Linux/Ubuntu Problems

[Mac Eoghain]

Well folks - do we have any resident 'experts' in Linux or more specifically Ubuntu?

My problem is basically this:
(1) Laptop had a single physical 80Gb drive configured with two partitions: 1st 40Gb running Win XP with mostly Program Files & system, 2nd setup as logical as 40Gb Data Drive
(2) Took a head stagger and decided it was time to embrace Linux so created a Ubuntu bootable CD
(3) Didnt partition until halfway through the installation, selected a manual where I resized the Data drive to 20Gb and created a new 20Gb partition (cannot remember the format - it was the default) - all seemed to be going OK
(4) Boot menu (GRUB?) appears OK on bootup - 3 Ubuntu choices and an XP
(5) Whenever I select XP it just keeps returning me to the boot menu (like a loop)
(6) Loads perfectly into Ubuntu - obviously everything is working perfectly as I am posting on here this evening - I can browse the data drive and the Ubuntu partition with no problems, opened Excel files from the Data drive etc.
(7) Cannot find my original Windows XP C: partition for love nor money

So, as you can see I havent a baldy what I am doing in Ubuntu or how to mend my bootloader so I can boot into XP - can anyone help??

TIA!

[Orior]

You already know twice as much as half the people on this board about penguins and stuff.

Whats the attraction of ubuntu? Lack of viruses? Performance? Its free? There's plenty of downsides too.

[aidanmcg33]

google Grub disk. think this should sort you out.

[nifan]

Havent had any proble with any ubuntu/kubuntu installations in a long time


What do you see from "sudo fdisk -l" in a terminal

[David McKeown]

Well folks - do we have any resident 'experts' in Linux or more specifically Ubuntu?

My problem is basically this:
(1) Laptop had a single physical 80Gb drive configured with two partitions: 1st 40Gb running Win XP with mostly Program Files & system, 2nd setup as logical as 40Gb Data Drive
(2) Took a head stagger and decided it was time to embrace Linux so created a Ubuntu bootable CD
(3) Didnt partition until halfway through the installation, selected a manual where I resized the Data drive to 20Gb and created a new 20Gb partition (cannot remember the format - it was the default) - all seemed to be going OK
(4) Boot menu (GRUB?) appears OK on bootup - 3 Ubuntu choices and an XP
(5) Whenever I select XP it just keeps returning me to the boot menu (like a loop)
(6) Loads perfectly into Ubuntu - obviously everything is working perfectly as I am posting on here this evening - I can browse the data drive and the Ubuntu partition with no problems, opened Excel files from the Data drive etc.
(7) Cannot find my original Windows XP C: partition for love nor money

So, as you can see I havent a baldy what I am doing in Ubuntu or how to mend my bootloader so I can boot into XP - can anyone help??

TIA!

Wouldnt be an expert in any way but have been using Ubuntu for about 3 years so forgive me if this wrong but when i installed it using a similar method to yourself I had a similar problem which I cured by using a windows xp disc.  I booted from it then ran either the repair function or entered a command prompt and used chkdsk -r .

Obviously Id do a back up of all your files before trying anything instal related like this

[J70]

I've nothing whatsoever to contribute to the problem at hand, but I've been toying with the idea of installing some version of Linux on my current laptop the next time I get a new one. Is it worth the effort to install and learn that system?

[nifan]

J70, you may as well if the current laptop isnt going to be used for anything else.

I recommend Ubuntu, or Kubuntu

As for whether its worth the effort - what do you want to do with it? If you just want to use a few general applications then its as handy as windows usually (with the occasional difficult bit relating to unsupported hardware). It also is very easy to install a lot of the free software using packages.

[nifan]

can you access it from /media/ in linux?

[nifan]

can you see your ntfs directories in /media - its where ubuntu usually mounts them

ie go to a terminal
cd /media
ls

see what you see

/etc/fstab is the file which should contain mount information

[nifan]

the "complicated stuff" like web development can be done as handy on ubuntu, unless you are stuck to dreamweaver or some such. Very easy to install apache and allow yourself to loaclly test pages using php or the like locally etc.