Ubuntu and Windows 8 Dual Boot not working

[Gurinder25]

Hi there everyone,

My name is Gurinder Hans and this is my first post here. Recently I got into ssh, git and all this server stuff. So I decided to install Ubuntu 12.04 LTS because through the terminal you can run all these cool commands. So what I did was create a partition about 40gb and installed Ubuntu on it manually. I have also tried selecting the option 'Install Ubuntu alongside Windows 8 '. Also please note that I fresh installed Windows 8 too and my pc didn't come with Windows 8 pre installed. I have upgraded from Windows 7 which came pre installed with my pc. I have tried installing ubuntu and Windows 8 around 3 times (fresh install). The problem is that each time after I take out the installation usb and restart my computer my pc hangs on the oem screen for a while. It is ridiculously long and after when it gets to the ubuntu boot loader and I boot into ubuntu I have to use the keyboard to login and move around because the mouse doesn't get detected for around 5 mins. Everything else seems fine. Now on the windows side when I boot into windows and login I get an error saying unknown device found and it didn't give me any specific error but if you guys out there can help me find the solution to this it'd be really great because I love Ubuntu and want to run it along Windows 8 which I really like too Thanks. Also I have attached the windows 8 error that I get and hopefully it helps.

[oldfred]

I do not know Windows 8 errors, that may be for a Windows forum.
Is your system UEFI or BIOS. A few Windows 7 systems were UEFI, but most are BIOS with the 4 primary MBR partition limit. Did you install Windows 8 into another primary partition?

Best to see details.
Post the link to the BootInfo report that this creates. Is part of Boot-Repair:
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Boot-Info
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.
LighterWeight (Lubuntu based) Boot-RepairCD
http://sourceforge.net/projects/boot-repair-cd/files/

[Gurinder25]

Hey oldfed, So in order to do this, Should I install Ubuntu again? Also my system is BIOS and when I installed Windows 8 it was a clean installation by deleting all volumes and having one allocated space and then I let windows take care to create its primary and system reserved partition. After Windows 8 was installed then I installed Ubuntu 12.04 LTS. Right now I have done another fresh install of pc and only have Windows 8 running at the moment. I guess I could install Ubuntu one last time if needed.

[oldfred]

Often minor issues then that Boot-Repair can fix. Best to see what issues are and only then if issues not easily resolved a new install may be a good alternative since you have nothing to save.

Run the Boot-Info report to see what is where.

[Gurinder25]

So install UBUNTU?? or i can do this from Windows 8??? Also do you recommend a specific software to create a partition for Ubuntu because when i create one with windows built it disk manager i get an error while formatting the parititon.

Thanks,

Gurinder Hans

[oldfred]

I thought you already had partitions. Or were you installing wubi inside Windows?

NO never create partitions with Windows, but do use Windows disk tools to shrink Windows NTFS partition and reboot so it can run chkdsk and make repairs for its new size.
Have you used all 4 primary partitions? I hope you did not create partitions with Windows as it converts to dynamic which does not work with Linux.

Post this then from liveCd.
sudo fdisk -lu

[Gurinder25]

hey,

At the moment i only have Windows 8 installed and as usual windows creates two partitions one for OS and one for backup and boot repair so i only have two partitions.
How would you recommend creating a partition, because I think the whole problem is that the pc cant detect the other partition for ubuntu and when I had ubuntu installed and booted into windows 8 and went to my computer i couldn't see ubuntu's partition. Also i have creating no partition from windows or shrinking space and have let ubuntu installer take care of paritions by choosing option on installer "Install ubuntu alongside windows 8".

Thanks,

Gurinder Hans

[oldfred]

Part of the issue is that Windows 8 is hibernated all the time so you think it boots faster. The LInux NTFS driver will not let you work with Hibernated or NTFS needing chkdsk to prevent damage.

WARNING for Windows 8 Dual-Booters
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1953674
It defaults shutdown to a hybrid hibernation/off state for fast boot
http://www.kapilarya.com/how-to-enab...p-in-windows-8
But then files may be corrupted similar to Windows 7 Hibernation:
http://ubuntu-with-wubi.blogspot.ca/...rid-sleep.html
http://superuser.com/questions/14472...te-w-dual-boot
http://www.eightforums.com/

I prefer to partition in advance, but I want extra partitions. My standard suggestion.


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
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2021534

[Gurinder25]

Hey,

So this is what I should do.
1) Shrink about 50gb of space
2) Start ubuntu installer
3) Create three partitions
i) One partition for Linux OS to location '/' about 7gb
ii) Create another partition for files location '/home' about 30gb
iii) Create last partition as swap area and give it rest of the space

For partition 1 and 2 make them as primary and make third partition as logical?

Finally start the installation process?

Thanks,

Gurinder Hans

[oldfred]

You can make them all logical. I would make / (root) at least 10GB perhaps more if you have space. Swap only needs 2GB as I do not recommend hibernation.
Or for 50GB 2GB swap, 15GB / and the rest /home. But if dual booting with Windows you really need another NTFS shared data partition, but then Windows does not need as much room.

Sizes are not critical. My own optimal partitioning is not so good a year or two later as I find I change how I am using system and different uses need some partition changes. Usually by then I decide to get a new large drive.