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Hello everyone, I am new to Linux and no expert on comps either.I've just installed Ubuntu 7.04 to a usb drive and on trying to boot all I get is ...
  1. 06-17-2007 #1
    duran0001
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    Question Help setting up Hard Disk with file system unknown

    Hello everyone, I am new to Linux and no expert on comps either.I've just installed Ubuntu 7.04 to a usb drive and on trying to boot all I get is grub>.
    I've tried to set up disk 0 which has my vista OS but I get an error 17.
    Geometry (hd0) gives me some details and shows files system unknown which I understand might be because its NTFS.I tried to boot from HD 2 which is the usb drive but grub won't recognize it.If anyone can do a simple step by step guide to set up HD 0 to boot vista I would be grateful.
    Thanks, duran0001 or Ray
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  2. 06-17-2007 #2
    devils casper
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    Hi and Welcome !

    are you getting GRUB error on booting up from Internal Harddisk?
    It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.
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  3. 06-17-2007 #3
    duran0001
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    Thanks for looking! Yeah, does ubuntu not read usb hard disks?
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  4. 06-17-2007 #4
    devils casper
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    you can read USB disks but you have to mount its partitions first.
    where did you install GRUB? does your machine's BIOS support booting up from External disk? does Vista boot up on unplugging External disk?
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  5. 06-17-2007 #5
    duran0001
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    Ubuntu was installed to usb hard drive.I don't know about booting from external drive but it is included in bios as third drive.And no vista does not boot if I unplug usb drive. I get a black screen and not even grub>
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  6. 06-17-2007 #6
    duran0001
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    On reading around I found that my usb hard disk not having its own power source can be a problem.
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  7. 06-17-2007 #7
    devils casper
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    Ubuntu was installed to usb hard drive.I don't know about booting from external drive but it is included in bios as third drive.
    it means your machine support booting up from External drive.
    first of all, fix Vista Problem. check here.

    after fixing Vista, boot up from Ubuntu LiveCD, mount Ubuntu Partition and post the contents of /boot/grub/menu.lst file and output of 'sudo fdisk -l' command.
    It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.
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  8. 06-17-2007 #8
    devils casper
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    On reading around I found that my usb hard disk not having its own power source can be a problem.
    GRUB has nothing to do with it. if BIOS supports External disk, you can install Ubuntu with less effort.
    It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.
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  9. 06-17-2007 #9
    duran0001
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    I think the problem is that Grub is not able to read the usb disk because I tried to make it find hd2 which is the external one and it says it cannot read or find disk.I also tried making the external drive as first booting device and still no good.I would like to get into vista and format external drive and install ubuntu to second internal drive.
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  10. 06-17-2007 #10
    devils casper
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    during Installation, BIOS detect external disk as secondary (hd1) and internal disk as Primary (hd0) but after installation, on selecting External disk as First Boot Device in BIOS, it becomes Primary (hd0).
    GRUB confuses here and refuse to work. you have to edit its conf files after installation.

    * install Ubuntu in External Disk and make sure to install GRUB in MBR of External Disk.
    * boot up from LiveCD and edit /boot/grub/menu.lst file. root (hd1,0) to root (hd0,0).
    It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.
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