Ubuntu won't boot

[Dream.]

I can tripple boot xp/vista/ubuntu but when I try and boot into ubuntu I get a msg saying that I can't boot from the hard disk, and to insert system disk.

Can someone please help!

Edit: It was all working fine

[sandysandy]

from ubuntu live CD terminal post output of

sudo fdisk -lu

and cat /boot/grub/menu.lst

how many hard disk are there, RAM size. when did the problem occur - after installation of which OS, give sequence of installing triple boot.
regards

[Dream.]

Here's my output...

ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ sudo fdisk -lu

Disk /dev/sda: 40.0 GB, 40020664320 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 4865 cylinders, total 78165360 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id
System
/dev/sda1 * 63 78140159 39070048+ 7 HPFS/NTFS


Disk /dev/sdb: 40.0 GB, 40020664320 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 4865 cylinders, total 78165360 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id
System
/dev/sdb1 63 77063804 38531871 83
Linux
/dev/sdb2 77063805 78156224 546210 82 Linux swap / Solaris


Disk /dev/sdc: 320.0 GB, 320072933376 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 38913 cylinders, total 625142448 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id
System
/dev/sdc1 63 225777509 112888723+ 7
HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sdc2 225777510 451057004 112639747+ 7
HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sdc3 451057005 539125334 44034165 7
HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sdc4 539125335 625137344 43006005 83


Linux

ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ cat /boot/grub/menu.lst
cat: /boot/grub/menu.lst: No such file or directory

3 HDD's
1024MB RAM
Installed XP, then ubuntu, then installed vista.
All worked fine until I tried to boot into ubuntu the other day.

Thanks.

[Dream.]

anyone?

[vishalrao]

i think you should have installed ubuntu last

but try the steps in this link and see if they help?

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Re...tallingWindows

or you might just need to reinstall ubuntu...

[sandysandy]

anyone? Installed XP, then ubuntu, then installed vista.
All worked fine until I tried to boot into ubuntu the other day.

what is ur bootmanager. is it GRUB. if so did u install GRUB after VISTA install, as vista would have erased GRUB from MBR and put its own bootloader in place of GRUB.

go thru these these threads carefully

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=724817

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=224351

regards

[caljohnsmith]

So when you start up your computer, do you get the Grub menu or a Vista boot menu? If you want to use Grub, Grub can easily boot XP, Vista, and Ubuntu. If you want to use Vista's boot manager, you can get a program like EasyBCD to help configure its boot menu. I would recommend Grub though. If you decide to go with Grub, boot up your Live CD again and do the following so we can see your menu.lst:

sudo mount /dev/sdb1 /mnt
cat /mnt/boot/grub/menu.lst

[Dream.]

I get the vista boot menu, I used Easy BCD to edit the vista boot menu, so I get the option of booting into XP, Vista or Ubuntu.

It all worked fine for many months.

Here is my output...

ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ sudo mount /dev/sdb1 /mnt
ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ cat /mnt/boot/grub/menu.lst
# menu.lst - See: grub(8), info grub, update-grub(8)
# grub-install(8), grub-floppy(8),
# grub-md5-crypt, /usr/share/doc/grub
# and /usr/share/doc/grub-doc/.

## default num
# Set the default entry to the entry number NUM. Numbering starts from 0, and
# the entry number 0 is the default if the command is not used.
#
# You can specify 'saved' instead of a number. In this case, the default entry
# is the entry saved with the command 'savedefault'.
# WARNING: If you are using dmraid do not change this entry to 'saved' or your
# array will desync and will not let you boot your system.
default 0

## timeout sec
# Set a timeout, in SEC seconds, before automatically booting the default entry
# (normally the first entry defined).
timeout 10

## hiddenmenu
# Hides the menu by default (press ESC to see the menu)
#hiddenmenu

# Pretty colours
#color cyan/blue white/blue

## password ['--md5'] passwd
# If used in the first section of a menu file, disable all interactive editing
# control (menu entry editor and command-line) and entries protected by the
# command 'lock'
# e.g. password topsecret
# password --md5 $1$oMAS23U0/$aU2WJ96JGP7GJ3P2b2znUoe/
# password topsecret

#
# examples
#
# title Windows 95/98/NT/2000
# root (hd0,0)
# makeactive
# chainloader +1
#
# title Linux
# root (hd0,1)
# kernel /vmlinuz root=/dev/hda2 ro
#

#
# Put static boot stanzas before and/or after AUTOMAGIC KERNEL LIST

### BEGIN AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST
## lines between the AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST markers will be modified
## by the debian update-grub script except for the default options below

## DO NOT UNCOMMENT THEM, Just edit them to your needs

## ## Start Default Options ##
## default kernel options
## default kernel options for automagic boot options
## If you want special options for specific kernels use kopt_x_y_z
## where x.y.z is kernel version. Minor versions can be omitted.
## e.g. kopt=root=/dev/hda1 ro
## kopt_2_6_8=root=/dev/hdc1 ro
## kopt_2_6_8_2_686=root=/dev/hdc2 ro
# kopt=root=UUID=94aeb599-d4f5-404a-90ef-ea2015620908 ro

## Setup crashdump menu entries
## e.g. crashdump=1
# crashdump=0

## default grub root device
## e.g. groot=(hd0,0)
# groot=(hd1,0)

## should update-grub create alternative automagic boot options
## e.g. alternative=true
## alternative=false
# alternative=true

## should update-grub lock alternative automagic boot options
## e.g. lockalternative=true
## lockalternative=false
# lockalternative=false

## additional options to use with the default boot option, but not with the
## alternatives
## e.g. defoptions=vga=791 resume=/dev/hda5
# defoptions=quiet splash

## should update-grub lock old automagic boot options
## e.g. lockold=false
## lockold=true
# lockold=false

## Xen hypervisor options to use with the default Xen boot option
# xenhopt=

## Xen Linux kernel options to use with the default Xen boot option
# xenkopt=console=tty0

## altoption boot targets option
## multiple altoptions lines are allowed
## e.g. altoptions=(extra menu suffix) extra boot options
## altoptions=(recovery) single
# altoptions=(recovery mode) single

## controls how many kernels should be put into the menu.lst
## only counts the first occurence of a kernel, not the
## alternative kernel options
## e.g. howmany=all
## howmany=7
# howmany=all

## should update-grub create memtest86 boot option
## e.g. memtest86=true
## memtest86=false
# memtest86=true

## should update-grub adjust the value of the default booted system
## can be true or false
# updatedefaultentry=false

## ## End Default Options ##

title Ubuntu, kernel 2.6.20-15-generic
root (hd1,0)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.20-15-generic root=UUID=94aeb599-d4f5-404a-90ef-ea2015620908 ro quiet splash
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.20-15-generic
quiet
savedefault

title Ubuntu, kernel 2.6.20-15-generic (recovery mode)
root (hd1,0)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.20-15-generic root=UUID=94aeb599-d4f5-404a-90ef-ea2015620908 ro single
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.20-15-generic

title Ubuntu, memtest86+
root (hd1,0)
kernel /boot/memtest86+.bin
quiet

### END DEBIAN AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST

[caljohnsmith]

So which do you want to use for your overall boot manager--Grub or Vista? If you go with Vista you'll have to figure out how to use EasyBCD to get your Ubuntu booting OK. If you want to go with Grub, we can help you set up your menu.lst so you can boot all three OSs. Since I've never messed with EasyBCD, of course I would just go with Grub.