Dual Boot on Two Drives

[Pitt Stains]

Oh boy, this is embarrassing. It seems my keyboard was plugged into my mouse port. Not sure how that happened... miracle Ubuntu recognized it at all!

But now I have a new problem. When I select the Windows boot, I get:

Error 11: Unrecognized device string.

Here are the results of sudo fdisk -l:

Disk /dev/hda: 40.0 GB, 40027029504 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 4866 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/hda1   *           1        4679    37584036   83  Linux
/dev/hda2            4680        4866     1502077+   5  Extended
/dev/hda5            4680        4866     1502046   82  Linux swap / Solaris

Disk /dev/hdb: 40.0 GB, 40027029504 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 4866 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/hdb1   *           1        4110    33013543+   7  HPFS/NTFS

Here's what I've added to /boot/grub/menu.lst:

title		Windows NT/2000/XP (loader)
map		(hd0,0)(hd1,0)
map		(hd1,0)(hd0,0)
rootnoverify	(hd1,0)
makeactive
chainloader +1

Thanks for your help!

[Pitt Stains]

I should also mention that my version of BIOS doesn't support the ESC option that has been written about in this thread. I've been manually plugging and unplugging my hard drives between boots!

[confused57]

Don't know if you've seen this option:
http://www.ubuntuforums.org/showthre...light=dualboot

[Pitt Stains]

Don't know if you've seen this option:
http://www.ubuntuforums.org/showthre...light=dualboot

Thanks for the link. Somewhere in the thread I read a comment by someone warning everyone at home to make sure to include a space between the hd values in the mapping section.

I.e.,

GOOD

map		(hd0,0) (hd1,0)
map		(hd1,0) (hd0,0)

BAD

map		(hd0,0)(hd1,0)
map		(hd1,0)(hd0,0)

Yay! Thanks to everyone who helped.

[Chazall1]

I have a question, or question,s. I have been using Ubuntu for about 1 year and have had many of the GRUB and other configuring frustrations along the way. I have learned allot. I am currently Dual Booting WinXP and Ubuntu Edgy 6.10 on a single HD and would like to convert to using 2 HD's. I have read this thread and I have made sence out of it. I know I have to fixMBR and remove Ubuntu on my current HD. I do not want to start over in Edgy with a fresh install on the new HD!!!
I do have Backup Images of Both OS's, 1st Question, Can I install my Ubuntu Image to the New HD? I do have / and /Home. Or would all the hda info not match up when the Image restored, thus not being able to configure?
Can I follow Anaconda's and bulldogs sugestions to set up a 2HD boot system with using my Image of Ubuntu?
Any suggestion, or should I do a fresh install and copy my /Home Image to the new Install?
Has anyone tried this!!!!!!!!
Thanks

[mxreader]

Having been so explicit with my instructions during Ubuntu's setup, I was furious to find that not only did Ubuntu write to a totally different drive without my permission, but there was not even so much as a comment or notification saying that this was going to happen.

Anyway, Grub was installed to my Windows drive and I could no longer boot into Windows. I have no idea why, but no matter what I did it just would not work.

Yep, same here. I got XP on the master IDE and a SATA dedicated for Ubuntu. On installing Ubuntu I never wanted Ubuntu to touch the Windows drive MBR, but it did without warning or giving me clear idea that it would do this. Fortunately for me I was able to select and boot XP from the grub whilst Ubuntu do not boot, which is fine, and at least enabled me to continue productive work.

[la3875]

I like how you started and think you can succeed with keeping your installs and separating them to two drives. I think I would first disconnect the existing drive with both systems on it and take the Ubuntu image and install it to the new drive. Once that is complete you can edit grub for dual booting with windows. Try rebooting to make sure all is well with the new install.

After you complete that I'd disconnect the new drive and set it aside and reinstall the drive with both systems installed. I think you could fix the MBR and wipe the Ubuntu partition. Once that's complete, again restart to make sure the windows install is still good. If not reimage the drive with your window backup image. Once confirming all is well. shutdown again.

Finally, reinstall the drives with the Ubuntu system as master and windows as slave and you should be good to go!

Best of luck! Let us all know how it turns out.

[mxreader]

la3875, I presume you are answering one of the above posts and not mine. Right?

Anyway I need some advise about what to do with my screwed up configuration.
ATA master has XP, the MBR has grub inserting itself in it
SATA has Ubuntu 6.0.6 LTS, but that does not boot properly, it comes up with the failed mounting filesystem problem.

I can use a live CD and got this
sudo fdisk -l output:

Disk /dev/hda: 80.0 G....
Device Boot Start....
/dev/hda1 * ...........................HPFS/NTFS
/dev/hda2 .............................W95 Ext'd (LBA)
/dev/hda5 .............................HPFS/NTFS
/dev/hda6 .............................HPFS/NTFS

Disk /dev/sda: 80.0 G....
Device Boot Start....
/dev/sda1 * ...........................Linux
/dev/sda2 .............................Extended
/dev/sda5 .............................Linux swap...

however I cannot seem to get to the grub file. I dont know enough about linux commands to go further to diagnose this. Help.

[la3875]

[QUOTE

however I cannot seem to get to the grub file. I dont know enough about linux commands to go further to diagnose this. Help.[/QUOTE]

Yes I was looking more at Chazall1's issue. I'm know I'm not the right person to answer this as I'm still new to this myself, but I can point you to some resources that might help. I've found in my short time here that the answer usually exists, you just need the right search or right person to come along and point you in the right direction.

If you have not seen these already, I've found them to be invaluable resources for setting up dual-boot and other useful functions. In addition if you search the forum for "edit grub" and I think if you go back to the beginning of this thread you will find the grub edit references as well.

Anyhow, give these a look and be patient and methodical and I'm sure you'll get the result you want.

http://www.psychocats.net/ubuntu/partitioning
http://users.bigpond.net.au/hermanzone/

All the best.

[Ghot]

Ive only toyed with Ubuntu....I have live CD's for versions 5.x, 6.x and now 7.x............

As I understand it....Linux and by default Ubuntu is an open source OS. Why after so long....do we still have MBR issues? I mean like updating the kernel in Ubuntu leaves tracks of the older kernel upgrades.....why doesnt someone fix this? I admit I'm a windows guy at heart (except VISTA :/) but i WANT to use Ubuntu becoz I believe it is a better OS. Untill these live CD's start dealing with all the MBR crap....you are hurting your own community...itll scare ppl off.

What I expected to SEE when I installed Ubuntu for dual boot along side WinXP Pro was: when i boot system I SHOULD see:

Microsoft Windows XP Professional
Ubuntu


I dont want to see: kernel
kernel
kernel
Microsoft Windows XP Professional

This does NOT make people WANT to switch O.o I shouldnt HAVE to go back and fix the boot.ini to make it do what it should do all by itself. Further ANY messing around with the MBR is just silly...Windows dont LIKE it when you mess with the MBR.

Isnt there a way these issues could be resolved solely by/on the Live CD?????? (w/o user intervention)

I have 2 HD's but BIOS switching is nutz and Ubuntu's trait of leaving all the past kernal upgrades on the OS choices menu is just sloppy.......lastly Windows was on there 1st and should be 1st on list....

I KNOW this isn't how Windows works....BUT.....you want the world to Linux...then you gotta do it ...BETTER than Windows did. (and yes I know that if I install Ubuntu first, then XP Pro that most of these issues dont occur. But I want my cake and to eat it TOO!

There should be NO reason that I should ever HAVE to consider these things....Windows messed up the dual boot issue for all but Windows OS's...maybe YOU guys can fix that so the NEXT Ubuntu release...will put itself 2nd on the OS choice list (automatically) and when u update Ubuntu it should erase the previous entries....(automatically) I guess if I upgrade the kernel enough times, I'll soon have a ...scroll bar ???? on my OS choices screen??? : )

This Ubuntu is a great alternate OS, in fact, its (ssshhh) better than Windows.....BUT, if it ain't idiot proof..then Windows will win in the end ^^

And I don't want to see THAT day