Ubuntu
grub package

cpu with 3 hhd's and 3 OS

Asked by corpusjon on 2009-10-30

I have a Computer with 3 hard drives each drive has a differnet operating system installed on them,( IE:) xp, windows 7 and ubuntu 8.04 When I go into the BIOS or the boot menu, to load an OS the cpu sees all 3 drives and will load the drives with XP or WINDOWS7 on them but, when I try to load the drive with UBUNTU on it, it does not start up. the screen tells me that it is missing the MASTER BOOT RECORD (MBR) it acts like I have never installed UBUNTU on that drive. but I have

So, I have disconnected the other hard drives and the BIOS sees the drive with UBUNTU on it but, it still does not want to load. the screen says it has no MBR to start. the only way I can get UBUNTU to run is to have the install disc inserted in the dvd drive. and I run it with out installing it (no changes to hard drive).
After it loads, I see the directory (CORPUSJON, HOME) and other items that I have down loaded and saved.

with the fresh install, in logged on with( CORPUSJON) those files are there. UBUNTU is installed on drive but I have to use install disc in order to boot up. Is there any way I can add a MBR to the hard drive without having to reinstall UBUNTU??? I have some files saved on that drive that I do not want to lose. plus I do not want to start over and reformat the drive when I already have UBUNTU on it

Please Help

Question information

Language:: English Edit question

Status:: Answered

For:: Ubuntu grub Edit question

Assignee:: No assignee Edit question

Last query:: 2009-10-30

Last reply:: 2009-11-05

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Brandt B (benedikt-benbra) said on 2009-11-05:

I assume you are using grub(0.97) as your boot manager. If so you could follow the steps described in https://help.ubuntu.com/community/GrubHowto in the section Backup, Repairing and Reinstalling GRUB under command line. It should work then.
However I strongly recommend to remove the other two harddisks first, so to be sure not to do any harm to them. Be also prepared of doing some handywork until you get the other two OS startet from grub (But that shouldn`t be a big problem, at least usually^^).