[cartesian]

I've tried doing the amendments at the grub menu but Ubuntu still doesn't boot, I just get a black screen.

Note: I've got 2GB RAM

Thanks for your help so far, I appreciate it.

[devils casper]

Add this code in menu.lst file

title           Ubuntu 7.10, New 
root            (hd0,2)
kernel          /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.22-14-generic root=/dev/sda3 ro quiet splash
initrd          /boot/initrd.img-2.6.22-14-generic

Select Ubuntu 7.10, New title in GRUB Menu and post exact error message here, if any.

[cartesian]

Thanks for that post,
I've inserted those lines at the end of the menu.lst file and selected the new entry at boot up. It looks good, it takes me to an ubuntu login screen and is asking for a username but 'doh!!', I've been trying to sort this problem out for so long I have forgotten my username and password!! Can you help?

[Jonathan183]

try using single user mode ... add single to the kernel line ... that will give you root access and you can check user info and change all user passwords ...
passwd on its own to change root password, passwd fred to change user fred password etc.

[devils casper]

Boot up from LiveCD again, mount / partition and execute this

sudo -s
mkdir /manmout
mount /dev/sda3 /manmount
ls /manmount/home

It will display usernames of all Users.
If you dont remember password too then bootup in Single User Mode and execute this

passwd <user_name>

[cartesian]

Should I just append the word 'single' to the kernel line?

I tried that but it wouldn't boot up if I picked the new line at the grub menu.

Thanks

Ed devils caspar - I'll try your method this evening

[devils casper]

Append kernel with word single to boot up in Single User Mode.

Highlight Ubuntu title in GRUB Menu using up/down arrow keys and press 'e'. Select kernel line and press 'e' again. Type single and hit Enter key. Press 'b'.
Highlight Ubuntu title -- e -- select kernel line -- e -- type single -- hit Enter key -- b.
Ubuntu will boot up in Command Line Mode and drop you at command line prompt.
Execute this

cd /home
ls
passwd <user_id>
shutdown -r now

[cartesian]

If I edit the line at the grub menu and press b to boot it doesn't boot up, I just get a black screen.

When I do the sudo -s etc and list the home directory, the username it returns I use in a passwd <username> command but it returns unknown user <username>
Any clues?

[Jonathan183]

Try removing the words quiet and splash from the kernel line when you add single.

[cartesian]

Sorted, I can log into vista and log into ubuntu!!

Should I comment out the other entries in the menu.lst to just leave the vista and ubuntu ones? Do I need the other entries?

Thankyou so much for all your help over the course of this thread. I'm sure we'll meet again when I post again on my Linux journey.