[HLUG] Installing Ubuntu 9.04

[Chris]

Hi everybody

Have just received a truncated version of my original post which means I 
guess some folks might have never got the full story. I'll try again -it was

"Can anyone please help with the following:
     Have been trying for days to install Ubuntu 9.04 on a middle aged
IBM 30GB Thinkpad. Most recent effort involved completely wiping the
hard drive, creating a 15GB primary partition and loading Windows XP. No
problem XP runs without difficulty.
     Using the LXFDVD120 loaded Ubuntu in 'Remaining free space' without
difficulty, Grub is set up OK and the app looks very good.
     Select Ubuntu from the bootloader menu at start-up and it runs like
a charm.
         BUT....Select XP and it appears to start up with the Thinkpad
boot screen but then a couple of seconds into the XP Splash Screen,
Windows detects an error and shuts down before you can read what it says!!
     At this stage it is impossible to re-load Windows - the Installation
disk can't find the hard drive and it is impossible to selectively wipe
the partition for re-loading, you have to wipe the whole drive and start
again.

     It is as though the Windows Boot Sector and/or the MBR has not only
been over-written but somehow corrupted

     Any ideas more than appreciated

Chris Owens"

Julian replies

Its a bit hard to say, but i have seen similar issues where Windows was
hibernated not fully switched off before partitioning which can cause
problems. Also, sometimes, Windows is left with a 'dirty bit' (i think
that's what its called  :-)  ), which stops it booting cleanly. What you
have to do is run the win install disc, and go into the emergency
recovery console, which usually fixes it.

Otherwise, you can quite easily recover the MBR to the previous state
with 'fixmbr', but you'll have to google for the precise notation. Using
a livecd, and a partition editor/viewer can be useful to see what it
says about the partitions states.

I hope this helps.



Progress now. The above failed installation arose when Ubuntu was 
installed from a 'Re-start' after using XP. Installing Ubuntu from a 
'Cold start' gave a good install but then on re-boot Grub stalled at the 
first line, no selection menu appeared and Error 18 was returned. 
Windows was inaccessible and the XP installtion disk wouldn't run as before.

Thinking this might be a problem with the Ubuntu boot sector being 
outside the bios range I squeezed XP into a 11GB primary partition and 
it worked fine. The Ubuntu Partitioner confirmed the Window Partition 
and Free space in the top allocation bar. What I didn't notice was that 
  when selecting Option 1 or 3 the bottom allocation bar defaults to a 
setting where the Windows Partition re-occupies the whole drive. 
Choosing the Option alone is not enough you have to also adjust the 
allocation of space by moving the slider in the bottom bar so that 
Windows remains confined to its 11GB. Use Option 4 and none of this is a 
problem.

Sorry folks real newbie stuff

Chris
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