Help Dual Booting Win7 and Ubuntu 2 seperate HDD's

[Kcarpenter]

I have a 17" HP laptop with 2 HDD Drives Primary being a 300GB, secondary being a 180 gb. I currently have a Windows 7 install on the 300 GB and Data on the 180.

I am attempting to leave the Win7 installation alone, or at least as intact as possible. While installing Ubuntu 9.10 on to the 180 GB drive.

So that all said:
During install I pick "Specify Partitions Manually (Advanced)"
I get the following chart:
Device Type Mount Point Format? Size Used
/dev/sda1 ntfs 104 MB 35 MB
/dev/sda2 ntfs 306108 MB 149070 MB
/dev/sda3 ntfs 13854 MB 4722 MB
/dev/sdb
/dev/sdb1 ext4 158039 MB 4722 MB
/dev/sdb2 swap 1998b MB 0 MB

I know the sda1,2,3 are on the 300 GB drive with the Windows 7 Install
The sdb is the 180 gb drive and there is an Ext4 and swap partition from where I have tried to do this several times.

Question here, which of these needs to be set as root, boot and swap??? I can't mess a lot with the ntfs partition without killing my Windows install.

I can set sdb1 to root mount point and sdb2 to swap mount point and continue past "who are you" to this:
"Ready to install" > I select Advanced to get to the Boot Loader options, from the drop down in this window I have:
(hd0)
/dev/sda ATA Toshbiba XXXX (298.1 GB)
/dev/sda1 Windows 7 (Loader)
/dev/sda2
/dev/sda3 Windows Vista (Loader)
/dev/sdb ATA samsung (149.1 GB)
/dev/sdb1 Ubuntu 9.10 (9.10) //I assume this is from my previous attempts at install


So I am not 100% sure what to try here, but I have tried everything.

I am desperately waiting and searching for an answer at the same time. I have a presentation at work tomorrow that I need to get done, worst case scenario I can boot into a Live CD and still read the drive and get files off it, but it will be a pain to do in Linux.

Now when I let it go through install choosing any of these options, the computer boots and sits at:
GRUB _

That's all I get, no boot options or anything. So my assumption is that I have jacked up the boot loader.

Can any one point me through how I need to setup these partitions and boot loader to make this work? I have made it work from fresh installs of both XP and a Linux distro, but never trying to save stuff.

I am not a noob, but I am far from briliant with Linux yet.

Thank 100 million times in advanced.

EDIT:
Crap I spent 10 minutes on that chart and it didn't stay formatted!

[devils casper]

Hi and Welcome !

Its really easy to set dual boot. It looks like there is a compatibility problem in GRUB/BIOS of your machine.

Is it possible for you to swap Harddisks? Can your set 180GB Harddisk as Primary and 300 having Windows 7 as Secondary through Jumper Settings or Cable select?

If you plug-in Harddisks that way, installer will install GRUB in /dev/sda ( 180GB disk ) by default and there won't be any GRUB/BIOS problem.

102MB is for /boot partition. 1GB is enough for SWAP partition and 10-15 GB is enough for /.

/dev/sda1 -- 102MB, ext3
/dev/sda2 -- 10-15GB, ext4
/dev/sda3 -- 1GB, SWAP
/dev/sda4 -- Extended Partition ( allocated rest of the free space ).

You can create 64+ partitions ( Logical ) in an Extended Partition starting from /dev/sda5. You can use those partition for Data sharing between Linux/Windows OS.


Start installation, assign /boot mount point to ext3 and / mount point to ext4 partition. Installer will detect SWAP and Windows OS partitions. Installer will setup dual boot itself.

[Kcarpenter]

Hi and Welcome !

Its really easy to set dual boot. It looks like there is a compatibility problem in GRUB/BIOS of your machine.

Is it possible for you to swap Harddisks? Can your set 180GB Harddisk as Primary and 300 having Windows 7 as Secondary through Jumper Settings or Cable select?

If you plug-in Harddisks that way, installer will install GRUB in /dev/sda ( 180GB disk ) by default and there won't be any GRUB/BIOS problem.

102MB is for /boot partition. 1GB is enough for SWAP partition and 10-15 GB is enough for /.

/dev/sda1 -- 102MB, ext3
/dev/sda2 -- 10-15GB, ext4
/dev/sda3 -- 1GB, SWAP
/dev/sda4 -- Extended Partition ( allocated rest of the free space ).

You can create 64+ partitions ( Logical ) in an Extended Partition starting from /dev/sda5. You can use those partition for Data sharing between Linux/Windows OS.


Start installation, assign /boot mount point to ext3 and / mount point to ext4 partition. Installer will detect SWAP and Windows OS partitions. Installer will setup dual boot itself.

Not an issue at all to switch the HDD's around. They are SATA to I assume it should be as easy as 2 screws and switching them.
I am about 62% through another round of install and ill try it.

So if I get this right. It will go ahead and setup Grub on the soon to be primary partition (180gb) and by default add my Win 7 soon to be secondary drive(300gb) to the grub boot loader? That sounds way to easy.

[devils casper]

GRUB will detect all installed OSes and setup multiboot itself. In any case, its really easy to add/remove entries of OSes from Boot Menu. You have to edit one file only.

[Kcarpenter]

UPDATE:
Got Grub loader to come up by adding it to hd0 instead of the others.
Now, Win7 does not load. Ubuntu does though!!!
it gets to:
GRUB _

I still did not switch the disks around since I thought I got it going.
Is that what I should try next??

[devils casper]

Try to add an entry of Windows OS in GRUB Menu.

Boot up Ubuntu and post the contents of /boot/grub/grub.cfg file here.

Press Alt+F2 at Ubuntu Desktop and type this

gksu gedit /boot/grub/grub.cfg

Copy contents and post here. Do not edit anything in that file.

[Kcarpenter]

So not to change the topic of the thread, but booting into linux now I have little static-y dots down both sides of the screen and a line down the center as well of the same dots. They just flicker constantly. Any getting rid of this? Maybe because I do not have an ATI driver loaded?

[Kcarpenter]

Try to add an entry of Windows OS in GRUB Menu.

Boot up Ubuntu and post the contents of /boot/grub/grub.cfg file here.

Press Alt+F2 at Ubuntu Desktop and type this

gksu gedit /boot/grub/grub.cfg

Copy contents and post here. Do not edit anything in that file.

Here it is...Again, thanks for the help. I haven't done alot of this as you can tell. Dual booting yes, like this no.

#
# DO NOT EDIT THIS FILE
#
# It is automatically generated by /usr/sbin/grub-mkconfig using templates
# from /etc/grub.d and settings from /etc/default/grub
#

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/00_header ###
if [ -s /boot/grub/grubenv ]; then
  have_grubenv=true
  load_env
fi
set default="0"
if [ ${prev_saved_entry} ]; then
  saved_entry=${prev_saved_entry}
  save_env saved_entry
  prev_saved_entry=
  save_env prev_saved_entry
fi
insmod ext2
set root=(hd0,5)
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 85b29d2d-e938-4b5d-841f-475bbebbc146
if loadfont /usr/share/grub/unicode.pf2 ; then
  set gfxmode=640x480
  insmod gfxterm
  insmod vbe
  if terminal_output gfxterm ; then true ; else
    # For backward compatibility with versions of terminal.mod that don't
    # understand terminal_output
    terminal gfxterm
  fi
fi
if [ ${recordfail} = 1 ]; then
  set timeout=-1
else
  set timeout=10
fi
### END /etc/grub.d/00_header ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/05_debian_theme ###
set menu_color_normal=white/black
set menu_color_highlight=black/white
### END /etc/grub.d/05_debian_theme ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/10_linux ###
menuentry "Ubuntu, Linux 2.6.31-14-generic" {
        recordfail=1
        if [ -n ${have_grubenv} ]; then save_env recordfail; fi
	set quiet=1
	insmod ext2
	set root=(hd0,1)
	search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 3ae9096c-10f7-4e25-8650-289744be810d
	linux	/vmlinuz-2.6.31-14-generic root=UUID=85b29d2d-e938-4b5d-841f-475bbebbc146 ro   quiet splash
	initrd	/initrd.img-2.6.31-14-generic
}
menuentry "Ubuntu, Linux 2.6.31-14-generic (recovery mode)" {
        recordfail=1
        if [ -n ${have_grubenv} ]; then save_env recordfail; fi
	insmod ext2
	set root=(hd0,1)
	search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 3ae9096c-10f7-4e25-8650-289744be810d
	linux	/vmlinuz-2.6.31-14-generic root=UUID=85b29d2d-e938-4b5d-841f-475bbebbc146 ro single 
	initrd	/initrd.img-2.6.31-14-generic
}
### END /etc/grub.d/10_linux ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/20_memtest86+ ###
menuentry "Memory test (memtest86+)" {
	linux16	/memtest86+.bin
}
menuentry "Memory test (memtest86+, serial console 115200)" {
	linux16	/memtest86+.bin console=ttyS0,115200n8
}
### END /etc/grub.d/20_memtest86+ ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/30_os-prober ###
menuentry "Windows 7 (loader) (on /dev/sdb1)" {
	insmod ntfs
	set root=(hd1,1)
	search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set d66caa636caa3e5d
	chainloader +1
}
### END /etc/grub.d/30_os-prober ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/40_custom ###
# This file provides an easy way to add custom menu entries.  Simply type the
# menu entries you want to add after this comment.  Be careful not to change
# the 'exec tail' line above.
### END /etc/grub.d/40_custom ###

[devils casper]

So not to change the topic of the thread, but booting into linux now I have little static-y dots down both sides of the screen and a line down the center as well of the same dots. They just flicker constantly. Any getting rid of this? Maybe because I do not have an ATI driver loaded?

You have to install ATI driver. Install it through System -- Administration -- Restricted Drivers.

[devils casper]

You have to install ATI driver. Install it through System -- Administration -- Restricted Drivers.

menuentry "Windows 7 (loader) (on /dev/sdb1)" {
insmod ntfs
set root=(hd1,1)
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set d66caa636caa3e5d
chainloader +1

According to grub.cfg, Windows 7 has been installed in /dev/sdb1. Post the output of sudo fdisk -l command here.

sudo fdisk -l

* Its small L in fdisk -l.