Ubuntu

Installed Ubuntu, Can't Find Windows now!!!

Asked by Jon Smith

Hi, I installed Ubuntu yesterday from the boot CD, I am now quite panicked as I can't find any way to start my windows up now, I am 99.99% certain I chose the "resize IDE1 master, Partion#1 (HDA1) and use freed space" option during install and definately not an erase entire disk option, as such I expected to easily be able to choose which OS I wanted on load, but it just automatically loads into windows, now worried I have tried removed my hard drive and usbed it to another comp but it isn't showing up in my computer (I was gonna try and check to see if all my old files are there),

Can someone please help, tell me whether I have lost my copy of windows (and as such may have to buy a new one) and all my files? and if not, how to boot into windows.

many thanks

Jon Smith

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Jon Smith
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Revision history for this message
Jasa (jasajaser-me) said : 		#1

It seems that GRUB is not letting you access windows.
all you have to do is:
1. Put the Windows Vista installation disc in the disc drive, and then start the computer.
2. Press a key when you are prompted.
3. Select a language, a time, a currency, a keyboard or an input method, and then click Next.
4. Click Repair your computer.
5. Click the operating system that you want to repair, and then click Next.
6. In the System Recovery Options dialog box, click Command Prompt.
7. Type Bootrec.exe, and then press ENTER.

As for XP: type fixmbr instead of Bootrec.exe

Revision history for this message
Jon Smith (jon-smith-) said : 		#2

Thanks Jasa, I appreciate the prompt reply, I am using XP and don't have the XP disc, it came preinstall on my PC, all I have is a recovery disk that I was prompted to make when I first got my PC (I made it myself on a CD-R, wasnt provided by microsoft),

Revision history for this message
Tobias Wolf (towolf) said : 		#3

Do you mean that it automatically loads into Linux? If so, then can you see the Windows partition in Nautilus? If the Windows partition was preserved then it should be visible from Linux. You can use gparted (Partition Editor) to confirm how the partitions on your drive look now.

Revision history for this message
Jon Smith (jon-smith-) said : 		#4

I have sorted it, my windows partition got corrupted somehow during the installation so only Linux was bootable, that must have been why Grub wouldn't show the XP option so I dunno if thats useful to know for you guys, either way, it turns out that the recovery disk I was prompted to make when I first got the PC is a bloody miracle disc (eMachines rule!), is completely reinstalled windows for me, unfortunately all my old files were lost, but the only things I lost completely weren't important (beauty of the likes of Ipods and facebook) and my PC needed a big clean up anyway, so silver lining is my PC is now clean and free spaced.

thanks guys