New dual-boot install: Cannot boot Ubuntu

[Karl Larsen]

On 03/27/2010 06:28 AM, Dotan Cohen wrote:
> I just installed Kubuntu 9.10 on a machine that dual-boots Windows XP.
> The machine has two IDE drives, this is the partition layout:
>
> sda1: 160 GB: shared FAT32 partition. In Windows: F:, in Ubuntu: /media/shared
> sdb1: 30 GB: Windows XP C:
> sdb2: 2 GB: swap
> sdb3: 48 GB: Kubuntu 9.10
>
> Even though C: is on sdb, the BIOS was configured to boot from sda
> (confirmed to to device names and sizes). Therefore, I installed Grub
> on sda. However, when I restart the machine after install, Grub did
> not come up and the machine booted into Windows. Therefore, I
> configured the BIOS to boot from sdb in the hopes that maybe I made a
> mistake and installed Grub there. However, the machine _still_ booted
> into Windows!
>    
     You DO have a weird setup. The root of the windows XP is at 
/dev/sdb1. I would think windows would have refused to load.

     Or, you have my 2 HD BIOS problem. When I would look at the hard 
drives with fdisk they were one way. Then if I used a LiveCD they looked 
another! So if the REAL setup is:

/dev/sda1: 30 GB: Windows XP
/dev/sdb1: 160 GB: shared FAT32 ect.

     If /dev/sda is as I show it then you should find the windows boot 
at the front of /dev/sda as I show it.

Test this and see. I am sure the problem of a bad BIOS is your problem.

My problem is that I am being moderated. This means anything I write to 
the list is delayed a few days. So I am going to quit trying to help. 
The un-moderated guys seem new and have little to offer.


73 Karl




> I therefore reinstalled and this time installed Grub to sdb. However,
> no matter if the BIOS is configured to boot from sda or sdb, it always
> boots Windows from sdb1!
>
> What must I do to diagnose and repair this? Thanks!
>
>