Help multiboot Ubuntu/Fedora and W2K

[ifouane]

I'm newbie and want to install Ubuntu on my new machine;
For some apps I still need Windows for the short term.
I'm installing first W2K without problem, then install Linux in additional partition. Linux is working Ok but being installed, Windows 2000 is no more starting (message ntoskrnl.exe not found) moreover if I try to restore W2K it does not recognize anymore the existing FAT32 and NTFS partitions and I have to reformat them
I have the same with Fedora 6 installation
When I look to my partitions From Ubuntu or from my hdd tool (MaxBlast from Maxtor) everything looks ok.
I just tried to restore the MBR with MaxBlast.
As expected Ubuntu is not launched anymore,but W2K still gives the same message.
I can't find what is wrong, could someone give some advise?
(I'm using a ASUS P5WH Deluxe board with 250Gb SATA drive)
Thanks

[devils casper]

post the output of 'sudo fdisk -l' command.








casper

[ifouane]

Here is the result of fdisk, it seems ok to me, do I miss something


ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ sudo fdisk -l



Disk /dev/sda: 251.0 GB, 251000193024 bytes

255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 30515 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes


Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 1 2432 19535008+ c W95 FAT32 (LBA)
/dev/sda2 2433 12536 81160380 f W95 Ext'd (LBA)
/dev/sda3 12537 30515 144416317+ 83 Linux
/dev/sda5 2433 7295 39062016 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda6 7296 12158 39062016 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda7 12159 12536 3036253+ 82 Linux swap / Solaris

[devils casper]

Partitions Structure seems correct. first of all, remove GRUB and check if Windows booting up correctly. boot up from Windows installation CD, select repair and type 'FIXMBR'. this will remove GRUB. check Windows now. if it doesn't work, then fix windows through windows recovery tools.

after fixing windows, install GRUB again.
boot up from Ubuntu Live CD and execute this code in terminal

sudo grub-install /dev/sda

this command will ask for password. press 'Enter' key.







casper

[ifouane]

The problem is that W2K considers that the FAT32 and NTFS partition are damaged, whatever I use rescue disk or installation repair. It even refues a new installation. The only way I found is to erase completed the partition with the HDD tool and restart from scratch. I did it once already and when I reinstalled Linux W2K got corrupted again. This happens both with Ubuntu and Fedora.

[devils casper]

you dont have to re-install from scratch. just fix Master Boot Record through 'FIXMBR' and re-install Windows if needed. in case, rescue is not wroking, download Windows 98 Bootable floopy from www.bootdisk.com and boot from it.
execute this

fdisk /mbr

after fixing MBR or re-installing Windows, execute 'grub-install' command to re-install GRUB.






casper

[ifouane]

I finally restarted with a Win98 boot disk and restored the MBR
W2K was still not restarting but at least I could reinstall it without reformatting the HDD
After that I reinstalled Unbuntu from the CD on the existing partitions.
Now both operating systems seam to be working.
I still do not understand what was wrong, but at last it works.
Thanks for the support and good ideas

[ifouane]

Hi, I finally understood what what happening:
While installing Linux in the disk free space, I was creating a new primary partition which in turn changed the number of my windows partition (it is a partition inside an extended partition). The result was that the windows boot.ini file (in c was no more pointing to the right partition. Simply editing this file solves the problem