Ubuntu
grub2 package

I can boot in Ubuntu 9.10 but i cannot boot Vista

Asked by Samuel Chadwick

I had a dual-boot system running Vista SP1 and Ubuntu 9.10 with GRUB2 as my boot loader and I chose to upgrade to 10.04, after the update, when I rebooted my machine I saw the error grub_rescue.

 I tried any command I could think of and found nothing to work.

So, I proceeded to boot from a live CD of Ubuntu 9.10 and try to re-install grub, but it simply would not work.

I also noticed that root was missing and I could not re-install that either.

Ubuntu was on my (D): drive (sdb1)and Vista was on the (C): drive (sda1), however when i configured Ubuntu for the first time I saved it in Vista as an application not a partition with another OS. (On separate drives, but Windows was in charge)

After searching online (using another computer) I discovered that no previous method worked to fix my broken grub, so I reinstalled Ubuntu 9.10 from the live CD on my (D): drive as another partition (sdb2).

Now I have a machine with a working grub, and root, but grub cannot find my Vista boot loader; therefor I can only boot into Ubuntu.

I need to know how to fix this problem and find a way to boot into Vista. Is there any way to reinstall the Vista boot loader and add it to the grub boot list?

Thanks!

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actionparsnip (andrew-woodhead666) said : 		#1

Lucid doesn't use menu.lst, that is part of legacy grub. Lucid uses grub2 which is a lot more complicated but gives more power.

Your system may simply need you to run:

sudo update-grub

Andall will be ok, let us know how it goes

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Samuel Chadwick (samwick) said : 		#2

I've tried sudo update-grub many times, the issue is way more serious than that. At this point I'm not sure how to make grub recognize the Vista boot loader, or if I even still have the Vista boot loader. In either case I can't find it or know how to use it if I did find it. On the grub2 menu (when I boot) I see a list of OS systems; (Ubuntu, with Linux X.X.XX.XX) (Ubuntu, with Linux X.X.XX.XX [recovery mode]) (memory test [memtest86+]) (memory test [memtest86+, serial console XXXXXX]) and finally Windows Vista (loader) (on /dev/sda1). When I select Windows it simply reboots grub instead of booting to Vista.

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Samuel Chadwick (samwick) said : 		#3

I've tried sudo update-grub many times, the issue is way more serious than that. At this point I'm not sure how to make grub recognize the Vista boot loader, or if I even still have the Vista boot loader. In either case I can't find it or know how to use it if I did find it. On the grub2 menu (when I boot) I see a list of OS systems; (Ubuntu, with Linux X.X.XX.XX) (Ubuntu, with Linux X.X.XX.XX [recovery mode]) (memory test [memtest86+]) (memory test [memtest86+, serial console XXXXXX]) and finally Windows Vista (loader) (on /dev/sda1). When I select Windows it simply reboots grub instead of booting to Vista.

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Samuel Chadwick (samwick) said : 		#4

BTW I'm using GNU GRUB version 1.97~Beta 4

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delance (olivier-delance) said : 		#5

If "sudo update-grub" fail now, you have to restore Vista MBR.
To see how to restore the Ubuntu/XP/Vista/7 bootloader, go on this site
     http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1014708
After you will have to reinstall grub2.
If you have reinstalled Windows or launched its recovery, have a look at
     https://help.ubuntu.com/community/RecoveringUbuntuAfterInstallingWindows
If it fails, we will have to edit a grub configuration file (section 40 custom).

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delance (olivier-delance) said : 		#6

Are you OK top help grub2 team to investigate this bug ? It will be done in parallel of resolution. There are repeated issues about failure to detect Vista or Seven, and it should be better if this problem was solved in grub2 than Launchpad team make workaround. In this case, could you open a bug report.

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Jordan (jordanu) said : 		#7

It seems like you've accidentally installed grub to your windows partition, which is why when grub tries to load windows by chainloading your windows partition you are just brought back to a grub menu again.

To restore your windows bootloader follow this guide: http://sourceforge.net/apps/mediawiki/bootinfoscript/index.php?title=Boot_Problems:Boot_Sector

Revision history for this message
delance (olivier-delance) said : 		#8

Forget my message about restoring MBR, which is first sector of disk. As said Jordan, you probably have to restore two first sectors of Vista partition, which contains first stage of Vista boot.
Boot on Vista Recovery CD and type "bootrec /fixboot" (and not "bootrec /fixmbr").

Revision history for this message
delance (olivier-delance) said : 		#9

Hello,
If your issue is closed, please mark question solved.
Else I should have some time next week to help you.

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