Dual Boot ntldr problem

[whiteman]

I couldnt boot into anything the other night. I didnt do anything differnet. I got the message ntldr missing, press another key etc, you know the drill. Messed up mbr.
Somehow I got back to Ubuntu. I ran fsck, Ctrl-d, etc. And it will boot into Linux but window still wont boot. Now I cant access anything thats connected to this machine.(Printers etc) The compute is visible on my net but you cant access) I tried using several program fixesm fixntldr.exe etc. All I could do was get a C:\ that wouldnt allow me to chage dir, drives.
In my root dir I can see this file boot.ini
[boot loader]
timeout=15
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOW S
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Windo ws XP Media Center Edition" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect
c:\wubildr.mbr="Ubuntu"
I deleted several files in root as I heard that sometim this causes probs. I still have the wubildr.mbr in root. In fact this is what its showing
hiberfile.sys
pagefile.sys
boot.ini
wubildr.mbr
msdos
io
autoexec(empty)
nothing else really, just what you would expect to see.
I am not gonna reboot for now. It takes forever to load. I would appreciate any help. I dont think the regular fixntldr things are gonna work because I have this dual boot. I CAN see the C:\, and make changes to it.
Thanks

[devils casper]

Why did you use Windows Boot Loader for dual boot setup? Linux Boot Loader, GRUB works pretty fine without any problem.
Anyways, have you tried fixmbr command at Repair prompt of Windows OS?

[whiteman]

Let me see if I can bring you up to speed. OK. I have only had this Ubuntu for about a week. I was using windows yesterday. Rebooted....got tthe ntldr screen. So I tried to boot into Ubuntu..I got ages of text. Lots of USB connection attempts..error. Then it ends up with a login prompt(like dos screenish type ting) I login and I get my userame with a ~$ after it. It says something about fsck, I run it. NOTHIngI have a working windows desktop on my net so I download a thing called Super Grub Boot disk or some such thing. It is supposed to "fix" dual boot probs. It brings up a screen that says, No operating sustem. So Then I try my installation disks,,,,nothing. I download a ntldr fix and put it on a flash. It brings up a C:\ that is pretty much useless. i try the reg boot again with no disks, no usbs, I get my normal dual boot menu which has like 4 dif verions of Linux, Memtest , Linux repair, ubuntu 8.10 , other operating sstem, and finally windowsxp. I try the Ubuntu, do the fsck again. And finally get my desktop in Ubuntu again.
Now I have ubuntu working. It is not "seeable" by any other workstations. i cant print from Ubuntu. My other machines need for my computer to be in windows for them to "see" it.
I am able to mount my windows partition. I am able to mount my external(windows) HD. Bit evrrytime I attempt to load windows I get the ntldr thing SO.....I feel like this has to be fixed. I dont know how to use Grab or even what it really is. I think I showed in last post what is on my hard drive root sector. I welcome any suggestions. this is why I got rid of Linux in 99. I dont wann get rid of it. I really kinda like it, but I need to use windows. BTW recently I installed wine. Could that have caused any of this? It doesnt appear to work right. It only has one program. Notebook. And it wont browse my C:\. Linux calls my window partition, 69.3GB:\. It doesnt call it C:\.

How can I make my computer visble while its in Linux? Ican see them, but they cant see me? Samba is installed. Workgroups are correct.

Im really lost here Devil. I appreciate any help you might offer.
Thanx

[Jonathan183]

c:\wubildr.mbr="Ubuntu"

It looks like you have done a wubi install ... so you only have Windows partitions on the hard drive. This may help ... did you install Ubuntu from within Windows?

[whiteman]

I am sure I have Linux partitions, because I didnt do a trial install. I actually partitioned during the install. But I tried to reinstall to fix some problems and when I got to the scren for partitioning I quit because I I didnt like the "choices" and it wouldnt let me pick the c:\. It stayed on my external. Anyway, everything seemed to be OK. Am I to undrstand that I dont need ntldr at all? I am accessing Linux just fine. During my problems ast night severl times I tried to use my windows xp install disk and my ubuntu 8.10 disk. They didnt seem to help, but Im sure that my "tables" are totally confused. I understand there is a way to edit these boot tables with one of thse "sudo" things.(showing my ignorance" ?

[whiteman]

Hey i do have a ubuntu folder on my external dribve. It has an uninstall on it. Should I use it, then reinstall?

[yancek]

I am sure I have Linux partitions

If you can boot into Ubuntu, run the following command in a terminal and post the output: sudo fdisk -l (lower case Letter L not a one)

Looks like a wubi install as Jonathan183 suggested. Check the site he listed.

Boot.ini file is similar to Grub's menu.lst. Grub is the bootloader used on most recent Linux distributions and it has a number of files. stage1 file goes to the master boot record and points to the partiton where remaining boot files are located. Your boot.ini file for xp indicates windows boot files on first partition of first disk. The ntldr is missing is a common error in windows. I would suggest you go to support.microsoft site and search that error or google it. The problem has nothing to do with Grub or Ubuntu. Somehow your xp boot files got messed up.

[whiteman]

wth@xps:~$ sudo fdisk -l
[sudo] password for wth:

Disk /dev/sda: 160.0 GB, 160000000000 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 19452 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x059e059e

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 1 7765 62372331 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda2 7766 19452 93875827+ 5 Extended
/dev/sda5 7766 18971 90012163+ 83 Linux
/dev/sda6 18972 19452 3863601 82 Linux swap / Solaris

Disk /dev/sdb: 500.1 GB, 500107862016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 60801 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x44fdfe06

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sdb1 1 60801 488384001 c W95 FAT32 (LBA)

Disk /dev/sdd: 65 MB, 65534976 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 7 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x083e58f3

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sdd1 * 1 8 63967+ e W95 FAT16 (LBA)
Partition 1 has different physical/logical endings:
phys=(6, 254, 63) logical=(7, 246, 45)
wth@xps:~$

wth is my username, xps is the name of this desktop which is also where my 63 gig partition of windows resides as well as my ubuntu. It looks like I have a few partitions thatIdidnt create. What to do?@#$%

[whiteman]

Oh btw the 65 mb thing is a little flash thing that I just copied GRAB to, but it didt do anything. The sdb is my external WD. Dont wanna mess with that at all, as my wife shares that with me.

[Jonathan183]

Unplug the drives you don't want to screw up

OK from fdisk -l output it looks like you have linux partitions setup on sda. Can you also post the output of

mount
cat /boot/grub/menu.lst

as well.