Help with GRUB

[Jack Carvar]

I had installed Ubuntu 8.04 and then installed XP so XP's bootloader replaced Ubuntu's and Ubuntu wasnt showing up on the list. I got GRUB up and working again but now XP is not shown as a boot option and Ubuntu 8.04 directly starts...please help me get XP and Ubuntu working together.

[QwertyManiac]

Append these lines to /boot/grub/menu.lst :

# (1) Windows
title Microsoft Windows XP
rootnoverify (hd0,0)
makeactive
chainloader +1

Assuming your Windows exists on the first partition.

[Rahim]

^Calm Down. You just have to create some entries in /boot/grub/menu.lst file for Win XP.
1. Open a Terminal and enter sudo gedit /boot/grub/menu.lst and enter your password when prompted.
2. Navigate below and enter this as XP entry

title Microsoft Windows XP Professional
root (hd0,0)
savedefault
chainloader +1

I hope you installed XP in the 1st partition. You wanna post /boot/grub/menu.lst file's contents here using the command in step 1.

EDIT: Both the entries mentioned by Querty and me will work.

[Jack Carvar]

how to find out which partition is XP installed on ? And if its not 1 then what should I type ? (excpet of hd0,0)

[Rahim]

Open a terminal in Ubuntu and enter sudo fdisk -l and it will show ntfs and ext3 partitions and you can make out. the numbering in Grub starts with 0 and not 1. So 1st partition will be (hd0,0) and 2nd partition will be (hd0,1) and so on.
You tried the above steps yet?

[Jack Carvar]

ya..but when I restarted with (hd0.1).....it showed XP as an option but when I tried to select it, gave me an error saying "Unexecutable File Format" or sumthing so back on Ubuntu trying to make this work.

[Rahim]

I think you have installed XP on the 2nd partition and this will create a problem as it is too moody.Try (hd0,0) It can be done with some masking commands. But if there is no trouble you might start afresh. Install XP and then Ubuntu. Make sure XP is installed in the 1st partition. I know it is not the solution you are looking for but following this practice will save you from buying Crocin!!

[Jack Carvar]

THANKS! THANKS A LOOOOT!! I worked. (hd0,2) as (hd0,0) is Ubuntu an (hd0,1) is Swap lolz.

Why isnt there a reputation system on this forum !! i would have repped you . THANKS ONCE AGAIN.

[Rahim]

^No reputation system here as most of us believe in equality
Just wait till you get help from big fish like NucleusKore, praka123(banned permanently), T159 etc.

[NucleusKore]

We are all equal, no fish here



Good going rahimveron et al

[Jack Carvar]

I know all of them. T159 even knows who I am .

[NucleusKore]

Jack Carvar, please refer this article, it pays to understand the GRUB bootloader

http://www.dedoimedo.com/computers/grub.html

[Rahim]

@Jack: So he must have brainwashed you to watch content-rich Korean Movies just like me and good to be back here NucleusKore and as for fish, i just ate fish for dinner...burp.....

[Jack Carvar]

lolz

[Faun]

So you are still hanging onto Ubuntu
Well then it will be nice to read a beginner book on Linux, you are smart enough to download that stuff.

GRUB is really good and naming scheme is a bit confusing at first but once you get hang of it, you can boot many OS thru it.

[Jack Carvar]

Yup....the best bootloader I have come across in my 13yrs of life . Vista's bootloader is also good. XP has the worst. Dosent recongnize other OSes and takes over their bootloader .

[QwertyManiac]

Vista's bootloader is WHAT?

[vamsi360]

@querty mechanic

did you forget the programming contests thread.
Please update it
Which question are you now answering in project euler