[ubuntu-za] Need some URGENT help please.

[Ian Whitfield]

//Hi All

I need some rather urgent help with a new installation of Kubuntu 10.10

Background is that I have 3 HDD in my computer. A system drive, a /home 
drive (both IDE) and I just re-plugged in a SATA drive that has some 
backup data on it. To be safe I backed up ALL data etc in /home to a 
brand new external USB SATA HDD before I started.

I then re-booted the machine with the new 10.10 CD in the drive. When it 
got to the 'where to install' part it only seemed to show ONE HDD!! (Why 
is this?). As my Second Boot Device in the BIOS is set to be the "System 
HDD", (First is the CD Drive), I selected 'Use all of drive' and continued.

Part way through the installation I noticed that the External HDD light 
was flashing so it seems as if the system has taken this to be the 
primary drive and overwritten all my Backup Data!! (Again why??)

After the installation it did a reboot but comes up with...

error: no such device: (long number)
grub rescue> _

So I went back into the BIOS and set First Boot Device as the old System 
Disk and switched off the External drive and restarted but I get the 
same error!!

Can I do anything through the 'grub rescue' prompt, or how can I get the 
original system, which must still be on the System Disk, to start? That 
way I can reclaim my data and try again.

Thanks for ANY help with this. As I'm only getting feeds from the list 
every second day or so could you CC me direct please on 
whitfield at federalsaints.net, as this is rather urgent!!

Thanks guys.
////