Can't boot Vista completely Options

[Mikeplyts]

Hey, um, I'm in a bit of a pickle. So, about four or so months ago, I decided to install Ubuntu Linux on my computer. It's been a great OS so far and I've gotten pretty used to it, but I wanted to check out some things on Windows Vista (which was the original OS I used before Linux). However, whenever I booted Vista up (on both /dev/sda1 and /dev/sda2) it doesn't really ever boot Vista completely. Like, if I boot on /dev/sda1, it takes me to a big Vista image with a bar underneath that reads, "Recovering Windows" and then, it just restarts my computer and never "recovers" anything because it just shows the same image and bar again when I go back to see if it was actually "recovered." If I try it on /dev/sda2, it takes me through some options and stuff like that to recover Vista, but I've tried all options and none seem to work because when they "repair" the "problems", it restarts my computer and it still doesn't work (it just shows the exact same repair options again and again).

I'm not sure what to do so it'd be nice if one of y'all tech-nerds helped out on this one. And I don't know if it counts for anything, but I boot Linux/Vista from something called GNU GRUB.

[mipadi]

Sounds like one of the partitions/locations where Vista put its boot files got hosed. Windows doesn't always play nicely with Linux; sometimes installing Vista on the same hard drive as a Linux install (or vice-versa) can cause problems with the boot loader.

To confirm, you can grab this script and run it as the root user, and then paste the output here.

[heyo-captain-jac...]

Do cat /boot/grub/menu.list and post it here.

[Mikeplyts]

Sounds like one of the partitions/locations where Vista put its boot files got hosed. Windows doesn't always play nicely with Linux; sometimes installing Vista on the same hard drive as a Linux install (or vice-versa) can cause problems with the boot loader.

To confirm, you can grab this script and run it as the root user, and then paste the output here.

CODE

Boot Info Script 0.55 dated February 15th, 2010

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

=> Grub 2 is installed in the MBR of /dev/sda and looks on the same drive in
partition #5 for /boot/grub.

sda1: _________________________________________________________________________

File system: ntfs
Boot sector type: Windows Vista/7
Boot sector info: No errors found in the Boot Parameter Block.
Operating System: Windows Vista
Boot files/dirs: /bootmgr /boot/bcd /Windows/System32/winload.exe

sda2: _________________________________________________________________________

File system: ntfs
Boot sector type: Windows Vista/7
Boot sector info: No errors found in the Boot Parameter Block.
Operating System:
Boot files/dirs: /bootmgr

sda3: _________________________________________________________________________

File system: Extended Partition
Boot sector type: -
Boot sector info:

sda5: _________________________________________________________________________

File system: ext4
Boot sector type: -
Boot sector info:
Operating System: Ubuntu 9.10
Boot files/dirs: /boot/grub/grub.cfg /etc/fstab /boot/grub/core.img

sda6: _________________________________________________________________________

File system: swap
Boot sector type: -
Boot sector info:

=========================== Drive/Partition Info: =============================

Drive: sda ___________________ _____________________________________________________

Disk /dev/sda: 320.1 GB, 320072933376 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 38913 cylinders, total 625142448 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x1bfa413a

Partition Boot Start End Size Id System

/dev/sda1 * 2,048 520,304,631 520,302,584 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda2 602,224,640 625,135,615 22,910,976 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda3 520,313,220 602,212,589 81,899,370 5 Extended
/dev/sda5 520,313,283 598,774,679 78,461,397 83 Linux
/dev/sda6 598,774,743 602,212,589 3,437,847 82 Linux swap / Solaris


blkid -c /dev/null: ____________________________________________________________

Device UUID TYPE LABEL

/dev/sda1 4184B31C679D77D5 ntfs
/dev/sda2 BAE07D99E07D5D17 ntfs RECOVERY
/dev/sda5 4f7d5e2c-616f-4a88-acb8-3e5e6d9cbcb1 ext4
/dev/sda6 651569a7-2411-46bb-9e24-60d01f88aa44 swap

============================ "mount | grep ^/dev output: ===========================

Device Mount_Point Type Options

/dev/sda5 / ext4 (rw,errors=remount-ro)


=========================== sda5/boot/grub/grub.cfg: ===========================

#
# DO NOT EDIT THIS FILE
#
# It is automatically generated by /usr/sbin/grub-mkconfig using templates
# from /etc/grub.d and settings from /etc/default/grub
#

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/00_header ###
if [ -s /boot/grub/grubenv ]; then
have_grubenv=true
load_env
fi
set default="0"
if [ ${prev_saved_entry} ]; then
saved_entry=${prev_saved_entry}
save_env saved_entry
prev_saved_entry=
save_env prev_saved_entry
fi
insmod ext2
set root=(hd0,5)
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 4f7d5e2c-616f-4a88-acb8-3e5e6d9cbcb1
if loadfont /usr/share/grub/unicode.pf2 ; then
set gfxmode=640x480
insmod gfxterm
insmod vbe
if terminal_output gfxterm ; then true ; else
# For backward compatibility with versions of terminal.mod that don't
# understand terminal_output
terminal gfxterm
fi
fi
if [ ${recordfail} = 1 ]; then
set timeout=-1
else
set timeout=10
fi
### END /etc/grub.d/00_header ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/05_debian_theme ###
set menu_color_normal=white/black
set menu_color_highlight=black/white
### END /etc/grub.d/05_debian_theme ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/10_linux ###
menuentry "Ubuntu, Linux 2.6.31-21-generic" {
recordfail=1
if [ -n ${have_grubenv} ]; then save_env recordfail; fi
set quiet=1
insmod ext2
set root=(hd0,5)
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 4f7d5e2c-616f-4a88-acb8-3e5e6d9cbcb1
linux /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.31-21-generic root=UUID=4f7d5e2c-616f-4a88-acb8-3e5e6d9cbcb1 ro quiet splash
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.31-21-generic
}
menuentry "Ubuntu, Linux 2.6.31-21-generic (recovery mode)" {
recordfail=1
if [ -n ${have_grubenv} ]; then save_env recordfail; fi
insmod ext2
set root=(hd0,5)
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 4f7d5e2c-616f-4a88-acb8-3e5e6d9cbcb1
linux /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.31-21-generic root=UUID=4f7d5e2c-616f-4a88-acb8-3e5e6d9cbcb1 ro single
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.31-21-generic
}
menuentry "Ubuntu, Linux 2.6.31-17-generic" {
recordfail=1
if [ -n ${have_grubenv} ]; then save_env recordfail; fi
set quiet=1
insmod ext2
set root=(hd0,5)
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 4f7d5e2c-616f-4a88-acb8-3e5e6d9cbcb1
linux /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.31-17-generic root=UUID=4f7d5e2c-616f-4a88-acb8-3e5e6d9cbcb1 ro quiet splash
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.31-17-generic
}
menuentry "Ubuntu, Linux 2.6.31-17-generic (recovery mode)" {
recordfail=1
if [ -n ${have_grubenv} ]; then save_env recordfail; fi
insmod ext2
set root=(hd0,5)
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 4f7d5e2c-616f-4a88-acb8-3e5e6d9cbcb1
linux /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.31-17-generic root=UUID=4f7d5e2c-616f-4a88-acb8-3e5e6d9cbcb1 ro single
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.31-17-generic
}
menuentry "Ubuntu, Linux 2.6.31-14-generic" {
recordfail=1
if [ -n ${have_grubenv} ]; then save_env recordfail; fi
set quiet=1
insmod ext2
set root=(hd0,5)
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 4f7d5e2c-616f-4a88-acb8-3e5e6d9cbcb1
linux /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.31-14-generic root=UUID=4f7d5e2c-616f-4a88-acb8-3e5e6d9cbcb1 ro quiet splash
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.31-14-generic
}
menuentry "Ubuntu, Linux 2.6.31-14-generic (recovery mode)" {
recordfail=1
if [ -n ${have_grubenv} ]; then save_env recordfail; fi
insmod ext2
set root=(hd0,5)
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 4f7d5e2c-616f-4a88-acb8-3e5e6d9cbcb1
linux /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.31-14-generic root=UUID=4f7d5e2c-616f-4a88-acb8-3e5e6d9cbcb1 ro single
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.31-14-generic
}
### END /etc/grub.d/10_linux ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/20_memtest86+ ###
menuentry "Memory test (memtest86+)" {
linux16 /boot/memtest86+.bin
}
menuentry "Memory test (memtest86+, serial console 115200)" {
linux16 /boot/memtest86+.bin console=ttyS0,115200n8
}
### END /etc/grub.d/20_memtest86+ ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/30_os-prober ###
menuentry "Windows Vista (loader) (on /dev/sda1)" {
insmod ntfs
set root=(hd0,1)
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 4184b31c679d77d5
chainloader +1
}
menuentry "Windows Vista (loader) (on /dev/sda2)" {
insmod ntfs
set root=(hd0,2)
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set bae07d99e07d5d17
chainloader +1
}
### END /etc/grub.d/30_os-prober ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/40_custom ###
# This file provides an easy way to add custom menu entries. Simply type the
# menu entries you want to add after this comment. Be careful not to change
# the 'exec tail' line above.
### END /etc/grub.d/40_custom ###

=============================== sda5/etc/fstab: ===============================

# /etc/fstab: static file system information.
#
# Use 'blkid -o value -s UUID' to print the universally unique identifier
# for a device; this may be used with UUID= as a more robust way to name
# devices that works even if disks are added and removed. See fstab(5).
#
# <file system> <mount point> <type> <options> <dump> <pass>
proc /proc proc defaults 0 0
# / was on /dev/sda5 during installation
UUID=4f7d5e2c-616f-4a88-acb8-3e5e6d9cbcb1 / ext4 errors=remount-ro 0 1
# swap was on /dev/sda6 during installation
UUID=651569a7-2411-46bb-9e24-60d01f88aa44 none swap sw 0 0
/dev/scd0 /media/cdrom0 udf,iso9660 user,noauto,exec,utf8 0 0

=================== sda5: Location of files loaded by Grub: ===================


278.9GB: boot/grub/core.img
281.6GB: boot/grub/grub.cfg
267.5GB: boot/initrd.img-2.6.31-14-generic
278.9GB: boot/initrd.img-2.6.31-17-generic
278.8GB: boot/initrd.img-2.6.31-21-generic
267.5GB: boot/vmlinuz-2.6.31-14-generic
278.6GB: boot/vmlinuz-2.6.31-17-generic
278.6GB: boot/vmlinuz-2.6.31-21-generic
278.8GB: initrd.img
278.9GB: initrd.img.old
278.6GB: vmlinuz
278.6GB: vmlinuz.old
=======Devices which don't seem to have a corresponding hard drive==============

sdb

Do cat /boot/grub/menu.list and post it here.

That didn't seem to do anything. All I got in return was: No such file or directory.

[heyo-captain-jac...]

in that case you're using a version of grub that I'm not familiar with.

[mipadi]

That didn't seem to do anything. All I got in return was: No such file or directory.

It should be /boot/grub/menu.lst (no "i" in the file extension). Although in your case, it may be /boot/grub/grub.cfg.

[Mikeplyts]

cat /boot/grub/grub.cfg:

CODE

#
# DO NOT EDIT THIS FILE
#
# It is automatically generated by /usr/sbin/grub-mkconfig using templates
# from /etc/grub.d and settings from /etc/default/grub
#

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/00_header ###
if [ -s /boot/grub/grubenv ]; then
have_grubenv=true
load_env
fi
set default="0"
if [ ${prev_saved_entry} ]; then
saved_entry=${prev_saved_entry}
save_env saved_entry
prev_saved_entry=
save_env prev_saved_entry
fi
insmod ext2
set root=(hd0,5)
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 4f7d5e2c-616f-4a88-acb8-3e5e6d9cbcb1
if loadfont /usr/share/grub/unicode.pf2 ; then
set gfxmode=640x480
insmod gfxterm
insmod vbe
if terminal_output gfxterm ; then true ; else
# For backward compatibility with versions of terminal.mod that don't
# understand terminal_output
terminal gfxterm
fi
fi
if [ ${recordfail} = 1 ]; then
set timeout=-1
else
set timeout=10
fi
### END /etc/grub.d/00_header ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/05_debian_theme ###
set menu_color_normal=white/black
set menu_color_highlight=black/white
### END /etc/grub.d/05_debian_theme ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/10_linux ###
menuentry "Ubuntu, Linux 2.6.31-21-generic" {
recordfail=1
if [ -n ${have_grubenv} ]; then save_env recordfail; fi
set quiet=1
insmod ext2
set root=(hd0,5)
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 4f7d5e2c-616f-4a88-acb8-3e5e6d9cbcb1
linux /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.31-21-generic root=UUID=4f7d5e2c-616f-4a88-acb8-3e5e6d9cbcb1 ro quiet splash
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.31-21-generic
}
menuentry "Ubuntu, Linux 2.6.31-21-generic (recovery mode)" {
recordfail=1
if [ -n ${have_grubenv} ]; then save_env recordfail; fi
insmod ext2
set root=(hd0,5)
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 4f7d5e2c-616f-4a88-acb8-3e5e6d9cbcb1
linux /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.31-21-generic root=UUID=4f7d5e2c-616f-4a88-acb8-3e5e6d9cbcb1 ro single
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.31-21-generic
}
menuentry "Ubuntu, Linux 2.6.31-17-generic" {
recordfail=1
if [ -n ${have_grubenv} ]; then save_env recordfail; fi
set quiet=1
insmod ext2
set root=(hd0,5)
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 4f7d5e2c-616f-4a88-acb8-3e5e6d9cbcb1
linux /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.31-17-generic root=UUID=4f7d5e2c-616f-4a88-acb8-3e5e6d9cbcb1 ro quiet splash
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.31-17-generic
}
menuentry "Ubuntu, Linux 2.6.31-17-generic (recovery mode)" {
recordfail=1
if [ -n ${have_grubenv} ]; then save_env recordfail; fi
insmod ext2
set root=(hd0,5)
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 4f7d5e2c-616f-4a88-acb8-3e5e6d9cbcb1
linux /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.31-17-generic root=UUID=4f7d5e2c-616f-4a88-acb8-3e5e6d9cbcb1 ro single
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.31-17-generic
}
menuentry "Ubuntu, Linux 2.6.31-14-generic" {
recordfail=1
if [ -n ${have_grubenv} ]; then save_env recordfail; fi
set quiet=1
insmod ext2
set root=(hd0,5)
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 4f7d5e2c-616f-4a88-acb8-3e5e6d9cbcb1
linux /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.31-14-generic root=UUID=4f7d5e2c-616f-4a88-acb8-3e5e6d9cbcb1 ro quiet splash
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.31-14-generic
}
menuentry "Ubuntu, Linux 2.6.31-14-generic (recovery mode)" {
recordfail=1
if [ -n ${have_grubenv} ]; then save_env recordfail; fi
insmod ext2
set root=(hd0,5)
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 4f7d5e2c-616f-4a88-acb8-3e5e6d9cbcb1
linux /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.31-14-generic root=UUID=4f7d5e2c-616f-4a88-acb8-3e5e6d9cbcb1 ro single
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.31-14-generic
}
### END /etc/grub.d/10_linux ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/20_memtest86+ ###
menuentry "Memory test (memtest86+)" {
linux16 /boot/memtest86+.bin
}
menuentry "Memory test (memtest86+, serial console 115200)" {
linux16 /boot/memtest86+.bin console=ttyS0,115200n8
}
### END /etc/grub.d/20_memtest86+ ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/30_os-prober ###
menuentry "Windows Vista (loader) (on /dev/sda1)" {
insmod ntfs
set root=(hd0,1)
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 4184b31c679d77d5
chainloader +1
}
menuentry "Windows Vista (loader) (on /dev/sda2)" {
insmod ntfs
set root=(hd0,2)
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set bae07d99e07d5d17
chainloader +1
}
### END /etc/grub.d/30_os-prober ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/40_custom ###
# This file provides an easy way to add custom menu entries. Simply type the
# menu entries you want to add after this comment. Be careful not to change
# the 'exec tail' line above.
### END /etc/grub.d/40_custom ###

[Mikeplyts]

bump.

By the way, I installed VirtualBox to see what was up. When I take a look, I see that there's a message on Windows Vista that reads, "FATAL: No bootable medium found! System halted."

I don't know about you, but fatal sounds pretty bad.

[synapse]

the vista boot is no longer there.

[Mikeplyts]

Yep, thought so.

Any way to get it back or put in a new one, I suppose?

[synapse]

Do you want to dual boot? Otherwise just stick in the OEM cd for windows "x" and run normally for a completely formatted drive.

[heyo-captain-jac...]

Yep, thought so.

Any way to get it back or put in a new one, I suppose?

try a grub boot disk

Edit:

Actually, after actually reading the thread all the way though, sounds like you managed to f*ck up the kernel or filesystem. You may need to reinstall

[Mikeplyts]

Yeah, I don't even know how. I just went through the regular setup of Ubuntu. I was being really careful to read everything and not do something stupid. And look, about half a year later, I finally recognize it. Eh.

Anyway, I don't know how to reinstall Vista, because it was the default operating system on my laptop before I installed Ubuntu. So, yeah, how should I do that?

[synapse]

If you haven't replaced any of the hardware, i.e. motherboard, just insert the operating system disk, restart the computer and change the boot to first priority from CD-ROM

[Mikeplyts]

That's the problem, though; I don't have an operating system disk.

Trust me, if I did have one, I would have tried doing that in the first place.

EDIT:

Hrm, I was thinking since that I don't have the disk or whatever, if I could get the same results using a .ISO file? I mean, I haven't downloaded one yet, but I was thinking of downloading a torrent or something. However, I'm not sure if it would work well or how to even go about installing it from that type of file.

[heyo-captain-jac...]

go ahead and download an ISO. You'll have to burn it to a disk (using nero or magiciso or from ubuntu there's brasero) and install from that.