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My computer recently had a hardware upgrade and now runs on Windows 7. I decided to install Ubuntu 11.04 as dual boot using the ISO I got from ubuntu.com downloaded onto my USB stick.

Restarting with the USB stick, I was able to install Ubuntu 11.04 choosing the option:

Install Ubuntu 11.04 side by side with Windows 7 (or something like that).

No errors were encountered on installation. However on restarting, there was no GRUB; the system went straight into Windows 7.

Looking for answers, I found these:

• http://essayboard.com/2011/07/12/how-to-dual-boot-ubuntu-11-04-and-windows-7-the-traditional-way-through-grub-2/


• http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1774523

Following their instructions, I got:

Boot Info Script 0.60 from 17 May 2011

============================= Boot Info Summary: ===============================



=> Windows is installed in the MBR of /dev/sda.

=> Syslinux MBR (3.61-4.03) is installed in the MBR of /dev/sdb.

=> Grub2 (v1.99) is installed in the MBR of /dev/sdc and looks at sector 1 of

the same hard drive for core.img. core.img is at this location and looks

for (,msdos7)/boot/grub on this drive.



sda1: __________________________________________________ ________________________



File system: ntfs

Boot sector type: Windows Vista/7

Boot sector info: No errors found in the Boot Parameter Block.

Operating System:

Boot files: /grldr /bootmgr /Boot/BCD /grldr



sda2: __________________________________________________ ________________________



File system: ntfs

Boot sector type: Windows Vista/7

Boot sector info: No errors found in the Boot Parameter Block.

Operating System: Windows 7

Boot files: /Windows/System32/winload.exe



sdb1: __________________________________________________ ________________________



File system: vfat

Boot sector type: SYSLINUX 4.02 debian-20101016 ...........>...r>....... ......0...~.k...~...f...M.f.f....f..8~....>2}

Boot sector info: Syslinux looks at sector 1437504 of /dev/sdb1 for its

second stage. SYSLINUX is installed in the directory.

The integrity check of the ADV area failed. According

to the info in the boot sector, sdb1 starts at sector

0. But according to the info from fdisk, sdb1 starts

at sector 62.

Operating System:

Boot files: /boot/grub/grub.cfg /syslinux/syslinux.cfg /ldlinux.sys



sdc1: __________________________________________________ ________________________



File system: ntfs

Boot sector type: Windows XP

Boot sector info: No errors found in the Boot Parameter Block.

Operating System:

Boot files:



sdc2: __________________________________________________ ________________________



File system: Extended Partition

Boot sector type: -

Boot sector info:



sdc5: __________________________________________________ ________________________



File system: swap

Boot sector type: -

Boot sector info:



sdc6: __________________________________________________ ________________________



File system: swap

Boot sector type: -

Boot sector info:



sdc7: __________________________________________________ ________________________



File system: ext4

Boot sector type: -

Boot sector info:

Operating System: Ubuntu 11.04

Boot files: /boot/grub/grub.cfg /etc/fstab /boot/grub/core.img



sdc8: __________________________________________________ ________________________



File system: swap

Boot sector type: -

Boot sector info:

Going back into Ubuntu and running sudo fdisk -l , I got these:

ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ sudo fdisk -l



Disk /dev/sda: 160.0 GB, 160041885696 bytes

255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 19457 cylinders

Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes

I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes

Disk identifier: 0x0002f393



   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System

/dev/sda1   *           1          13      102400    7  HPFS/NTFS

Partition 1 does not end on cylinder boundary.

/dev/sda2              13       19458   156185600    7  HPFS/NTFS



Disk /dev/sdb: 2011 MB, 2011168768 bytes

62 heads, 62 sectors/track, 1021 cylinders

Units = cylinders of 3844 * 512 = 1968128 bytes

Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes

I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes

Disk identifier: 0x000f2ab9



   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System

/dev/sdb1   *           1        1021     1962331    c  W95 FAT32 (LBA)



Disk /dev/sdc: 1000.2 GB, 1000202043392 bytes

255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 121600 cylinders

Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes

I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes

Disk identifier: 0x00261ddd



   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System

/dev/sdc1   *           1       60657   487222656+   7  HPFS/NTFS

/dev/sdc2           60657      121600   489527681    5  Extended

/dev/sdc5          120563      121600     8337703+  82  Linux swap / Solaris

/dev/sdc6          120073      120562     3930112   82  Linux swap / Solaris

/dev/sdc7           60657      119584   473328640   83  Linux

/dev/sdc8          119584      120072     3923968   82  Linux swap / Solaris

Should I proceed and do the following?

• 
  

  Assuming Ubuntu 11.04 was installed on device sdb1, do this:

  
  
  

  sudo mount /dev/sdb1 /mnt
  
  

  
  


• 
  

  Then do this:

  
  
  

  sudo grub-install--root-directory=/mnt /dev/sdb
  
  

  
  
  

  Notice there are two dashes in front of the root directory, and I'm not using sdb1 but sdb.

  
  



• Since the command in step 15 had reinstalled Grub 2, now we need to unmount the /mnt
  (i.e. sdb1) to clean up.



• 
  

  Do this:

  
  
  

  sudo umount /mnt
  
  

  
  
  

  Reboot and remove Ubuntu 11.04 CD/DVD from disk tray. Log into Ubuntu 11.04 (you have no choice but it will make you log into Ubuntu 11.04 at this point).

  
  


• 
  

  Open up a terminal in Ubuntu 11.04 (using real installation, not live CD/DVD). Execute this command:

  
  
  

  sudo update-grub
  
  

  
  



• Reboot the machine.

After three days, I decided to reformat, reinstall windows 7 (first), then ubuntu following these instructions.

Today, I have a dual boot pc running ubuntu 11.04 by default, and windows 7.

What was different this time, was that I partitioned my hard drive using gparted while inside ubuntu trial mode, then installed ubuntu from there. Immediately after the reboot, I got my grub.

Next time if you want to use the Windows bootloader there are tools out there to allow booting linux from windows. Otherwise you can load a recovery linux CD and reinstall Grub.

You can also boot into live mode and use Ubuntu Boot Repair.

Please try to repair your boot grub by live-ubuntu (ubuntu cd)

>Boot your computer on a Ubuntu live-CD or live-USB.

>Choose "Try Ubuntu" 

>Connect Internet 

>Open a new Terminal, then type:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:yannubuntu/boot-repair && sudo apt-get update

 >Press Enter.

  Then type:

sudo apt-get install boot-repair

After Installation Close the Terminal and Open Boot Repair ,

then Choose Recommended repair. It will repair automatically.