Dual booted Windows 7 and Ubuntu - now neither starts
23 replies, posted
Hello FP,
I was just hoping you could help me with an issue that I'm having at the moment.
You see, the issue is that I was installing Ubuntu to run alongside Windows 7 on my laptop (I still want Windows 7 there, because I enjoy gaming), and the install was going swimmingly (installing of a USB stick that was set up with UNetBoot) until the end when I accidentally pulled the memory stick a moment too soon. I was expecting a Windows type ordeal where you remove the memory stick when the progress bar reaches 100%, seems that wasn't the case here.
So I wondered what the worst that could happen was and rebooted the laptop. I was greeted with the usual 'start up' screen (to be expected) followed by the black screen with the flashing underscore (for lack of a better word). I let it sit there for a minute; pushed some buttons and then realised that nothing was going to happen. Rebooted and tried again, same ordeal.
Reinstalled Ubuntu, leaving the memory stick in this time until it told me otherwise this time, no dice. Tried deleting the Ubuntu partitions with a partitioning LiveCD (it was successful in the sense that the Ubuntu installer could now only see I was running W7, instead of W7 and Ubuntu), and reinstalled Ubuntu alongside Windows. Rebooted, flashing underscore.
There is a GRUB directory with all the immediately obvious files in it (I suppose that's a good thing), but it still won't boot.
What should I do?
Thanks in advance :smile:
To get into Windows 7, you could try restoring the Windows 7 MBR bootloader.
[url]http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/20864-mbr-restore-windows-7-master-boot-record.html[/url]
You'll need your CD though.
[QUOTE=BBgamer720;34959680]To get into Windows 7, you could try restoring the Windows 7 MBR bootloader.
[url]http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/20864-mbr-restore-windows-7-master-boot-record.html[/url]
You'll need your CD though.[/QUOTE]
If I got the Windows 7 Bootloader back I could theoretically just install Ubuntu again and it should work right?
[QUOTE=Juggernog;34959759]If I got the Windows 7 Bootloader back I could theoretically just install Ubuntu again and it should work right?[/QUOTE]
Yeah. Install the bootloader, reinstall Ubuntu and then GRUB will be re-installed and you'll be able to dual-boot between Windows 7 and Ubuntu with ease. (GRUB does all the hard work).
Right so I got Windows back and went to reinstall Ubuntu. I used all the default install and following the guide information and I'm still cursed with the flashing underscore. Am I doing something wrong? If I push random buttons on the keyboard that would make sense for a dual boot situation, my keyboard buffer just fills up. What's going on?
[QUOTE=Juggernog;34964120]Right so I got Windows back and went to reinstall Ubuntu. I used all the default install and following the guide information and I'm still cursed with the flashing underscore. Am I doing something wrong? If I push random buttons on the keyboard that would make sense for a dual boot situation, my keyboard buffer just fills up. What's going on?[/QUOTE]
Looks like you've got a problem with Ubuntu then! Try using the 'safemode' option for Ubuntu (Not Windows), might give you some sort of information.
[QUOTE=BBgamer720;34965405]Looks like you've got a problem with Ubuntu then! Try using the 'safemode' option for Ubuntu (Not Windows), might give you some sort of information.[/QUOTE]
How would I do that when is no booting to be had?
[QUOTE=Juggernog;34967704]How would I do that when is no booting to be had?[/QUOTE]
There should be an option on the initial menu of the liveUSB.
Right, got it sorted. Got Windows back, deleted all Ubuntu partitions and did it all again. Same issue. Am I doing something horribly wrong?
Maybe the image on the USB stick is bad. You could try to setup the thing with unetbootin again.
Good idea. Does it matter than I'm using the 64-bit version? I assumed not but wondered if it affected anything.
It shouldn't matter unless you're computer doesn't support 64bit.
Nah it does support 64-bit (running 64bit Windows). I was wondering because it says 32-bit is 'recommended' on the Ubuntu website.
[QUOTE=Juggernog;34989819]Nah it does support 64-bit (running 64bit Windows). I was wondering because it says 32-bit is 'recommended' on the Ubuntu website.[/QUOTE]
It only says that because it's the most common architecture. That means non-techies have less of a chance to screw up an install.
[QUOTE=ASmellyOgre;34990436]It only says that because it's the most common architecture. That means non-techies have less of a chance to screw up an install.[/QUOTE]
Makes sense.
[editline]4th March 2012[/editline]
Reinstalling now, have redownloaded and re-'burned' the ISO onto the USB. Seems to be going a lot slower now and less unusual glitches while installing. I guess that's a good sign. Also it's doing several steps it didn't do last time, and I burned it with Universal USB Installer this time.
[editline]4th March 2012[/editline]
Issue still remains. Seriously, what?
[editline]4th March 2012[/editline]
Uploading a video to show issue.
[video=youtube;zFXdNiehapw]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFXdNiehapw[/video]
Sorry it's dark. Any ideas?
[QUOTE=Juggernog;34959759]If I got the Windows 7 Bootloader back I could theoretically just install Ubuntu again and it should work right?[/QUOTE]
Just for future reference don't you [b]need[/b] GRUB in order to load another OS. I thought I read somewhere that the windows boot loader will only load windows OSs, is this true?
[QUOTE=toaster468;34994420]Just for future reference don't you [b]need[/b] GRUB in order to load another OS. I thought I read somewhere that the windows boot loader will only load windows OSs, is this true?[/QUOTE]
I meant I'd fix the Windows Bootloader so I could boot into Windows, remove all Ubuntu stuff then start again, reinstalling GRUB in the process.
Don't dual boot run Ubuntu in a VM
[QUOTE=JohnFisher89;35065221]Don't dual boot run Ubuntu in a VM[/QUOTE]
... and forfeit the performance gains.
I stopped trying, since I'm going to need that laptop soon. Is there any better distribution than Ubuntu with speed for basic tasks like web browsing and image editing while still not using too much CPU? I hear Fedora is good for that, but suggestions?
[QUOTE=Juggernog;35081784]I stopped trying, since I'm going to need that laptop soon. Is there any better distribution than Ubuntu with speed for basic tasks like web browsing and image editing while still not using too much CPU? I hear Fedora is good for that, but suggestions?[/QUOTE]
You could try the Ubuntu spins, [URL="http://xubuntu.org/"]Xubuntu[/URL] and [URL="http://lubuntu.net/"]Lubuntu[/URL] - The latter is more lightweight. They have the advantages of Ubuntu (PPAs, Software Centre, ease-of-use) but they're a bit more lightweight since they use different DEs. (XFCE and LXDE).
[URL="http://crunchbanglinux.org/"]Crunchbang [/URL]is also pretty cool. It's Debian-based, which Ubuntu is based off of. Also see: [URL="http://www.linuxmint.com/download_lmde.php"]Linux Mint Debian Edition[/URL].
If you're up for it, [URL="http://www.archlinux.org/"]Arch[/URL] is pretty awesome, and can be [B][I]really [/I][/B]lightweight. Try [URL="http://archbang.org"]ArchBang [/URL]if you can't be bothered to set it all up (I recommend doing it manually though for the experience - You'll learn a lot about Linux/Arch by just setting it up, although setting it up is remarkably easy with the fantastic and renouned [URL="https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Main_Page"]wiki[/URL] (Also see the [URL="https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Beginners%27_Guide"]beginners guide[/URL]).
Take a look and see what fits you. After all, Linux is all about freedom and freedom of choice.
Have fun!
Oh wow. Thanks for the post, realy helpful. I will probably give either Lubuntu, Fedora or Linux Mint a try. Arch looks nice, but the install looks a bit too much for me. I would give it a shot, but I need this laptop at the moment so if I mess it up massive style it means I have to recover it all, and quickly.
[QUOTE=Juggernog;35082332]Oh wow. Thanks for the post, realy helpful. I will probably give either Lubuntu, Fedora or Linux Mint a try. Arch looks nice, but the install looks a bit too much for me. I would give it a shot, but I need this laptop at the moment so if I mess it up massive style it means I have to recover it all, and quickly.[/QUOTE]
I'd stay away from Fedora. It's a bit iffy. They've once had a problem when you couldn't even partition on the installer without it crashing. It's very bleeding-edge and not tested very well, and a pain to get even the simplest things working. (Flash, Graphics drivers).
I may be being a bit of a hypocrite referring you to Arch, which is probably even more bleeding-edge, but I've never really had much of a problem with it. As I said, [URL="http://archbang.org/"]ArchBang [/URL]is your best option for Arch. It removes the whole set-up part of it and provides you with the OpenBox Window manager and the essential apps you'll probably want (Web browser, office etc.)
Linux Mint is cool. The Debian Edition is fast as fuck. If you're considering Lubuntu, which uses LXDE, you may want to try [URL="http://www.linuxmint.com/edition.php?id=98"]Linux Mint 12 LXDE spin[/URL] or [URL="http://blog.linuxmint.com/?p=1937"]Linux Mint Debian Edition LXDE[/URL] (Released yesterday).
[QUOTE=BBgamer720;35080624]... and forfeit the performance gains.[/QUOTE]
Uhhh We have VT/VT-D/ IO pass through for a reason, performance loss is won't be noticed in a desktop realm.
[editline]12th March 2012[/editline]
Do fedora, it might actually teach you something about linux. ubuntu is just GUI click click click now, Centos is a good one too. But for a Desktop run Linux is a VM chances are you get bored with it after a few weeks, after you see it really has no advantage for desktops
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