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Updated to Ubuntu 10.04 and can't boot into windows 7 (test disk)

I am DYING for an answer to this issue. I updated from Karmic to Lucid and now I can't boot into Windows 7. I've tried testdisk, and I've tried the windows repair disc bootrec.exe thing.

I would be willing to try those things again in a new order..or something.

I really would like to get to the bottom of this.

Basically:

Every time I try to boot windows 7 from grub I either get a sudden reboot or a blinking cursor in the upper left corner. The cursor never goes away no matter how long I wait.

Sorry..I'm sure you're dealing with many of these issues, but I've searched and tried many things.

Thanks in advance for any help you can provide.

Can you boot into Ubuntu? If so, open a terminal and do

Code:

cat /boot/grub/grub.cfg

Please post the results.

Quote:

john@laptop:~$ cat /boot/grub/grub.cfg
#
# 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 $prefix/grubenv ]; then
load_env
fi
set default="0"
if [ ${prev_saved_entry} ]; then
set saved_entry=${prev_saved_entry}
save_env saved_entry
set prev_saved_entry=
save_env prev_saved_entry
set boot_once=true
fi

function savedefault {
if [ -z ${boot_once} ]; then
saved_entry=${chosen}
save_env saved_entry
fi
}

function recordfail {
set recordfail=1
if [ -n ${have_grubenv} ]; then if [ -z ${boot_once} ]; then save_env recordfail; fi; fi
}
insmod ext2
set root='(hd0,6)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 8f45b3cf-2e1e-4647-8a2d-5001ac882729
if loadfont /usr/share/grub/unicode.pf2 ; then
set gfxmode=640x480
insmod gfxterm
insmod vbe
if terminal_output gfxterm ; then true ; else
# For backward compatibility with versions of terminal.mod that don't
# understand terminal_output
terminal gfxterm
fi
fi
insmod ext2
set root='(hd0,6)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 8f45b3cf-2e1e-4647-8a2d-5001ac882729
set locale_dir=($root)/boot/grub/locale
set lang=en
insmod gettext
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/light-gray
### END /etc/grub.d/05_debian_theme ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/10_linux ###
menuentry 'Ubuntu, with Linux 2.6.32-22-generic' --class ubuntu --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os {
recordfail
insmod ext2
set root='(hd0,6)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 8f45b3cf-2e1e-4647-8a2d-5001ac882729
linux /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.32-22-generic root=UUID=8f45b3cf-2e1e-4647-8a2d-5001ac882729 ro quiet splash
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.32-22-generic
}
menuentry 'Ubuntu, with Linux 2.6.32-22-generic (recovery mode)' --class ubuntu --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os {
recordfail
insmod ext2
set root='(hd0,6)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 8f45b3cf-2e1e-4647-8a2d-5001ac882729
echo 'Loading Linux 2.6.32-22-generic ...'
linux /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.32-22-generic root=UUID=8f45b3cf-2e1e-4647-8a2d-5001ac882729 ro single
echo 'Loading initial ramdisk ...'
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.32-22-generic
}
menuentry 'Ubuntu, with Linux 2.6.32-21-generic' --class ubuntu --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os {
recordfail
insmod ext2
set root='(hd0,6)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 8f45b3cf-2e1e-4647-8a2d-5001ac882729
linux /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.32-21-generic root=UUID=8f45b3cf-2e1e-4647-8a2d-5001ac882729 ro quiet splash
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.32-21-generic
}
menuentry 'Ubuntu, with Linux 2.6.32-21-generic (recovery mode)' --class ubuntu --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os {
recordfail
insmod ext2
set root='(hd0,6)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 8f45b3cf-2e1e-4647-8a2d-5001ac882729
echo 'Loading Linux 2.6.32-21-generic ...'
linux /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.32-21-generic root=UUID=8f45b3cf-2e1e-4647-8a2d-5001ac882729 ro single
echo 'Loading initial ramdisk ...'
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.32-21-generic
}
menuentry 'Ubuntu, with Linux 2.6.31-20-generic' --class ubuntu --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os {
recordfail
insmod ext2
set root='(hd0,6)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 8f45b3cf-2e1e-4647-8a2d-5001ac882729
linux /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.31-20-generic root=UUID=8f45b3cf-2e1e-4647-8a2d-5001ac882729 ro quiet splash
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.31-20-generic
}
menuentry 'Ubuntu, with Linux 2.6.31-20-generic (recovery mode)' --class ubuntu --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os {
recordfail
insmod ext2
set root='(hd0,6)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 8f45b3cf-2e1e-4647-8a2d-5001ac882729
echo 'Loading Linux 2.6.31-20-generic ...'
linux /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.31-20-generic root=UUID=8f45b3cf-2e1e-4647-8a2d-5001ac882729 ro single
echo 'Loading initial ramdisk ...'
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.31-20-generic
}
menuentry 'Ubuntu, with Linux 2.6.28-14-generic' --class ubuntu --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os {
recordfail
insmod ext2
set root='(hd0,6)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 8f45b3cf-2e1e-4647-8a2d-5001ac882729
linux /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.28-14-generic root=UUID=8f45b3cf-2e1e-4647-8a2d-5001ac882729 ro quiet splash
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.28-14-generic
}
menuentry 'Ubuntu, with Linux 2.6.28-14-generic (recovery mode)' --class ubuntu --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os {
recordfail
insmod ext2
set root='(hd0,6)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 8f45b3cf-2e1e-4647-8a2d-5001ac882729
echo 'Loading Linux 2.6.28-14-generic ...'
linux /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.28-14-generic root=UUID=8f45b3cf-2e1e-4647-8a2d-5001ac882729 ro single
echo 'Loading initial ramdisk ...'
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.28-14-generic
}
### END /etc/grub.d/10_linux ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/20_memtest86+ ###
menuentry "Memory test (memtest86+)" {
insmod ext2
set root='(hd0,6)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 8f45b3cf-2e1e-4647-8a2d-5001ac882729
linux16 /boot/memtest86+.bin
}
menuentry "Memory test (memtest86+, serial console 115200)" {
insmod ext2
set root='(hd0,6)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 8f45b3cf-2e1e-4647-8a2d-5001ac882729
linux16 /boot/memtest86+.bin console=ttyS0,115200n8
}
### END /etc/grub.d/20_memtest86+ ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/30_os-prober ###
menuentry "Windows 7 (loader) (on /dev/sda2)" {
insmod ntfs
set root='(hd0,2)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set ac1c474e1c4712ae
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 ###

Thanks

Quote:

menuentry "Windows 7 (loader) (on /dev/sda2)" {
insmod ntfs
set root='(hd0,2)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set ac1c474e1c4712ae
chainloader +1

I'm curious if the bolded number may have changed.

Can you run

Code:

sudo blkid /dev/sda2

and post the results?

Afraid not..

Code:

/dev/sda2: UUID="AC1C474E1C4712AE" TYPE="ntfs"

If you upgraded, how did you wind up with grub2 ?. And what sort of "windows repair disc bootrec.exe thing." did you do ?.
Let's see "sudo fdisk -l" (lower case ell).

I installed grub2 on my own. The install worked absolutely fine. I tested out all the options before running the "legacy-grub" command thing. I can't recall the exact syntax. I hope that was hopeful in describing what I did. I know for a fact all the options worked. After 10.04 something fubar'd and here I am. I saw something using the Windows 7 repair disc to get to the command prompt:

BootRec.exe /fixmbr #updates MBR master boot record do not run if you still want grub
chkdsk /r
BootRec.exe /FixBoot #updates PBR partition boot
BootRec.exe /ScanOs
BootRec.exe /RebuildBcd

My computer simply won't load anything if I do this. Black screen with a blinking cursor one line down from the one I get with grub installed. I realize that may indicate it is a Window's issue. However, Ubuntu updating grub is the only thing that has occurred. It has to be something the grub update did, so that's why I'm here.

sudo fdisk -l:

Code:

Disk /dev/sda: 250.1 GB, 250059350016 bytes

255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 30401 cylinders

Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes

I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes

Disk identifier: 0x0f7f14c6



  Device Boot      Start        End      Blocks  Id  System

/dev/sda2  *          1      24625  197800281    7  HPFS/NTFS

/dev/sda3          24626      30401    46395720    5  Extended

/dev/sda5          24626      25371    5992213+  82  Linux swap / Solaris

/dev/sda6          25372      30401    40403443+  83  Linux

After "BootRec.exe /fixmbr" (as the comment suggests) I wouldn't expect you to see grub at all.
Do those bootrec commands come back with anything, or just a prompt ?. Have you tried the repair option rather than dropping to the command window ?.

Try this as root from a linux terminal to see if that boot sector record is o.k.

Code:

dd if=/dev/sda2 count=1 2> /dev/null | strings | grep -Ei "(ntfs|grub)"

That command does nothing. It just brings up another command line.

Sorry, but I think I must have explained improperly. Once I do the bootrec.exe stuff my laptop literally becomes a brick. I just get a black screen with a blinking cursor that is one line down from the one I get when grub is installed.

My concern would be that you may have installed grub to the partition rather than the MBR at some point. If so, the /fixboot may not be sufficient to repair it, and you may be up for a (Win7) reinstall.
Try that command (as root) I gave you with count=3.

Quote:

Originally Posted by telestrial (Post 3993760)

I can't boot into Windows 7.

Not sure why you'd want to, :p. On a serious note, can you mount the Windows partition and see your files?

Bootrec doesn't just come back with another prompt. It says things like "Command Success"...the
"bootup repair" windows application says it can't find anything wrong, I can mount the partition and look at the files...and the output of that commmand you told me to run again is:

Code:

3+0 records in

3+0 records out

1536 bytes (1.5 kB) copied, 0.0350573 s, 43.8 kB/s

I hope that was everything.