HELP - switching operating system

[pcjunkie]

Hi,
I installed ubuntu on a pc that already had windows. I know bits about computers but not in depth.
My now ex boyfriend assured me it was easy to switch between linux and windows.

Have tried a couple of things but can't seem to load windows - get to the grub boot menu (? menu on setup before linux has loaded up), try to select windows but get error messages - normally error 12

Can anyone offer any advice on how I can switch?

Or i have read that repartitioning the drive to favour windows helps, but have no clue how to do this.

Basically, I want to get something off windows and the possibly just delete everything I have on there. If I can't then could anyone tell me how to uninstall linux (after backing up, of course), returning to windows, and then i can re-install linux.


If this helps:

# menu.lst - See: grub(8), info grub, update-grub(8)
#            grub-install(8), grub-floppy(8),
#            grub-md5-crypt, /usr/share/doc/grub
#            and /usr/share/doc/grub-doc/.

## default num
# Set the default entry to the entry number NUM. Numbering starts from 0, and
# the entry number 0 is the default if the command is not used.
#
# You can specify 'saved' instead of a number. In this case, the default entry
# is the entry saved with the command 'savedefault'.
# WARNING: If you are using dmraid do not use 'savedefault' or your
# array will desync and will not let you boot your system.
default		0

## timeout sec
# Set a timeout, in SEC seconds, before automatically booting the default entry
# (normally the first entry defined).
timeout		3

## hiddenmenu
# Hides the menu by default (press ESC to see the menu)
hiddenmenu

# Pretty colours
#color cyan/blue white/blue

## password ['--md5'] passwd
# If used in the first section of a menu file, disable all interactive editing
# control (menu entry editor and command-line)  and entries protected by the
# command 'lock'
# e.g. password topsecret
#      password --md5 $1$gLhU0/$aW78kHK1QfV3P2b2znUoe/
# password topsecret

#
# examples
#
# title		Windows 95/98/NT/2000
# root		(hd0,0)
# makeactive
# chainloader	+1
#
# title		Linux
# root		(hd0,1)
# kernel	/vmlinuz root=/dev/hda2 ro
#

#
# Put static boot stanzas before and/or after AUTOMAGIC KERNEL LIST

### BEGIN AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST
## lines between the AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST markers will be modified
## by the debian update-grub script except for the default options below

## DO NOT UNCOMMENT THEM, Just edit them to your needs

## ## Start Default Options ##
## default kernel options
## default kernel options for automagic boot options
## If you want special options for specific kernels use kopt_x_y_z
## where x.y.z is kernel version. Minor versions can be omitted.
## e.g. kopt=root=/dev/hda1 ro
##      kopt_2_6_8=root=/dev/hdc1 ro
##      kopt_2_6_8_2_686=root=/dev/hdc2 ro
# kopt=root=UUID=6e3caaf8-024a-4d04-a920-35c3a0ca718a ro

## Setup crashdump menu entries
## e.g. crashdump=1
# crashdump=0

## default grub root device
## e.g. groot=(hd0,0)
# groot=(hd0,0)

## should update-grub create alternative automagic boot options
## e.g. alternative=true
##      alternative=false
# alternative=true

## should update-grub lock alternative automagic boot options
## e.g. lockalternative=true
##      lockalternative=false
# lockalternative=false

## additional options to use with the default boot option, but not with the
## alternatives
## e.g. defoptions=vga=791 resume=/dev/hda5
# defoptions=quiet splash

## should update-grub lock old automagic boot options
## e.g. lockold=false
##      lockold=true
# lockold=false

## Xen hypervisor options to use with the default Xen boot option
# xenhopt=

## Xen Linux kernel options to use with the default Xen boot option
# xenkopt=console=tty0

## altoption boot targets option
## multiple altoptions lines are allowed
## e.g. altoptions=(extra menu suffix) extra boot options
##      altoptions=(recovery) single
# altoptions=(recovery mode) single

## controls how many kernels should be put into the menu.lst
## only counts the first occurence of a kernel, not the
## alternative kernel options
## e.g. howmany=all
##      howmany=7
# howmany=all

## should update-grub create memtest86 boot option
## e.g. memtest86=true
##      memtest86=false
# memtest86=true

## should update-grub adjust the value of the default booted system
## can be true or false
# updatedefaultentry=false

## should update-grub add savedefault to the default options
## can be true or false
# savedefault=false

## ## End Default Options ##

title		Ubuntu 8.04.3 LTS, kernel 2.6.24-24-generic
root		(hd0,0)
kernel		/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.24-24-generic root=UUID=6e3caaf8-024a-4d04-a920-35c3a0ca718a ro quiet splash
initrd		/boot/initrd.img-2.6.24-24-generic
quiet

title		Ubuntu 8.04.3 LTS, kernel 2.6.24-24-generic (recovery mode)
root		(hd0,0)
kernel		/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.24-24-generic root=UUID=6e3caaf8-024a-4d04-a920-35c3a0ca718a ro single
initrd		/boot/initrd.img-2.6.24-24-generic

title		Ubuntu 8.04.3 LTS, kernel 2.6.24-23-generic
root		(hd0,0)
kernel		/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.24-23-generic root=UUID=6e3caaf8-024a-4d04-a920-35c3a0ca718a ro quiet splash
initrd		/boot/initrd.img-2.6.24-23-generic
quiet

title		Ubuntu 8.04.3 LTS, kernel 2.6.24-23-generic (recovery mode)
root		(hd0,0)
kernel		/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.24-23-generic root=UUID=6e3caaf8-024a-4d04-a920-35c3a0ca718a ro single
initrd		/boot/initrd.img-2.6.24-23-generic

title		Ubuntu 8.04.3 LTS, kernel 2.6.24-19-generic
root		(hd0,0)
kernel		/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.24-19-generic root=UUID=6e3caaf8-024a-4d04-a920-35c3a0ca718a ro quiet splash
initrd		/boot/initrd.img-2.6.24-19-generic
quiet

title		Ubuntu 8.04.3 LTS, kernel 2.6.24-19-generic (recovery mode)
root		(hd0,0)
kernel		/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.24-19-generic root=UUID=6e3caaf8-024a-4d04-a920-35c3a0ca718a ro single
initrd		/boot/initrd.img-2.6.24-19-generic

title		Ubuntu 8.04.3 LTS, memtest86+
root		(hd0,0)
kernel		/boot/memtest86+.bin
quiet

title		Windows
root 	(hd0,0) 
makeactive
chainloader	+1

### END DEBIAN AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST

[oz]

Welcome to the forums!

The SuperGRUB liveCD is usually pretty good at fixing various GRUB issues:

Super Grub Disk Homepage

If it doesn't help, go to a terminal and post the output of fdisk -l and maybe someone can help.

[MikeTbob]

Are you saying that you can't boot Ubuntu or Windows? If you can boot Ubuntu or the CD that you installed from then you can also copy your files from Windows to a safe place, preferably a USB stick or something.

If you can't boot either one then I would try the link as suggested by ozar.

[pcjunkie]

I can't boot windows. I use ubuntu all the time.
I need to (hopefully) retrieve a file from my windows settings after my backup usb stick was stolen with a bag.

[MikeTbob]

Well, you can boot into Ubuntu to copy those files you need. It shouldn't be too hard.

Check out this link and let us know if you have any problems.
Ubuntu:Jaunty -

[pcjunkie]

thanks!
Had started to look at this page but wasn't sure exactly what to look for!

[pcjunkie]

I am now worried that I've deleted windows information completely when installing linux - is this possible?
I was sure I'd done everything in order to keep windows data, but I seem to have no NTFS partitions...
my 3 partition filesystems read "ext3" "extended" and "linux-swap"

Guess I've just been monumentally stupid, huh? But I was sure I'd had a considerable amount of space taken up by my windows data - am rather confused!

[MikeTbob]

Well, if you are unsure post the output of this command as suggested by ozar.

sudo fdisk -l

[pcjunkie]

ah - somehow couln't get this to work before!


fdisk - l:

Disk /dev/sda: 60.0 GB, 60011642880 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 7296 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0xcccdcccd

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 1 7111 57119076 83 Linux
/dev/sda2 7112 7296 1486012+ 5 Extended
/dev/sda5 7112 7296 1485981 82 Linux swap / Solaris

[rcgreen]

Unfortunately you were right. There are no NTFS partitions.
Your Windows OS is gone.