Dual Boot on Spare Drive

I think you could try with Gparted. First use Synaptic (or another package manager, or type "sudo apt-get install gparted") to install gparted (on the live cd if a understood correctly, so it is always installed I think), and then start it. Right click on your ubuntu partition in the flags column, and click on "manage flags" and then check the "boot" box. Apply the changes, and restart.

gparted is not installed by default. It should be on the cd. ITs in the main repos.

Hi Folks,

Thanks for the responses. I've installed gparted but when I right-click on the manage flags column I don't get a "manage flags" option. The options I get are "Delete", "Copy", "Format to", "Resize/Move" and "Information" none of which allow me to set the flag. Any ideas?

Cheers,

Hammers

So try with Qtparted, click on the good disk, the good partition, right click and "activate". It should work...

That set the Ubuntu partition as active but now the windows partition isn't active. Plus when I try to boot to the Ubuntu partion I get "Error - operating system not found".

Is there something I'm missing to be able to boot to two different partitions and choose between them at start up?

Can you please give us your partition plan ? (How many parts you have, in which order on your disk)

I actually gave up in the end and started again - the major lesson learned -

install windows first then Ubuntu, that way Ubuntu seemlessy configures your MBR for you, where as windows as the second install deactivates your other partitions. That says it all really doesnt it:)

I forgot to say - thank you to everyone who looked at this.

If we can help, we help, I consider it as a usual attitude to have when we sign the Ubuntu code of conduct ;)

Happy that your problem is resolved. Don't hesitate to fill a new ticket the next time you have a question !

Nicolas, alias kalon33.

I'm envious! I'm limited to 80GB for both operating systems!

If I were you I'd split the second drive into a couple of partitions. Maybe 20GB to install Ubuntu in and then the rest as a FAT partition which you can make available to both windows and ubuntu. Otherwise you'll end up wanting to move data between the two all the time.

Hammers