[absolutezero1287]

A friend wants to start using Ubuntu (She too is tired of M$) and I'm gonna install it for her. But I want to get a dualboot for her so that the transition is smoother. The reason for my paranoia is as follows:

I've been on Linux (Ubuntu) for about half a year. I gave windows the boot. I just got so sick of my computer being slow. I got sick of the registry and the viruses.

I had known about Linux for a while and just decided to do a dual boot. So I did. I dual booted Ubuntu 7.04 and Windows XP. It worked beautifully. Until one day I figured that I didn't need Windows. So I deleted the Windows partition.

A week or so passed and I missed my windows games that wouldn't play with wine. I tried to reinstall windows but to no avail. I felt like Linux had taken over my HD. In the end it turned out for the better, though!

So what I'm really asking is...how would I reinstall windows after deleting the windows partition (as per my story)?

[demortes]

My recomendation? Reinstall Windows XP on one partition, THEN reinstall Ubuntu. Reinstalling GRUB is a pain IMHO.

If you choose not to, then install the XP to the partition (resize it if you don't have it anymore), then boot into Ubuntu with the live CD and open a terminal. Run sudo grubinstall (I think... google for reinstall GRUB). If everything is alright, it should reinstall GRUB, detect WinXP, but keep your Ubuntu as default.

As always, back up your files!

[saikee]

Installing Grub, Lilo, NTLDR or Vista boot loader is easy as ABC.

Just install XP. XP's boot loader will over write Grub. You then restore Grub and edit Grub's menu.lst to boot XP.

Piece of cake. You can add 100 systems and the procedure is identical.

[absolutezero1287]

I didn't kno that. Now I see...the reason that it didn't work was because there was no partition for Windows to rest on.

[saikee]

Ubuntu has Gparted and it can resize partitions. So what's stopping you to reduce Ubuntu and make some room in the hard disk for XP?

[scimitar91]

Hey I managed to screw up my MBR/GRUB/whatever.
Windows XP on master hard drive, just installed Ubuntu on second hard drive.
GRUB Error 15 now comes up and neither OS is accessible.
I'm writing from a SLAX live cd. I can look at my hard drive from here and see files like GRUB.exe and ubnldr.exe

Is there any way to fix this from SLAX? I don't have a winXP cd.
Can I just remove GRUB entirely, boot in windows, and reinstall ubuntu fresh?

[saikee]

Slax has no Grub and so you need to mount the Ubuntu partition to restore its Grub.

You can restore Grub by any Live CD. Details is Task B5 of the last link in my signature.

You can restore XP's MBR using (1) a Dos floppy, (2) a Win2k/XP installation CD or (3) a FreeDos floppy or CD. Just take a look at the last link of my signature.

Make sure you know which is the first boot disk. Also the current Ubuntu calls all disk as sda, sdb, sdc etc and Pata disk device names like hda, hdb etc are no longer supported.

[John A]

Here's how I usually reinstall GRUB on a messed-up Linux installation:

1. Boot off a Linux CD (doesn't necessarily have to be a LiveCD)
2. Use 'mount' to mount all my partitions
3. Mount the dev filesystem with:
mount -o bind /dev /mnt/linux/dev
And mount the proc filesystem with:
mount -t proc none /mnt/linux/proc
4. Run 'chroot /mnt/linux /bin/bash' to change the root to where you mounted it (I usually mount it in /mnt/linux)
5. Run 'grub-install /dev/hda' to install GRUB to the MBR of /dev/hda

>XP's boot loader will over write Grub.

Technically speaking, it doesn't. NTLDR, XP's boot loader, is actually installed on the first sector of the Windows boot partition. This means that no matter what you do to your MBR, your Windows boot loader will remain unchanged. If you've got GRUB installed on the MBR, you can simply erase it at a Linux command prompt like this:

# dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/hda bs=446 count=1

After that's done, Windows will boot normally as expected. You can also use fixmbr on the Windows side of things if that's what you prefer.

[RootbeaR]

Originally Posted by scimitar91

Hey I managed to screw up my MBR/GRUB/whatever.
Windows XP on master hard drive, just installed Ubuntu on second hard drive.
GRUB Error 15 now comes up and neither OS is accessible.
I'm writing from a SLAX live cd. I can look at my hard drive from here and see files like GRUB.exe and ubnldr.exe

Is there any way to fix this from SLAX? I don't have a winXP cd.
Can I just remove GRUB entirely, boot in windows, and reinstall ubuntu fresh?

This is the easiest way I have found. (In snapshot)

This is PCLinuxOS, I don't know about other LiveCDs'.

After clicking "Redo MBR", it will ask from which partition.

[saikee]

John A

The Task B5 of my suggested link in Post #7 does exactly what you proposed by with less unnecessary steps.

RootBeaR

Th method by Live CD is the general method that works for every Linux Live CD.

You might wish to know any Linux Live CD can be used to rescue another Linux, access that Linux and in some cases ever to operate that Linux's desktop.

Using a Linux Live CD in terminal mode is recommended because it works for both Grub and Lilo and is a "universal" method.

If you use a Linux "A" Live CD in terminal mode and change root to Linux "B" you are actually operating Linux "B" with the kernel from Linux "A" . That is one of the many wonderful features a Linux system can offer.

[RootbeaR]

Originally Posted by saikee

John A

The Task B5 of my suggested link in Post #7 does exactly what you proposed by with less unnecessary steps.

RootBeaR

Th method by Live CD is the general method that works for every Linux Live CD.

You might wish to know any Linux Live CD can be used to rescue another Linux, access that Linux and in some cases ever to operate that Linux's desktop.

Using a Linux Live CD in terminal mode is recommended because it works for both Grub and Lilo and is a "universal" method.

If you use a Linux "A" Live CD in terminal mode and change root to Linux "B" you are actually operating Linux "B" with the kernel from Linux "A" . That is one of the many wonderful features a Linux system can offer.

Sorry saikee, guess I should have elaborated some.

The PCLinuxOS LiveCD will do it without a command line. It may require a root password, I can't remember.

You just point it to the partition you wish to restore from. If I remember correctly it gave a list of all partitions it could see for you to choose from (which is all of them).

Easy as "Clickety-click, found the trick." (From an old kids show, can't remember which one)

P.S. Ever consider changing your name to MBR, Master Boot Resolver. Or GRUB. GRand Unique Booter?
I think most everyone here either waits for your advice or recommends your advice on boot matters.

[saikee]

RootbeaR,

I know in many Linux one can repair the MBR with facilities in the desktop. I recommend a Live Cd and terminal mode because it is a general method. For example you can use Slax, which has no Grub, to repair Grub. How it works out must be a wonder to many users.

Thanks for your kind words. Many members here are very knowledgeable in booting. I tend speak out to highlight the differences and similarities of different posters. It all goes to a better understanding of the subject. I can get it wrong and it is up to others to step in to correct me.