windows 7 xubuntu 12.04 dual boot issues

[Jpendragon]

A problem forced me to reinstall xubuntu. When I did, GRUB threw a hissy fit and was like "oh my god, I don't know what's going on!" so I tried every combination of reinstalling things like grub and the swap space, ect. Finally I just started from scratch and reinstalled windows. Then I followed http://www.linuxbsdos.com/2012/05/17...and-windows-7/ <<this person's instructions on how to get it to dual boot (although I shrunk the windows partition in windows and then added a FAT32 partition in Gparted to be my data partition). But when the installation was over, and it asked to restart my computer, it restarted into Xubuntu, not Windows (he predicted Windows).

I can access windows by pressing esc on the brand-name screen of my computer and navigating to the boot menu, where it gives me an option to boot windows or xubuntu (although it says ubuntu). How though do I get it to give me a menu (like grub used to, or like this guy says you can convert windows boot loader to)?


(((And side note, how do you tag old threads as [SOLVED], because I've never figured it out.)))

[oldfred]

Post link to BootInfo report.

Boot Repair -Also handles LVM, GPT, separate /boot and UEFI dual boot.:
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Boot-Repair
You can repair many boot issues with this or 'Create BootInfo' report (Other Options) & post the link it creates, so we can see your exact configuration and diagnose advanced problems.

And see link in my signature.

[Jpendragon]

Okay, I'm kinda sick of everything that's been complicating this. And I'm really confused and tired of trying to guess at all these things and f***ing up my harddrive. I don't care about the data or the partitions on my computer right now; they aren't working, and everything important has been backed up.

I want to dump everything on my drive and start over.

This is the configuration I want.

I have a 1Tb drive. I want to devote:
25% to Windows 7 Ultimate 64bit
10% to Xubuntu 12.04 (Unless there is a new, non-beta version)
65% to an extra partition that both windows and xubuntu can read/write on.

With two partitions for windows (the 100Mb system partition and the main one)
I want the /home folder on a separate partition for xubuntu, so with the boot partition and the swap partition (5 gigs), that will be four partitions
And then one partition at the end.
So a total of 7 partitions.

I want it so that either GRUB or (preferably) Windows Boot Loader to pop up when I turn on the computer and ask me whether I would like to run Windows 7 or Xubuntu.

I have a few concerns as well:
A past problem that occurred caused me to have old partition data interfering with new installations. I would like to avoid this because using fixparts was complicated and I don't remember how I did it.
Also, when I installed windows last time, and tried to shrink the partition, it wouldn't let me shrink it past 50% of the drive because of an immovable file, I will NEED for Windows to take up less than that amount of space, so I assume Windows will need to know ahead of time that it only has 25% of my drive to work with.

Please, if someone could give me step-by-step instructions on how to do what I want to do, that would be amazing. I know that it is asking a lot, but I've been working on partial advice and googling, and guessing this whole time, and it's just led to screw up after screw up and post after post on this website. This is literally the fifth post in a month I've had to make for this problem. I don't want to be coming back a week later. If this problem is solved, I am unlikely to have real problems for a very long time and I may finally be able to stop pestering you and leave you all alone.

[oldfred]

Windows default install is the two partitions with the first 100MB as a boot/repair partition. But if you create the NTFS partition in advance with the boot flag, it will just install to one partition. The main reason for two is so you can encrypt your main partition. A second reason is that you may be able to get into your repair partition, when the main partition needs repairs. But just create the Windows repairCD or USB and install Windows 7 to one NTFS partition. That should be sda1 and has to be a primary partition.

I usually only suggest using one more primary for data which can be NTFS and shared with Ubuntu.

The third primary then is the extended partition for the rest of the drive. Note that one primary is still available just in case you need another primary, but it may be difficult to reconfigure.

Then in the extended create / (root), /home, swap and any other data partitions you might want. all as logical partitons. I like to have an extra 25GB partition or two just so I can install the next version of Ubuntu and fully test it without eliminating my main install.

My standard suggestions.

For the Total space you want for Ubuntu:
Ubuntu's standard install is just / (root) & swap, but it is better to add another partition for /home if allocating over 30GB.:

Ubuntu partitions - smaller root only where hard drive space is limited.
If total space less than about 30GB just use / not separate /home or standard install.
1. 10-25 GB Mountpoint / primary or logical beginning ext4(or ext3)
2. all but 2 GB Mountpoint /home logical beginning ext4(or ext3)
3. 2 GB Mountpoint swap logical

Depending on how much memory you have you may not absolutely need swap but having some is still recommended. I do not hibernate (boots fast enough for me) but if hibernating then you need swap equal to RAM in GiB not GB. And if dual booting with windows a shared NTFS partition is also recommended. But you usually cannot create that as part of the install, just leave some space. Or partition in advance (recommended).
One advantage of partitioning in advance is that the installer will use the swap space to speed up the install. Thanks Herman for the tip.
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/DiskSpace

The vendor recovery DVDs are just an image of your drive as purchased. If you have housecleaned a lot of cruft normally included, run many updates with many reboots, and added software you may want a full back up.
Backup windows before install - post by Mark Phelps
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2040149
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1626990
http://www.macrium.com/reflectfree.asp
Another suggestion by srs5694
http://www.runtime.org/driveimage-xml.htm

Make your own Windows repairCD (not vendor recovery):
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-GB/w...em-repair-disc
http://forums.techarena.in/guides-tutorials/1114725.htm

Windows 7 repair USB, Also Vista if service pack installed
http://www.intowindows.com/how-to-re...tion-dvd-disc/
http://www.webupd8.org/2010/10/creat...usb-drive.html

Update:
We have seem some issues with large drives like yours and grub2. With old systems there was a BIOS limit that systems would not boot from partitions beyond 137GB. We seem to be seeing something similar with new systems. Not sure if bug in Grub2 or a BIOS setting emulating the old issue. Make sure / is smaller, may be better to have it right after Windows c: drive, and have NTFS shared data as a logical. Also make sure BIOS is set to AHCI. Seems to be more an issue where users install / as one very large partition so some of the grub files are close the start of the drive and some then may be way later on drive. So smaller / should also work.

[Jpendragon]

Okay.... so if I'm correct, step one would be to load a live USB of xubuntu, use GPARTED to make three partitions. Two primary as NTFS, the last one is extended into two ext4 partitions and one swap? (Two side notes, I can't figure out how to make an extended partition; is it acceptable to just make a bunch of partitions? And do I just not make a "boot" partition for grub to load itself on?)

Then install windows onto one NTFS primary.

Then install Xubuntu onto the appropriate ext4 partitions?

Will GRUB or Windows Boot Loader work then to help me choose the OS I want to use on startup?

[Jpendragon]

Gave it a shot as best I could, I created the NTFS partition and the windows installer said "Windows cannot install to this partition because it is GPT table" or something like that.

It's 64bit btw.

[oldfred]

Unless you have a new UEFI system you have to use MBR(msdos) as the partitioning. gpt is the new partition scheme which is required for drives over 2TB or with UEFI. Windows only works with gpt when using UEFI to boot.

Gparted should have defaulted to MBR with a drive of 1TB. Otherwise it is the first selection you have to make.

This screen shot is to show how to select gpt, but at the top is msdos which also is known as MBR. You need to select msdos. It is under device, create partition table, advanced. It should default to msdos.

If you just create partitions they will be primary until you create 4. Just create the first NTFS to the size you want for Windows, add boot flag and install Windows make sure it boots, do all the updates that you need and then back that up so you do not have to go thru all the updates again.

The vendor recovery DVDs are just an image of your drive as purchased. If you have housecleaned a lot of cruft normally included, run many updates with many reboots, and added software you may want a full back up.
Backup windows before install - post by Mark Phelps
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2040149
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1626990
http://www.macrium.com/reflectfree.asp
Another suggestion by srs5694
http://www.runtime.org/driveimage-xml.htm

Then create the additional partitions with gparted and install Ubuntu.

[Jpendragon]

I created a new partition table. I made the one with the proper boot flag, but I never saw anything about GPT or MBR. I'm booting the Windows disk now..... Okay, it has the same complaint. I'm going to try making the partition again...

Okay, I missed it the first time. MBR is not an option though. The default was MSDOS. (Other choices: aix, amiga, bsd, dvh, gpt, mac, pc98, sun, loop.) I'm gonna leave it with the default and see what happens. I'm gonna bet it won't work though.

Trying windows disk again. This time windows boot manager appeared and asked me what to boot from the disk. Only one choice, I think it was something like Windows [EMS enabled]. It still says it can't be installed there. "Windows cannot be installed to this disk. The selected disk has an MBR partition table. On EFI systems, Windows can only be installed on GPT disks.

...

.....

*headdesk*

-EDIT-
I decided to give a GPT partition table a shot just for the hell of it. So far there's been one difference: when managing flags, boot wasn't the top flag. One was Bios-grub, and another started with an A.

It says "Windows cannot be installed into this hard disk space. The partition is an EFI system partition (ESP)."

[waltclay]

I also crashed my dual boot while installing xubuntu. Learn the lesson: stay away from xubuntu.

[Jpendragon]

Well then I have a couple questions for oldfred, would you suggest ubuntu as apposed to xubuntu? Would it be easier for you to help me then? Is the panel in ubuntu customizable like it is in xubuntu? If I don't like the panel being on the left and want it on the bottom like on a mac (or on xubuntu for that matter).