XP Home no longer boots

If I try to go into safemode - the machine reboots too.

If you have the original XP Home disc, you may want to insert it and try to follow the "Repair Procedures." Alternatively, if you have system backup & restore wizard on, and you remember a date when your XP copy was legitimately working, attempt to restore it to that date.

I'll try the repair steps - the real question is why does the Ubuntu install break Win XP?

Chances are that you accidentally told Ubuntu to overwrite a section of the windows partition when you installed, that would be my guess. Other than that, Ubuntu has absolutely nothing to do with your windows partition. I would suspect that, with the exception of the partition issue mentioned earlier, that something else broke your windows.

Thanks tjagoda, that solved my question.

I did not mark this as solved...

Maybe I hit the wrong button -- my comment was the Ubuntu should be smart enough to not step on an already in place OS - particularly when someone brand new is installing it...

While that idea is well in concept - and is actually somewhat already implemented - Ubuntu cannot compensate for 100% of all possible occurrences. Ubuntu tells you if you're installing on a partition in which there is already an operating system present (I'm about 90% positive on this), and if you select "Guided" mode Ubuntu also does a fairly good job of not borking anything up.

Installing an Operating system is always a risky business. I'm still willing to wager that - if your XP install still boots in safe mode - that something inside of windows screwed windows up, and not anything to do with Ubuntu.

Right -- I used "Guided - use largest free space"...

I would look more carefully at your windows partition, then. Unless your XP partition ran out of space or something because Ubuntu literally used all the free space (which I dont believe happens), the problem is most likely windows-related and not ubuntu-mucked-up-windows related.

Yea -- something goofy is happening w/ this PC as it will not boot the windows xp CD (thought Ubuntu does boot fine - Thanks for all your efforts to help. Tom

Thanks again...