See other posts on this subject.
Am now getting really p***** off.
The only thing I can effectively do is boot from the Live CD ...
Someone MUST know how to fix this problem ...other than a full format and reinstall ...
Thought Linux was the way forward !!!!
How-To Geek Forums » Windows Vista
How Do I Get my Vista Back now Ubuntu 8.04 install has screwed everything !!
(47 posts)you can always restore back your boot.ini file , if you are using vista ... try to boot via setup dvd of vista , and in it , when it comes to installation , find an option saying " advance option " ... in it , if you look around , you will find option which is used to solve boot problem in vista .. ( i actually can't recall name of that option , but i m sure that its there ... when you will choose that option it will seek for previously installed OS ( here Vista ) to make new boot.ini file ... and it will boot up again ...
and ... FYI , being windows user i like Vista ... bt Linux / Ubuntu is far more better and "way forward" then dumb windows .... its not ubuntu but you have done something wrong with installation ... because i am using both Vista and ubuntu hardy together ... and i did installation by my self .... and it is working super fine .. so my first guess is , you must have screwed up with installation and its the only possibility i can see ...
best luck ... and let me know if you got sill problem ...
The problem is related to the fact that my Dell has RAID0 over 2 discs and apparently Ubuntu doesnt like it, it gets confused as to where everything is installed.
Tried the Vista install CD and restore but when you get to the bit where it should give you a list of restore points there is nothing displayed.
I think what I need to do from the various posts I've read is get into Grub and move the boot to vista section to the front of the list, but not being into linux commands I dont know how to find grub and then edit it.
The only thing I can do at the moment is use the Live CD to boot up then I know enough to get to Terminal through Applications.
Its finding which one of the discs Grub is on.
As I said I need step by step instructions to find out where evrything is, then get in and edit whatever it is I need to edit so that Vista boots up.
I think once I can get into Vista I might be able to do a 'Restore to previous'because it should recognise my C drive which it doesnt seem to do at the moment ...
Originally shrunk disc as suggested then installed 8.04 using defaults. Got grub error 2 on boot up.
Installed again (so now have 2 copies)this time I chose to pick where I wanted it to go (ubfortunately cant remember which disc)
The problem I think is that my Inspiron 1721 is RAID0 over 2 discs which confuses the hell out od Ubuntu and where to go for its info.
I'm not into command line in Linux, but I think the solution would be to edit Grub and move the Vista boot section right to the front of the list so it does this first (Am I being too simple here !!)
If someone could just give me a simple list of instructions as to how to find where Grub is located (ie disc and parttition eg hd0,0 or something like that)and then how to edit it.
I'm pretty well able to get into Terminal and get a command line so as I say just a list of step by step instructions would be nice.
Once it boots straight into Vista I think I'm pretty well OK for sorting it from there using the repair option ...
I'll be really pissed off if I have to take it to my local techie to fix and have to pay for something that I think is quite easy if you know how to do it !!
StevePaul,
The Vista partition has to be fixed so it will boot.
Maybe one of our Vista members will pick-up on this topic.
You are correct and we should warn others that Ubuntu 8.04 does (NOT) play well with a Raid 0 configuration.
It is one of those issues that everyone thinks everyone else knows but that is not the case.
Keep watching your topic.
Kindest Regards,
Rick P. ♥ :)
Raphoenix ...Yor're right there should be a bloody great warning about Raid0 and Ubuntu.
Before I installed, I searched for any known problems with Ubuntu 8.04, I guess I asked the wrong questions !!
I'll know better next time ...
There's also some functions that have been removed from Ubuntu 8.04, that were in previous versions, that some of the posts refer to as a possible fixes.
I've now come across something called Knoppix that I'm gonna try, once I find some kind sole to lend me their computer so I can burn the CD (apparently this is the answer to everyones prayers - mine included I hope !!).
I guess the thing that really annoys me more that anything, is that I quite liked the look and feel of Ubuntu when I was just messing about using the Live CD.
Bottom line is I'll still try Ubuntu out, not totally put off Linux yet !!!
And the thing is, through all the hassle, I've learnt quite a bit about Linux and Vista along the way.
In the meantime if anyone does know how I can get to Vista from my Ubuntu Live CD I'm still open to suggestions.
StevePaul,
Just happened upon your reply - Sorry I didn't see it earlier.
Did you read all of this.
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Installation/SoftwareRAID
There has been a long standing augment on what RAID really is.
I think those (2) HDs are locked together with software Raid.
Let me research your machine.
Kindest Regards,
Rick P. ♥ :)
StevePaul,
Nice machine !!!!
After reading the manual, evidently DELL locked the drives together by using the Bios Setup.
http://support.dell.com/suppor.....#wp1079121
If you unlock them now, you will lose everything.
If you ordered the the machine with (2) HDs, DELL should have sent you a OEM copy of Vista.
I would call DELL and see what they will do for you.
DELL ought to have had sense enough to ship at least a Restore CD with a machine which can be configured as a Raid 0 or as a Raid 1 (10) machine (especially a Laptop).
Kindest Regards,
Rick P. ♥ :)
Yeah, ordered this direct through Dell. Got a copy of the Vista CD thats not a problem.
Problem is the bloody thing (there I go again!) isn't recognising any drives or operating systems.
The additional problem I've got is that I've recently moved house and where I'm at haven't got an Internet connection installed !! (can you believe it in this day and age - I know I should have checked before I moved !)
Have to be honest Dell support is really quite good (in my experience)the last time I had a problem I ended up talking to a very nice man somewhere in India.
Got Knoppix on my pendrive, now just need to burn it to a CD and give it a whirl, mind you can't do it on my laptop 'cos its holding the drive for Ubuntu ...
Thanks for the link above, looks like I should have used the alternative install for AMD64, got to be honest I did see it but didn't think it applied to me.
Do you think if I do an alternate install (AMD64)over the balls up I've already got it'll sort my problem.
Mind you it can't really get any worse can it !!!
i had this happen on my desktop, the only way i could think of to fix it was to remove the hard drive (500g) and put it in an external case. then i installed a 160g hard drive and reinstalled vista, but i had to call microsoft this time to activate it. i was able to reformat the hard drive this way, but left the os on the 160 hard drive. which is ok, at least i have 1tb of backup space now.
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