[SOLVED] Dual-booting Ubuntu and XP, now won't boot

[TheJimtasticOne]

My set up is Windows XP and Ubuntu (8.10 AMD64) booting from separate partitions. I installed XP first, then ubuntu, with grub overwriting the windows MBR. Grub was booting into ubuntu fine, but when I tried booting into XP, the following messages came up:
"Starting up...
GRUB loading stage2"

I thought maybe grub hadn't installed correctly, so I booted a livecd and used a terminal to reinstall grub. Nothing changed. Then I tried using the XP install disk to rewrite the MBR ("FIXMBR" in the recovery console). Now when my machine boots, all it says is "GRUB" at the top of the screen. Then the only thing I can do is reboot. Has anyone got any idea how I can fix this?

[oilchangeguy]

the correct way to fix windows boot record is as follows:
boot from the windows cd, enter the recovery console, at the prompt type fixboot and press enter, then type fixmbr and press enter, then type exit and press enter. it should boot into windows.

[TheJimtasticOne]

OK thanks, I'll try that.

[TheJimtasticOne]

Well, I'm back to where I started now. fixboot and fixmbr restored the boot sector to the way it was before I installed ubuntu, so windows just loaded up normally. Then I tried to reinstall grub, and I'm back to where I started: I boot up, grub menu appears, select windows, this message comes up:
"Starting up ...
GRUB Loading stage2 .."
and nothing else happens.

Ubuntu loads as normal.

What I'm thinking is that the starting up... message usually comes from windows (I think?) and the gRUB message is obviously from GRUB, so maybe the two bootloaders got mixed up with each other?

[caljohnsmith]

When you are in Ubuntu, how about posting the output of:

sudo fdisk -lu
cat /boot/grub/menu.lst
And we can work from there.

[TheJimtasticOne]

Hokeydokey, sudo fdisk -lu gives:


Disk /dev/sda: 250.0 GB, 250059350016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 30401 cylinders, total 488397168 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x0000dc7e

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 63 83891429 41945683+ 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda2 83891430 167782859 41945715 83 Linux
/dev/sda3 167782860 251674289 41945715 83 Linux
/dev/sda4 251674290 488392064 118358887+ 5 Extended
/dev/sda5 251674353 477901619 113113633+ 83 Linux
/dev/sda6 477901683 488392064 5245191 82 Linux swap / Solaris

Disk /dev/sdb: 81.9 GB, 81964302336 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 9964 cylinders, total 160086528 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x3ba14fc9

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sdb1 51199155 96116894 22458870 83 Linux
/dev/sdb2 96116895 160071659 31977382+ 5 Extended
/dev/sdb5 96116958 155878694 29880868+ 83 Linux
/dev/sdb6 155878758 160071659 2096451 82 Linux swap / Solaris


And cat /boot/grub/menu.lst gives all this lovely stuff:


# 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/green red/black

#A splash image for the menu
#splashimage=/boot/grub/splashimages/86703-ubuntu_colors.xpm.gz

## 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=ecdb2c3f-56e1-41a0-a01c-76881d0bacb6 ro

## default grub root device
## e.g. groot=(hd0,0)
# groot=ecdb2c3f-56e1-41a0-a01c-76881d0bacb6

## 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 vga=769

## 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=1

## 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=true

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

## ## End Default Options ##

title Ubuntu 8.10, kernel 2.6.27-7-generic
uuid ecdb2c3f-56e1-41a0-a01c-76881d0bacb6
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.27-7-generic root=UUID=ecdb2c3f-56e1-41a0-a01c-76881d0bacb6 ro quiet splash vga=769
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.27-7-generic
quiet

title Ubuntu 8.10, kernel 2.6.27-7-generic (recovery mode)
uuid ecdb2c3f-56e1-41a0-a01c-76881d0bacb6
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.27-7-generic root=UUID=ecdb2c3f-56e1-41a0-a01c-76881d0bacb6 ro single
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.27-7-generic

title Ubuntu 8.10, memtest86+
uuid ecdb2c3f-56e1-41a0-a01c-76881d0bacb6
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 an existing
# linux installation on /dev/sda1.
title Ubuntu 8.04.1, kernel 2.6.24-19-generic (on /dev/sda1)
root (hd0,0)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.24-19-generic root=UUID=dba55e87-acb2-40de-bb16-da94a6742e66 ro quiet splash
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.24-19-generic
savedefault
boot


# This entry automatically added by the Debian installer for an existing
# linux installation on /dev/sda1.
title Ubuntu 8.04.1, kernel 2.6.24-19-generic (recovery mode) (on /dev/sda1)
root (hd0,0)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.24-19-generic root=UUID=dba55e87-acb2-40de-bb16-da94a6742e66 ro single
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.24-19-generic
savedefault
boot


# This entry automatically added by the Debian installer for an existing
# linux installation on /dev/sda1.
title Ubuntu 8.04.1, kernel 2.6.24-18-generic (on /dev/sda1)
root (hd0,0)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.24-18-generic root=UUID=dba55e87-acb2-40de-bb16-da94a6742e66 ro quiet splash
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.24-18-generic
savedefault
boot


# This entry automatically added by the Debian installer for an existing
# linux installation on /dev/sda1.
title Ubuntu 8.04.1, kernel 2.6.24-18-generic (recovery mode) (on /dev/sda1)
root (hd0,0)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.24-18-generic root=UUID=dba55e87-acb2-40de-bb16-da94a6742e66 ro single
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.24-18-generic
savedefault
boot


# This entry automatically added by the Debian installer for an existing
# linux installation on /dev/sda1.
title Ubuntu 8.04.1, memtest86+ (on /dev/sda1)
root (hd0,0)
kernel /boot/memtest86+.bin
savedefault
boot


# This entry automatically added by the Debian installer for a non-linux OS
# on /dev/sdb1
title Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
root (hd1,0)
savedefault
map (hd0) (hd1)
map (hd1) (hd0)
chainloader +1
Did I paste that right, or is there a scrolly thing you can use so it takes up less space?

By the way, /dev/sda is a 250GB SATA hard drive, and /dev/sdb is an 80GB IDE. You may find they're swapped around in menu.lst, there was some way of getting them to swap round but I don't think menu.lst has that.

[caljohnsmith]

OK, so if Windows is on the same drive as Ubuntu, you just need a slightly different entry for Windows in your menu.lst. Begin by opening the menu.lst with:

gksudo gedit /boot/grub/menu.lst
And at the bottom of the file, replace the existing Windows entry with:

title Windows XP
root (hd0,0)
chainloader +1
Give that a shot and let me know exactly what happens when you choose Windows from your Grub menu. :)

[TheJimtasticOne]

Boots up windows like nothing ever happened apart from one thing: it doesn't respond to moving the mouse, clicking or typing on the keyboard (not even Ctrl+Alt+Del). Only thing it responded to was pressing the power button. I don't know if this was related, could you shed some light on it?

I think I know what happened with the booting, though, because the 80gb IDE drive used to have ubuntu and windows on it, so the new grub was probably trying to load the old bootloader instead of windows on the new drive.

[caljohnsmith]

Well, I'm back to where I started now. fixboot and fixmbr restored the boot sector to the way it was before I installed ubuntu, so windows just loaded up normally.
You mentioned the above previously; so when you booted directly into Windows, did the keyboard and mouse work?

[TheJimtasticOne]

Yes, but that was with the windows bootloader. Should I try again and see if they work properly this time? I think one of the commands I deleted from menu.lst - perhaps savedefault - might have been responsible for this. But it may have just been anomalous.

[caljohnsmith]

Yes, but that was with the windows bootloader. Should I try again and see if they work properly this time? I think one of the commands I deleted from menu.lst - perhaps savedefault - might have been responsible for this. But it may have just been anomalous.
The "savedefault" line only sets it so Grub will default to booting Windows next time on start up, and it only works if you have "# savedefault=true" in your menu.lst. If it's not too much trouble, yes, please try again with the Windows MBR (using "fixmbr") to see whether there really is a difference.

[TheJimtasticOne]

I tried it again (with grub) and it works fine now. I don't know what happened but if it's not going to happen again that's fine by me :) thanks guys.

[caljohnsmith]

Glad to hear it's working. Cheers and have fun. :)

[meierfra.]

The "savedefault" line only sets it so Grub will default to booting Windows next time on start up, and it only works if you have "# savedefault=true" in your menu.

Not quite right. "savedefault" only works if you have "default saved" in menu.lst.
"savedefault=true" tells "update-grub" to add "savedefault" to the ubuntu items in menu.lst.

[caljohnsmith]

Not quite right. "savedefault" only works if you have "default saved" in menu.lst.
"savedefault=true" tells "update-grub" to add "savedefault" to the ubuntu items in menu.lst.
You're right, I wasn't remembering correctly. Thanks for clarifying that.