UBUNTU + XP Dual boot help please

When you install Windows it overwrites the master boot record (MBR) and only puts in entries for Windows operating systems. You need to boot from a live CD and restore Linux's boot loader (grub) to the MBR so you can boot Linux.

This guide explains the process: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/RecoveringUbuntuAfterInstallingWindows

I am running UBUNTU from my CD.

I opened terminal, I typed fdisk.

The results I see do not look like what I see in the instructions. You mention being extremely careful. I do not want to mess things up.

You should type in the terminal (live CD):

sudo fdisk -l

(only the super-user root can run the command fdisk, so you need to run the command sudo - like "super user do" - along the command fdisk)

I appreciate both your help. This is what I see in terminal:

Disk /dev/sda: 250.1 GB, 250059350016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 30401 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x0001f528

   Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 1 21 168651 82 Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sda2 * 33 15951 127869367+ 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda3 15952 30401 116069625 f W95 Ext'd (LBA)
/dev/sda5 15952 17226 10241406 b W95 FAT32
/dev/sda6 18582 18939 2875603+ 82 Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sda7 18940 30027 89064328+ 83 Linux
/dev/sda8 30028 30401 3004123+ 82 Linux swap / Solaris
ubuntu@ubuntu:~$

I am a Newbie and still confused. Help is greatly appreciated.

I Vu Do Quynh

I appreciate the tips. I did not find a command suppress in GParted.

Then I tried to delte I got an error msg.:

Unable to delete /dev/sda7!
 Please unmount any logical partitions having a number higher than 7

Earlier when I triied using partition magic I was unable to delete the partition as well.

Ideas?

Sounds like the easiest way is to recover windows ie; Desructive recovery this will reformat your hard drive after this is complete you can then reinstall Ubuntu. with your windows running insert the disk select install inside of windows this will give you boot option to select os you desire.

David
in TN

Hi again,

Normally, if you boot with the live CD, the hard disk should not be mounted, unless you tried to look at his content from the live CD. SO if you do the above operations immediately after booting from the live CD into the Ubuntu desktop, it should be fine.

When I wrote suppress, I meant the action of deleting the partitions.

But David Jones is also right, if you have nothing to save from the Windows partition like personal data, important programs and their license keys, etc. You could as well recover your WIn XP system and then reboot with the live CD to reinstall properly Ubuntu. In this case I would suggest the following partition scheme with Gparted from the live CD :

/dev/sda1 as primary NTFS (something like 40 GB, unless you've got to install lots of programs) for the Windows system (you need to resize the one big partition that WIN XP is likely to create)
/dev/sda2 as primary NTFS for your personal data (like 70 GB in size)
/dev/sda3 as extended (logical) (the way to do will depends on your Ubuntu version)
you should have something like:
/dev/sda5 as linux swap (size > your actual RAM amount up to twice that amount)
/dev/sda6 as ext3, mounted as "/" of size about 10 GB
/dev/sda7 as ext3, mounted as "/home" of remaining space.

Good luck

I appreciate all your suggestions.

I messed up my windows set up files again so it's back to square 1.

I have 250 gb to work with so I should have plenty room.

I thought I might use the live CD to delete extra partitions like Vu Do Quynh suggested.

As picked up by David Jones there is currently no personal data I need to save.

I am very frustrated so I want to make sure I get it right this time.

As I understand what you guys are saying I need to delete partitions, reinstall windows then use the live CD to repartition.

I am confused about "/dev/sda2 as primary NTFS for your personal data (like 70 GB in size)"

Will this look like drive F to windows?

When the computer was running I had a lot of personal data, pictures etc. saved in my "C" drive. When windows quit booting I pulled the drive out and stuck in a spare. I have the data and can access it but need to work out the bugs before I do anything else.

If I can get Ubuntu running on this machine it will be the only machine I have running Linux.
                 COMPATIBILITY of files with all my other windows based machines is a VERY HIGH PRIORITY.
                 Should I create a larger NTFS to allow for all my personal data once I get the system running?

I am still unclear how to install Ubuntu 9.10

Vu Do Quynh suggested /dev/sda3 as extended (logical) (the way to do will depends on your Ubuntu version) but how do I get it installed where I can dual boot?

Bob

Hi,

The suggestion for /dev/sda2 is to separate the data drive (some letter like D:, E:, F:depending on other peripherals present) from the system drive "C:"

If you find it complicated, you can stick with one drive like C: The only problem is whenever you need to reinstall windows, you have to backup your data, while putting the data right in a separate drive (be it D:, E: or F:, etc.) leaves you with the ability to reformat C: and reinstall Windows nicely. If you write all your personal data to an external drive when working on Windows, then you don't need a specific partition on your hard disk for it. All this is up to you to decide.

From Ubuntu, you can access read and write NTFS partitions. But from Windows you "cannot" access directly ext3 partitions (actually there is one program to install in Win XP that allows you to access ext3 partitions).

If you want dual boot Win XP and Ubuntu, you just install Win XP first and then Ubuntu. With Ubuntu 9.10, when you create partitions, you just decide if it's a primary or a logical one, its format, its mounting point (if ext3/ext4), and its size.

So the next step for you is to reinstall your Win XP clean, then boot with an Ubuntu live CD and gives back the result of "sudo fdisk -l" in a terminal so that we can see the partitioning picture !

Thanks Vu Do Quynh, that solved my question.