g. alternative=true
## alternative=false
# alternative=true

## should update-grub lock alternative automagic boot options
## e.g. lockalternative=true
## lockalternative=false
# lockalternative=false

## additional options to use with the default boot option, but not with the
## alternatives
## e.g. defoptions=vga=791 resume=/dev/hda5
# defoptions=quiet splash

## should update-grub lock old automagic boot options
## e.g. lockold=false
## lockold=true
# lockold=false

## Xen hypervisor options to use with the default Xen boot option
# xenhopt=

## Xen Linux kernel options to use with the default Xen boot option
# xenkopt=console=tty0

## altoption boot targets option
## multiple altoptions lines are allowed
## e.g. altoptions=(extra menu suffix) extra boot options
## altoptions=(recovery) single
# altoptions=(recovery mode) single

## controls how many kernels should be put into the menu.lst
## only counts the first occurence of a kernel, not the
## alternative kernel options
## e.g. howmany=all
## howmany=7
# howmany=all

## should update-grub create memtest86 boot option
## e.g. memtest86=true
## memtest86=false
# memtest86=true

## should update-grub adjust the value of the default booted system
## can be true or false
# updatedefaultentry=false

## should update-grub add savedefault to the default options
## can be true or false
# savedefault=false

## ## End Default Options ##

title Ubuntu 8.04, kernel 2.6.24-16-generic
root (hd0,3)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.24-16-generic root=UUID=ed761946-10e7-4c11-b295-3a7bbe5c6fc6 ro quiet splash
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.24-16-generic
quiet

title Ubuntu 8.04, kernel 2.6.24-16-generic (recovery mode)
root (hd0,3)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.24-16-generic root=UUID=ed761946-10e7-4c11-b295-3a7bbe5c6fc6 ro single
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.24-16-generic

title Ubuntu 8.04, memtest86+
root (hd0,3)
kernel /boot/memtest86+.bin
quiet

### END DEBIAN AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST

# This is a divider, added to separate the menu items below from the Debian
# ones.
title Other operating systems:
root


# This entry automatically added by the Debian installer for a non-linux OS
# on /dev/sda1
title Windows Vista/Longhorn (loader)
root (hd0,0)
savedefault
chainloader +1


# This entry automatically added by the Debian installer for a non-linux OS
# on /dev/sda2
title Windows Vista/Longhorn (loader)
root (hd0,1)
savedefault
chainloader +1

[Pumalite]

Edit your menu.lst. Remove the first instance of Vista. Change to #groot=(hd0,2). Change the 'root' line of Ubuntu to (hd0,2). Save, exit, reboot.

[art_s]

Edit your menu.lst. Remove the first instance of Vista. Change to #groot=(hd0,2). Change the 'root' line of Ubuntu to (hd0,2). Save, exit, reboot.

I removed second instance of vista, leaving only this one:

title Windows Vista/Longhorn (loader)
root (hd0,1)
savedefault
chainloader +1

I also changed all Ubuntu instances to
root (hd0,2)

not sure what you mean on "#groot=(hd0,2)"

I restarted, but it didn't make a difference

[Pumalite]

How did you partition to create sda3?

[art_s]

How did you partition to create sda3?

I think I selected "manual" and created 70Gb partition for "/" and another 3Gb for swap.

I tried "use free space" setting when running install for the first time, but it got stuffed up in the same way

[Pumalite]

When you use Vista; you have to allocate free space for Ubuntu with the Vista partitioner. You cannot partition with the Ubuntu CD. Give thanks to Microsoft.

[ThaDiggler]

Got to http://www.supergrubdisk.org/ and make a super grub cd. It will guide you on how to repair your grub menu.

[art_s]

When you use Vista; you have to allocate free space for Ubuntu with the Vista partitioner. You cannot partition with the Ubuntu CD. Give thanks to Microsoft.

Damn I knew there was something wrong with that!
It didn't let me to resize vista partition to the size less than 40Gb, and I though I will fool it with Partition Editor... Damn!

Thanks for your help guys!

[Pumalite]

Good luck.