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Solve : Ubuntu/Windows 7 Boot Loading Problem (GRUB)?

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Firstly, I hope this is posted in the right place.

Now, to my problem.

I have a Dell Inspiron 15 laptop with 3GB RAM and a 2.1 Ghz Intel Dual Core Processor. (Don't know if that might help or not). I had Windows Vista natively installed, but I had a free upgrade to Windows 7 when it came out. What I wanted to do, though, was dual boot that with Ubuntu. So, I shrunk the C: partition down to about 66 GB and created two new partitions, each about 30 GB; one for Ubuntu, the other for globally accessible general storage. That was all fine. I set up Ubuntu and got it running. However, yesterday I did some disk management and *accidently* deleted the Ubuntu partition and the globally accessible partition. (By accident I really mean: I didn't know how else to remove Ubuntu and put on Kubuntu (Now I know it was ppossible to go from Ubuntu to Kubuntu easily, but oh well). So, I deleted the partition thinking it would be fine). However, when I attempted to reboot, I got this as a recovery terminal:

Code: [Select]Error: partition not found.
Grub rescue>
Not knowing what to do, I went to my desktop and downloaded Kubuntu, which I planned on doing anyway. I have it on a USB drive created with UNetBootin. I was able to boot off of it by pressing F12 at start-up and running the USB drive. Kubuntu shows up in its demo mode. However, when I go to install it, it gets stuck on this:

Code: [Select]Scanning Disks... 47%
It won't go any further than that, right after the keyboard select. I believe this has to do something with what I did when I deleted those partitions. So, right now I can't boot into Windows to do anything, although I can ACCESS all those files through /media/OS .

I've tried running the Windows 7 INSTALLER CD again, but it gives a GRUB error and the rescue console comes up again.

Does anyone know how I can overwrite GRUB back to the Windows Boot Loader, fix my partitions, and from there re-install a clean version of Kubuntu on one of the partitions? Any help is greatly appreciated as I really need to fix my laptop, and I don't want to have to boot from a USB everytime

Thanks!

EDIT: Just as a note, those two partitions are now just ~60 GB of free space, nothing else.Quote from: The Chasm on June 05, 2010, 08:37:47 AM

I shrunk the C: partition down to about 66 GB and created two new partitions, each about 30 GB; one for Ubuntu, the other for globally accessible general storage. That was all fine. I set up Ubuntu and got it running. However, yesterday I did some disk management and *accidently* deleted the Ubuntu partition and the globally accessible partition.

EDIT: Just as a note, those two partitions are now just ~60 GB of free space, nothing else.
Seems like you deleted both the Windows partition and the Ubuntu partition if the space where they were located is now ~60 GB of free space. Otherwise, you would not have ~60 GB of free space.

If I'm correct, then you're actually going to have to rebuild your entire system, starting with the installation of Windows and then the installation of whatever Linux OS you want to install. I hope you had your important files backed up on some external media.No, I have a 60GB partition for Windows. I deleted both my 30GB Ubuntu partition, and another 30GB partition that was used for general storage. As I said, I can still access my Windows partition from /media/OS, I just can't boot into it.I believe you need to follow the procedure for restore the Master Boot Record, found at http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/how-to-safely-uninstall-ubuntu-in-windows-dual-boot-environment/.I had actually tried something like that earlier on with a Win7 disk. However, it turns out it was just a Win7 upgrade disk, so therefore didn't work as a full OS disk. Luckily, I had a Vista CD so I booted from that, repaired the MBR, and sure enough it boots in Windows now. I created a 20GB partition, but for some reason I can't do anything larger than that, or extend it, even though I have 40GB of free space left. As well, the Kubuntu installer is still stuck at "Scanning Disks... 47%", which leads me to believe I have corrupted some part of the HDD. Is there anyway to fix this?

EDIT: I guess for now I'll just go install it under Windows with Wubi.How large is your hard drive? Exactly how is it partitioned now? Can you post a screen print of your disk management console?

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I guess for now I'll just go install it under Windows with Wubi.
Yes, you could do that or you could install the Linux OS as a "virtual machine (VM)" using VM software such as VMware Player or virtualbox. I currently have VMware Player installed on my Win 7 system and have Ubuntu 10.04 installed inside VMware Player as a VM. It's a way to have both OS running at the same time.


And I've been having trouble with the Wubi installer (it keeps trying to download the AMD 64 version, even though all I want to do is install the version I already have), so I might try using some kind of VM for it, as you've suggested.Quote
... it keeps trying to download the AMD 64 version ...
Do you mean the 64 bit version? Is your Windows 7 a 64 bit system?No, I have a 32bit version. What I mean is it is trying to download the x64 architecture version, and I don't know why, so I just canceled the installation.But, your hardware is 64 bit capable, right? I suspect that's why the Wubi installer wants to download the 64 bit version. According to https://wiki.ubuntu.com/WubiGuide, you can force Wubi to download and install a 32 bit version of Ubuntu. See the link for more info.Ahh, thanks, I probably should have looked at the Wubi guide before hand.

I still think I'll check out a VM, and do you know what could be causing the HDD problems when I try to install Kubuntu?

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... do you know what could be causing the HDD problems when I try to install Kubuntu?
I'm not sure. I see some of the partitions have no letter assigned to them; I don't know whether that has anything to do with this. Since you said Windows would not let you MAKE certain changes to your hard drive, I suggest you download EASEUS Partition Master and delete and combine some of those partitions. You really don't need all those partitions, do you?

If you do ultimately install a Linux OS in a dual-boot configuration, Ubuntu or Kubuntu will create a small SWAP partition. Your previous attempts to install Linux may explain why you have the two small partitions. Alright, I'll check that program out, though for now I think I'll stick with the VM, as it seems to be a good alternative to doing a semi-permanent dual boot.

Thanks for your help!

You should create partitions from the unallocated space, delete/combine the partitions without a drive letter,
Reformat them run chkdsk on all the partitions, and then defrag on all the partitions it may take a while but you should see some improvement from doing this, also when using ubuntu/kubuntu from the wubi installer and installing inside windows , the windows boot menu removes ubuntu after you log back into windows, to fix this you can use bcdedit from the command line, I had this problem from using the wubi installer and use a multi boot windows 7 professional x64 windows 7 ultimate x64 and kubuntu, and its much easyer to fix from the command line as opposed to having to install it from a kubuntu boot disk.


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