Need help ! Installed Ubuntu, have Suse, lost Windows...

English Install/Boot/Login
1

I used to dual-boot XP and Suse (both on same disk, different partitions).

Just added Ubuntu 9.10, hoping to make it a 3rd boot option. Immediately lost XP.

My device.map file has the following:

(hd0) /dev/sda
(hd1) /dev/sdb

Windows is on /dev/sdb1 and Suse on /dev/sdb6 partitions, Ubuntu on /dev/sda.

I added 11_Windows to /etc/grub.d as such:

#! /bin/sh -e
echo “Adding Windows” >&2
cat << EOF
menuentry “Windows XP” {
set root=(hd1,1)
chainloader +1
}
EOF

and ran update-grub2:

sudo update-grub2
Generating grub.cfg …
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.31-17-generic-pae
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-2.6.31-17-generic-pae
Found memtest86+ image: /boot/memtest86+.bin
Found openSUSE 11.2 (i586) on /dev/sdb6
done

No Windows…

What do I do now ?

2

Post the result of this from a su terminal

fdisk -l
3

Disk /dev/sda: 45.0 GB, 45020602368 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 5473 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x35113484

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 1 5243 42114366 83 Linux
/dev/sda2 5244 5473 1847475 5 Extended
/dev/sda5 5244 5473 1847443+ 82 Linux swap / Solaris

Disk /dev/sdb: 750.2 GB, 750156374016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 91201 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0xf5bfe447

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sdb1 * 1 2550 20482843+ 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sdb2 2551 9613 56733547+ f W95 Ext’d (LBA)
/dev/sdb3 * 9614 91201 655355610 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sdb5 2551 2744 1558273+ 82 Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sdb6 2745 5355 20972826 83 Linux
/dev/sdb7 5356 9613 34202353+ 83 Linux

4

Please go to the ubuntu desktop if not there now. Open a terminal and do

sudo update-grub

Does it not pick up XP?
I’m waiting for your reply - so we can do this live as it were.

5

No, it doesn’t:

sudo update-grub
Generating grub.cfg …
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.31-17-generic-pae
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-2.6.31-17-generic-pae
Found memtest86+ image: /boot/memtest86+.bin
Found openSUSE 11.2 (i586) on /dev/sdb6
done

Don’t know if it makes a difference, but I have 2 NTFS partitions - the system partition where XP is installed, and a big partition for documents and programs. For some reason, the Palimpsest Disk Utility showed first as non-bootable and second as bootable. I changed first to bootable but this didn’t make a difference (I probably shouldn’ve played with it).

6

Have you tried:

$ sudo apt-get install --reinstall libdebian-installer4
$ sudo os-prober
$ sudo update-grub

7

#1 - did that.

#2

sudo os-prober
/dev/sdb6:openSUSE 11.2 (i586):SuSE:linux

#3 - same as before

8

Have you tried this way
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Grub2#Adding%20Entries%20to%20Grub%202

Or have you considered going back to grub legacy from SUSE ?

9

I just notice the boot flag on sdb3, why is that? It’s just storage isn’t it?
Use Parted to take the flag off it and try update-grub again.

10

D’uh! this seems to be the step that was missing in the online article I followed:

* The file must be made executable by typing in a terminal

sudo chmod +x /etc/grub.d/‘’‘filename’‘’

OK, rebooting now…

If this doesn’t work, what’s the easiest way to go to legacy Grub ? Via Suse install ?

11

Just see what happens first

12

Well, this messed it up even more… couldn’t boot from ANY system, and fixmbr didn’t fix it. To make a long story short, I’ve deleted my Windows and Ubuntu partitions and am currently in process of reformatting the smaller drive for fresh Windows installation. Still retained Suse partition (no GRUB so it’s not workable yet), and old Windows data partition (learned years ago to never keep system and data on same partition).

When (hopefully) Windows is up and running, I will use OpenSuse 11.2 dvd to re-create dual boot scenario. Don’t think Ubuntu is for me… in the process of installing it and later trying to fix the mess I remembered all other things that drove me nuts when I first tried it - all that manual labor in terminal with sudos, impotent default file manager, locked down file system, and the general way of doing things that seems ass backwards sometimes. Somehow, Suse just makes more sense…

Anyway, thanks for your support ! If everything goes well, I’ll be back on forum later trying to figure out why Aureal mic worked in Ubuntu and how to make it work in Suse.

13

If suse hasn’t been touched, once XP is installed just re-install grub, there is possibly an entry in /boot/grub/menu.lst for XP if you ever had suse booting XP before you installed Ubuntu. And even if there isn’t an entry we can add one once you have grub installed, it’s so easy.

Here is an easy way
Re-Install Grub Quickly with Parted Magic - openSUSE Forums

14

Thanks ! I am still installing XP.

I am writing this from my laptop booted with Ubuntu Live CD… still amazed at how fast it is.

I’d say Suse is (in my own, very subjective experience) more stable, much more user friendly (for a dumb user, anyway ;)) and prettier (plasma and KDE). Ubuntu is much faster to boot, and applications seem to start just a tad faster, although this may be just my perception - it’s not a major difference. Anyway, for now I will keep Ubuntu as LiveCD - or maybe install it on the USB - I don’t have the guts or the time to go through another attempt at triple-boot.

Again, thanks for your help !

15

Try make a live USB with Ubuntu it will fly like you won’t believe

You can do it with dd
or use unetbootin