BOOT FAILURE Press any key to continue...

I had installed ubuntu 8.10 on my system but it has messed up my system
I get "BOOT FAILURE Press any key to continue... " after intel screen
PLS HELP

It seems that you didn't install grub properly. Here is a good instruction on how to re-install it using a live CD:
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=224351

Good luck

This is what I get on terminal " [ Minimal BASH-like line editing is supported. For
         the first word, TAB lists possible command
         completions. Anywhere else TAB lists the possible
         completions of a device/filename. ]

grub> find /boot/grub/stage1

Error 15: File not found

grub> "

Hmmm, maybe you need to try reinstalling and make sure the ubuntu cd is made using this guide

http://www.ubuntulinux.org/getubuntu/download

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/BurningIsoHowto

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/BootFromCD

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/WindowsDualBoot

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/HowtoPartition

Hopefully a quick skim through most of those pages should show which areas you need to focus on
Good luck and regards from
Tom :)

This step is not necessary if you know which hard drive and partition you installed grub on. If you only have one hard drive on your system, it's hd0, and if you use the default ubuntu partition, the root partition is (hd0,0). This two commands should be enough to put grub on:
root (hd0,0)
setup (hd0)

However, this error usually means that the boot files are not in place. So the best way to do is to reinstall the whole system as suggested by Tom.

Dear Tom I have shipped cd from ubuntu and I have followed everything in
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/WindowsDualBoot

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/HowtoPartition

Also I have already insatalled the whole system 4 times , choosing a different partition to install grub to , each time .

Actually the problem lies in my D:
It is shown messed up in Gparted - partition editor
Here is a screenshot showing my hardisk in gparted [IMG]http://i42.tinypic.com/e13ww8.png[/IMG]

thanks plutino for reply but I am sorry I couldn't get what's your suggestion
Pls keep in mind that I am new to linux

Thank you

Wow. Yes i think sorting those partitions out is probably fairly important but can wait until later. You are using gparted from the LiveCd session of Ubuntu? Brilliant, nicely done :)

I think the easiest thing to do to get Ubuntu on your system is to just use our help in installing Ubuntu to sda4. It is a 10Gb, ext3 primary partition so it should be ideal for Ubuntu. I assume you have 1Gb Ram and/or a fairly fast Cpu? If not we can work-around that but let us know.

Basically just run through the installer but when you get to the Partitioning Section choose "Manual Partitioning" not "Guided" or anything as that will just get more confusing lol. Make sure that sda4 (the ext3 partition) has it's "Mount Point" set to "/" the / mark indicates where to put Ubuntu, where to put its roots ;)

Good luck and regards from
Tom :)

Make sure to let the Grub section, near the end of the installer process, write to the MBR. It needs to be on sda (or it might call it hda this time but that's the same thing) and it makes most sense to have the Grub files written to sda4 (or hda4, again it's the same thing)

Once you've installed Ubuntu and got the dual-boot working - then we can worry about the partitions and get things tidy again ;)

Ok, i've got fingers crossed for you
Good luck and regards from
Tom :)

dear Tom wrt your second last reply - Ubuntu is already sitting there in the 10 gb ext partition but my system doesn't boot

You had asked for my system specs - its c2d 2.33 processor,intelD G31 board , 2gb ram
                                                         And yes I had partitioned manually and set as "/"
wrt your last reply
 I have written before that I have already tried installing the bootloader to EVERY partition the option
BTW I had tried to repair my xp but both fixmbr and bootcfg commands didn't work
Then I tried to make a repair installation but it won't let me install untill I format
the corrupt partition.
Pls suggest a solution (don't say format) to my problem either in windows/linux

Thank you Tom for your replies
BTW I have installed ubuntu in my 2gb pendrive and I also have arranged a 40gb hardisk
May be that broadens the scope of your suggestions.

And yes to see what I exactly mean by repair chk this link http://pcsupport.about.com/od/fixtheproblem/ht/repairmbr.htm

and for repair installation chk this http://pcsupport.about.com/od/operatingsystems/ss/instxprepair1.htm

Ok, i know it's a lot of hassle but it looks like Ubuntu hasn't fully installed to the 10Gb partition. Usually the proper install takes up a lot more space than we can see taken up in the ext3 partition in http://i42.tinypic.com/e13ww8.png
which is a great link btw. It's really good to be able to see something that shows the problems so clearly. You can see how much space is used on each partition by seeing how much yellow there is filling each one.

I think this time you'll have more luck with the install because you've had some practice and also because we are here to help you now and we've had lots of practice too.

Each drive has only 1 MBR however many partitions it has. The machine uses it during the boot process to find out where the boot-loader is. When you switch the machine on it starts up booting the bios - the bios stage passes control to the MBR which then passes control to a boot-loader.

Don't try 'repairing' the drives MBR with Windows because doing so will definitely prevent being able to boot into Ubuntu - it restricts your bootup to the Windows option. Using the Windows boot-loader to dual-boot is exceptionally tough. Instead use the Ubuntu's 'Grub' boot-loader because the Grub-boot-loader is specifically designed to set-up dual-boots, particularly with Windows as one of the options. Some people even use grub instead of the Windows one when they only have Windows on their system (no linux's at all) because Grub is much more sophisticated and easier to use than the Windows "ntldr" boot-loader.

Please, please try installing Ubuntu again and this time make sure it writes to the MBR and saves the Grub boot-loader files onto sda 4. Before that part of the installer you will get to the partitioning section where it will be best for you to choose the "Manual Partitioning" option and set sda4's "Mount Point" to /

This will fix the boot-up problem for both Windows and Ubuntu, i am sorry to ask it of you but it's frustrating to see you sooo close, yet so far and i'm pretty sure this is going to be the fastest way to solve the problem by quite a long way.

Good luck and regards from
Tom :)

Linux's such as Ubuntu (but all the rest too) are designed to work in harmony with each other and with other OS's such as Windows and Mac and of course Unix and others too. We live in a world dominated by Windows so we have to be able to work with it. Windows carefully design their systems to be unable to work with other systems as part of a marketing ploy in order to retain its market dominance. The logic as to why it works is a bit baffling to me - just as most of marketing and politics is also.

Note that these are only my opinions and do not reflect the opinions of others such as Ubuntu or anyone else.

lol, actually it might be much better to install Ubuntu to sda2 by setting sda2's "Mount Point" to "/ (Root)" and reformat sda2 to into an ext3 primary partition all through the installers "Manual Partitioning" section. That would put Ubuntu nearer to the beginning of the drive and so it would run slightly faster.

Later you could remove the sda4 partition, give Windows the extra space. Then you could copy the data from sda5 back into the Windows partition (Linux is much faster at file transfers than Windows). That would enable you to delete sda5 and the weird Extended Partition. From a LiveCd you could then make a 2Gb Linux-swap Partition at the start of your drive and resize (and/or move) the Ubuntu partition to fill the space closer to the start of the drive and also resize the Windows partition so it completely fills the rest of your drive.

The ideas in that previous paragraph will all be much easier and faster once you have Ubuntu installed fully and properly either in front of the Windows partition or behind it. Either way is good.

Good luck and regards from
Tom :)

I don't know how the pen-drive install works, it certainly isn't enough space for all the big apps that Ubuntu normally has. I'll have to get a decent sized pen-drive and have a go. I really hope that when you've got Uubuntu working you have time to help us answer questions in here because it sounds like you are picking up a lot of much souhgt after knowledge through trying so many things out.

Thanks and regards from
Tom :)

I don't know how the pen-drive install works, it certainly isn't enough space for all the big apps that Ubuntu normally has. I'll have to get a decent sized pen-drive and have a go. I really hope that when you've got Uubuntu working you have time to help us answer questions in here because it sounds like you are picking up a lot of much sought after knowledge through trying so many things out.

Thanks and regards from
Tom :)

Sorry about my last post, but based on the partition image you posted, here is what you can try.

1. Do whatever you did to get to the "grub>" prompt as you posted in the third post.
2. Issue these commands after the grub> prompt, one by one.
grub> root (hd0,3)
grub> setup (hd0)
grub> quit
3. Reboot.

If these don't solve your problem, you will need to reinstall the whole thing as Tom suggested.

By the way, the proper size of a fresh-installed ubuntu is about 2.2GB, which means you have it on /dev/sda4.

Just read all your posts again and realized that you've installed it for 4 times. You have a rather unusual partition table. Usually the extended partition follows the primary ones, but yours have the first partition as extended. If the OS has specifically arranged this way, it's probably ok, but most of the cases this is a result of a messed up partition table.

Now, after you boot into the live CD, can you do "fdisk -l /dev/sda" and post the result here?

I suspect that your "D:" is a ghost image of "C:".

Probably my last post is also confusing, here is a simpler version:

1. forget about the grub stuff.
2. boot into the live CD, fire up a terminal window
3. type "fdisk -l /dev/sda" and post the result here. We will start from there to fix your partitions.

Thanks plutino
update : I borrowed a 40gb disk and recovered all the data of the corrupt partition onto it , using recovery software on the 40gb disk under xp
now I have formatted the corrupt partition and put xp on it , here is a screen of my harddisk now http://i40.tinypic.com/14jsx2e.png
Now the only problem remains is - HOW CAN I MAKE THE EARLIER WINDOWS INSTALL FUNCTIONAL AGAIN ?
I have already tried all possible measures through xp cd so suggest some software may be that can make an image of the windows install in 60gb partition and make it bootable.
thank you

Can you post the result of "fdisk -l /dev/sda" ? The windows partition seems to be intact, so if you are able to put a working grub on, you can bring it back. Or if you don't want to play with ubuntu any more, you can recover it with an windows installation disk.

It certainly looks as though all your data & the Xp is there on the hard-drive. Installing Ubuntu again properly to the sda4 would almost certainly fix this by fixing the mbr to point at grub which should also be on sda4. The grub should automatically pick-up on the Xp and make that an option in the dual-boot. Even if it doesn't we can then easily modify the grub-menu so that it would.

Just run through the installer but when you get to the Partitioning Section choose "Manual Partitioning" not "Guided" or anything like that as that will just add more confusion to the drive. Make sure that sda4 (the ext3 partition) has it's "Mount Point" set to "/" the / mark indicates where to put Ubuntu, where to put its roots. If you wanted then you could instead fit Ubuntu on the drive in front of Xp by choosing to install Ubuntu to the sda2 partition. Whichever partition you wanted to install Ubuntu too would need to be formatted to "ext3" rather than "ntfs". Even ext2 is a little bit old now as many of us are getting ready to move onto ext4 when it's ready.

https://help.ubuntu.com/8.04/installation-guide/i386/boot-troubleshooting.html

Note that any Windows software will be unable to repair the Ubuntu part of the bootup but the Ubuntu install will repair both the Xp and the Ubuntu options. There is another guide about halfway down this page
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/WindowsDualBoot

Please note that this is an Ubuntu Answers forum not a Windows Answers one and so we will give you answers how to solve these problems in a way that doesn't use the Xp discs - not only because that wouldn't work anyway.

Good luck from
Tom

To use Plutino's method you would still need to use the disc that isn't the Xp one. The Ubuntu disc can be used without installing anything to your machine at all. Just bootup with the Ubuntu Cd (not the Xp one) in the Cd drive and see if you can follow the bootup menu to the option that says something like "Try out Ubuntu without installing anything" or "Try Ubutu without making any changes to my hard-drive" it's quite complicated though especially because it's the default optin on the Ubuntu Cd. Here's a guide on how to do that
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/BootFromCD

That should get you to a working desktop with an install icon in the top right-hand corner which you can safely ignore. We call this a "LiveCd session". Go up to the top taskbar and click on

Applications - Accessories - Terminal

and into the terminal/command window/console type

fdisk -l /dev/sda

doing a right-click on the desktop gives you the option of creating a file which you'll need to rename something.txt - the ".txt" part is the critical bit there.

Good luck with this.

ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ sudo fdisk -l /dev/sda

Disk /dev/sda: 160.0 GB, 160041885696 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 19457 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0xefa1efa1

   Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 2 5099 40949685 f W95 Ext'd (LBA)
/dev/sda2 5100 10198 40957717+ 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda3 * 10199 18101 63480847+ 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda4 18102 19456 10884037+ 83 Linux
/dev/sda5 2 5099 40949653+ 7 HPFS/NTFS
ubuntu@ubuntu:~$

Your partition table seems ok, so I really don't know why you cannot boot to grub after installing Ubuntu. But here is an ugly solution to save your data. You will need your spare drive as temporary storage.

1. Boot to the live CD as you have done many times.
2. Open a terminal window, and mount partition /dev/sd5 by issuing the follow commands:
      ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ mkdir rescue
      ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ mount /dev/sd5 rescue
3. You can view the content of the /dev/sd5 partition in a file manager window, it's now the "rescue" folder in your "Home" folder. Now, if the stuff there is useful, you should plug in your external drive, and copy everything onto it. We are going to wipe this partition entirely.
4. After done the backing up, go back to the terminal window and unmount the partition and run gparted:
    ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ umount rescue
    ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ gparted
5. In Gparted, delete partitions /dev/sda5, /dev/sda1, /dev/sda2, /dev/sda4, in that order. I assume you don't have anything import in the newly installed XP partition (/dev/sda2)
6. Create a 10G ext3 *primary* partition at the very beginning of the hard drive, this will be you new ubuntu /root partition
7. Create a 2G swap *primary* partition immediate after the 10G one (the size should be slightly bigger than the amount of your RAM).
8. Move the NTFS partition (/dev/sda3, you original XP partition) next to the 2G partition so that all the unallocated space are at the end of the disk.
9. Create an extended partition with all the unallocated space.
10. Create a NTFS logical partitions in the extended partition using all the available space.
11. Have Gparted done its job. It will take long because of the last move operation.
12. After everything have done, and Gparted has shown you partition table as:
    /dev/sda1 - 10GB ext3, /dev/sda2 - 2GB swap, /dev/sda3 - 60GB NTFS, /dev/sda4 - 76GB, /dev/sda5 76GB
reboot and reinstall ubuntu.
13. Pay specially attention when you got to the partition page. Choose Manual partition as Tom suggested earlier. Then use /dev/sda1 as /root, and /dev/sda2 as swap. Format both partitions.
14. Following the rest to install ubuntu.

This time, you should be able to load grub and boot to ubuntu. You may or may not boot to the old XP, but you should be able to see the XP partition under ubuntu. If you don' t find the XP menu item in the grub boot menu, you can at least now backup the data in the XP partition and reuse it after a new installation of XP.

I know this is a really ugly solution, but this is the only way I can think of to get your partitions back to normal. Let me know if you have further problems.