Wubi

Ubuntu Fails to Boot

Asked by Dmitri C

Hey guys :)

I installed the latest Ubuntu on to my laptop using wubi a couple of days ago and it's been running fine until today. Now when I load up my computer and select Ubuntu, the computer screen goes black and nothing happens. I've tried following the instructions on this page (http://www.omaregan.com/?p=583) to solve the problem but the grub thingamajig keeps telling me that sh:grub> linux /boot/vmlinuz isn't a valid command. I'd appreciate any help solving the problem
Thanks,
Dmitri

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actionparsnip (andrew-woodhead666) said : 		#1

http://www.ubuntu-inside.me/2009/06/howto-recover-grub2-after-windows.html

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bcbc (bcbc) said : 		#2

Don't reinstall grub2. This will prevent windows from booting. @actionparsnip, wubi installs don't use grub2 in the MBR.

@Dmitri,
Have a look at the wubi megathread on ubuntuforums.org. Problem #2. http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1639198

You say you have the latest version of Ubuntu, but if you installed from http://www.ubuntu.com/desktop/get-ubuntu/windows-installer it actually installs 10.04.1, not 10.10. There has been a grub update on 10.04 that is causing booting problems for Wubi users. That megathread link shows how to fix it.

If you are not sure, boot from a live CD, and run the http://bootinfoscript.sourceforge.net/ and pastebin the results (http://pastebin.ubuntu.com/) and post back the pastebin address.

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Dmitri C (jaymescarr) said : 		#3

Thank you both so much for your help. I might be misunderstanding the problem but would I prevent this from happening again if I used a Ubuntu Disc to create a dedicated partition on my hard-drive instead of using the wubi-based virtual disk? If so, do you know how I could delete the virtual disc and start from scratch? Thanks again - Dmitri

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bcbc (bcbc) said : 		#4

To uninstall a Wubi install, you just boot Windows, go to Control panel, Add/Remove programs, double click on Ubuntu. (This deletes any data you may have stored while using Ubuntu).

The problem you experienced is particular to Wubi installs. This doesn't mean you won't ever have grub problems on a normal install, but they are much more stable with the added benefit that you get much better support (most long term ubuntu users don't use wubi).

Good luck.

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