Thread: System Crash!!!

I installed Ubuntu 8.10 now,i am not being able to access my windows
What should i do??IS there any hopes to recover it??
Please help.

it would help if you describe what procedure you used to install ubuntu

from: help.ubuntu.com/community/GraphicalInstall

I think you meant there is no boot loader installed. Can you access your windows partitions from ubuntu? If yes, definitely there is a way to recover your system.

I installed it using the cd not using Wubi,i am not able to access my c drive now,it is not showing up.
But i am sure it would be present becaus e i had not formatted that part..I used manula install option,I formatted the previous portion that already had ubuntu 8.04 in and the swap area it and created new partitions for both of them...

My suggestions now are,

1. Don't use the beta version of 8.10. Please wait for another 16 days for the stable release.
2. Install 8.04, you will get windows partitions back.
3. While installing 8.04, there is NO need to delete the swap partition or the root partition. What I usually do, is I don't delete ANY partitions. I would ONLY format the root partition. There is no need to do any thing with swap partition, in Ubuntu or any other linux distribution.

Feel free to shoot back with any other questions that you may have.

can i get back my windows if i install 8.04 how is that??

just try recovering your grub using these steps/commands

sudo grub

find /boot/grub/stage1
(Use the output from this command in the next command)

root (hd0,1)

setup (hd0)

quit

You may have to modify the hard disk parameters to suit your setup… that’s what the second command helps you do. My root partition is the second on my first hard disk. If yours is the first for instance, then you’ll have to modify the “root” step as follows:

root (hd0,0)

Originally Posted by gurusam

can i get back my windows if i install 8.04 how is that??

Definitely you will get your windows. Because it was only a bug in the 8.10beta version that it failed to detect windows partitions. That's why grub didn't add windows in its menu (in fact, you won't see any menu at all now).

How is that?
Because 8.04 is a stable release. It does find any windows partitions, if any. The only problem with ubuntu in this regard is that it fails to detect a unix partition like solaris. This is another topic, though.

try NTFS configuration tool (available from your add/remove prgms or synaptic)..
it shud mount ur drives

Hey is your problem solved

no it was not solved i tried fixmbr even ubuntu would not open
i would get a promt like
grub>
so i had to reinstall both now everything is fine......

That was bad.. now m having second thots installin 8.04 on a new partition...

Sorry I didn't read the thread.
Would have got your system back.

no problems....
Starryknight,don worry i had screwed up my system..you follow the steps given in this forum and you will be safe.

Speaking of instructions. I have a doubt. How can you create an Extended Partition ? That option in my XP (Disk management) is grayed out. I tried using 3rd party tools for partition. But still no good. What should I do ?

You can create only 1 Extended Partition so You must already have one.
It is shown with green edges.

Here's a screenshot.

Originally Posted by gauviz

You can create only 1 Extended Partition so You must already have one.
It is shown with green edges.

I didn't create it. But looks like there is one already. What should I do now ?

Well if you want only upto 2 more partitions u can simply convert the empty space to 2 primary partitions.

Else u'll have to increase the size of your extended partition. You can use Partition Magic or any other similar utility to don the same. Increasing the size if a pretty safe operation so it should not be difficult.
Once you have done that you can make as many more partitions inside the extended partition as you want. You already have 4 partitions in it and you can make more according to your needs.

I resized the Extended Partition using Partition Magic (the highlighted one).



And this is how the XP disk management screenshot after that.



Is that right. Can I install Ubuntu in the free space now following the guide.

You are done.

Just right click on free space and you can create as many logical partitions as you want now.

Originally Posted by gauviz

You are done.

Just right click on free space and you can create as many logical partitions as you want now.

Does that mean now I can uninstall/delete Ubuntu without corrupting windows XP installation.

Yes
Just make sure you create a separate boot partition when you install ubuntu

Originally Posted by gauviz

Yes
Just make sure you create a separate boot partition when you install ubuntu

Thanks! Will try that.

Originally Posted by gauviz

Yes
Just make sure you create a separate boot partition when you install ubuntu

Which in turn means not to use wubi?? A lot of people have had problems with wubi in the past, got to know as i searched for it..