[Wolves] Ubuntu again

[Kevanf1]

Not sure if I've already sent this one, so if I have I apologise.

I have finally got around to trying the Ubuntu disk that I was sent.
Now, I have a slight problem.  No, sorry I have bloody major problem.
I used the live CD expecting as always - similar to Knoppix etc - for
no changes to the hard drive.  Well, that's what it states quite
implicitly on the CD sleeve.  Wrong!!!!  It does make changes to the
hard drive.  This is what has happened:

First I got the expected 'Boot from CD:' prompt.  Ok great.  Then
'GRUB' was displayed.  Again, I've seen this before no problem.
Except it just hung......and hung.......until I eventually decided
that it obviously did not like this particular PC.  512mb RAM, 2500
AMD Barton chip Gigabyte mobo (which other distros don't like either),
NVidia 400 graphics card (old but it does for me).

So then I thought ok I'll just try it on another PC later and get on
with some work.  Bear in mind that this particular hard drive has some
specialist software on with an awful lot of keyed in database work
which I do not intend on doing again for anybody.  Fired up the PC
again back to boot from master hard drive and the Ubuntu CD taken out.
 The screen fills with the word 'GRUB' over and over again.  It will
not boot into (sorry about this) Windows 2000.  I suspect it has
changed the MBR.  But why?  It shouldn't have touched it at all.  Any
ideas anybody?  Before I get the dreaded Windows CD out and do a
repair that way.

Now to add a bit.  It looks like the hard drive has completely died
too.  Obviously this is just a coincidence but it's a bloody annoying
one.  The disk is no longer recognised in the BIOS.  So that rules out
using Lost & Found or even re-installing the Windows 2000 OS onto it. 
This is all very odd.
-- 
Take care.
Kevan Farmer

34 Hill Street
Cheslyn Hay
Staffordshire
WS6 7HR