[bubblz]

Hi there! I'm not sure exactly where to begin with all this so I'll start with this past Saturday when I decided to wipe the Dell Inspiron 9300 notebook. I did a clean install of Win XP (slipstreamed with SP2) and then an upgrade install to Vista Business. I installed SP1 and SP2, antivirus and all my security apps. It was at this point that I decided I wanted to have a dual-boot system with Ubuntu. Following this guide (http://apcmag.com/how_to_dualboot_vi...rst.htm?page=1) I set up Ubuntu 8.10 and upgraded it to 9.04 (Jaunty Jackalope). Here is where my problems began!! The GRUB boot loader did not configure the boot\grub\menu.lst. I manually entered the following info to force GRUB. "sudo gedit /boot/grub/menu.lst". Then I
added these lines:

### END DEBIAN AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST

title Other operating systems:
root

title Windows Vista/Longhorn (loader)
rootnoverify (hd0,0)
savedefault
makeactive
chainloader +1


I had a dual-boot system except that Vista entered the dreaded Configuring 3 of 3 update loop. I tried a restore to no avail. I tried booting to the repair console and performing bootrec.exe /fixboot.....nothing. I tried booting to the repair console and rebuilding the BCD using these steps:

bcdedit /export C:\BCD_Backup
c:
cd boot
attrib bcd -s -h -r
ren c:\boot\bcd bcd.old
bootrec /RebuildBcd


I have tried booting to the recovery console and executing these commands.....once again to no avail:

disabled driver signature
last known good
safe mode
safe mode with command prompt
safe mode with networking

cd to windows\system32\drivers
del pcmcia.sys*
del 1394bus.sys
del ohci1394.sys
cd \driverstore\filerepository\
del pcmcia.inf*
del 1394.inf*
del sbus.inf*
del sdbus.inf*
c:\
cd\windows\inf
del sdbus.inf*
del sdbus.PFN*
exit and rebooted

***************************************
cd windows\system32\config
ren default default.old
ren sam sam.old
ren security security.old
ren software software.old
ren system system.old
cd regback
copy default c:\windows\system32\config
copy sam c:\windows\system32\config
copy security c:\windows\system32\config
copy software c:\windows\system32\config
copy system c:\windows\system32\config

***********************************************************
rename c:\windows\winsxs\pending.xml pending.old

regedit

Then find and delete the following keys:

AdvancedInstallersNeedResolving
PendingXmlIdentifier
*************************************************************
I have disabled everything in the BIOS that can be disabled.
I have also run a chkdsk /f

I am at a total loss for what else to try.

Here's the error message I get when trying to use system repair:
Startup Repair cannot repair this computer automatically

Problem Signature:
Problem Event Name: StartupRepairV2
Problem Signature 01: ExternalMedia
Problem Signature 02: 6.0.6000.16386.6.0.6001.18000
Problem Signature 03: 6
Problem Signature 04: 393222
Problem Signature 05: 0xf4
Problem Signature 06: 0xf4
Problem Signature 07: 0
Problem Signature 08: 2
Problem Signature 09: WrpRepair
Problem Signature 10: 16385
OS Version: 6.0.6000.2.0.0.256.1
Locale D: 1033

If I try to use Safe Mode, it stops on crcdisk.sys briefly and then goes on to a STOP error of 0x000000f4 (0x00000003, (that's the only numbers I can capture).

At present GRUB has been damaged and Ubuntu won't boot. Vista won't boot. I have also run MEMTEST86 with no errors.

I would appreciate any help you could give me. I am totally at wits end on this one. Prior to installing Ubuntu, Vista was *finally* working and playing well. After Ubuntu install, it's been unbootable.

Thanks.........Shonda

[bubblz]

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[bubblz]

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[bubblz]

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