Problem with dual boot [XP won't start]

[boris70]

Hi.

I have recently installed Kubuntu on my computer. I had previously installed Windows XP on another partition, at first linux did not recignoze the Xp and i didn't have option to choose from boot menu which system would i like to login. So i reinstalled linux and it recigozed Xp now, fine i reboot, select linux, in works perfectly, reboot again, select Xp and nothing happens. All i get is Starting Up... and flashing _ in upper left corner of my screen. i waitet for at least half an hour but nothing.

So here are some details.

Both system installed on same disc, linux on fist partition and Xp on second.

I have tried everything, i have even inserted the disc with XP and formated the linux partition and tried to install fresh copy of xp on linux partition, but it douesnt work, when the computer reboots i get black screen and _ is flashing in upper left corner and thats all. Now i'm getting worried, what if i format the whole disc and the problem is still there.

here is my grub menu.lst, maybe something is wrong with it.

# 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		10

## 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=96671f88-eaf6-43a9-99fe-cf48c1c0adf8 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 7.10, kernel 2.6.22-14-generic
root		(hd0,0)
kernel		/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.22-14-generic root=UUID=96671f88-eaf6-43a9-99fe-cf48c1c0adf8 ro quiet splash
initrd		/boot/initrd.img-2.6.22-14-generic
quiet

title		Ubuntu 7.10, kernel 2.6.22-14-generic (recovery mode)
root		(hd0,0)
kernel		/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.22-14-generic root=UUID=96671f88-eaf6-43a9-99fe-cf48c1c0adf8 ro single
initrd		/boot/initrd.img-2.6.22-14-generic

title		Ubuntu 7.10, memtest86+
root		(hd0,0)
kernel		/boot/memtest86+.bin
quiet

### END DEBIAN AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST

# This is a divider, added to separate the menu items below from the Debian
# ones.
title		Other operating systems:
root


# This entry automatically added by the Debian installer for a non-linux OS
# on /dev/hda2
title		Windows NT/2000/XP (loader)
root		(hd0,1)
savedefault
makeactive
chainloader	+1

I really need your help guys, i really dont want to format the whole thing and then to find out that the solution was so simple...

[Rog131]

Re: Problem with dual boot [XP won't start]

All i get is Starting Up... and flashing _ in upper left corner of my screen. i waitet for at least half an hour but nothing.

Have you tried virtual console ?

a virtual console (VC, sometimes virtual terminal, VT) is a conceptual combination of the keyboard and the display for a user interface. The concrete combination is the system console of the computer, where the user can switch between the virtual consoles to access multiple unrelated user interfaces. Usually in Linux, the first six virtual consoles provide a text terminal with a login prompt to a unix shell. The graphical X Window System starts in the seventh virtual console.

Press Ctrl + Alt + F1 (or F2...6). This should start virtual console.

dibl tells at How to get started with no GUI
http://kubuntuforums.net/forums/inde...opic=3085112.0

It often happens that the installer on the Kubuntu Live CD is unable to correctly identify and configure automatically the X server configuration for your graphics display chip or card. For the noob, this means the first thing you see after you run the installation routine is a jet black screen with (or without) a blinking white "_" in the upper left corner...

Checking logs (if it isn't xorg.conf)
Start with live CD and read what info logs have.

LinuxLogFiles
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/LinuxLogFiles



Link

HOWTO : Repairing xorg.conf
http://kubuntuforums.net/forums/inde...opic=3082808.0

[Qqmike]

Re: Problem with dual boot [XP won't start]

You might try to re-install GRUB.

How To GRUB Methods - Toolkit
http://kubuntuforums.net/forums/inde...opic=3081671.0

Boot into Kubuntu.
Open K > System > Konsole
Type
sudo grub
at the grub> (prompt), type each of these commands followed by Enter:
grub> root (hd0,1)
grub> setup (hd0)
grub> quit

(space after root and after setup).

Then re-boot to test it.


You might also try using
rootnoverify (hd0,1)
instead of root (hd0,1)
(see the last few lines in your menu.lst)

It seems that GRUB is having trouble passing control to the bootloader of XP (NTLDR).
That's usually what your symptoms indicated.
(Assuming it is not some video thing, which I doubt because Kubuntu works; and in the past I have also had the same problem you described here.)

Of course, as is well known, Windows likes to be first – on the first partition (hd0,0), then Kubuntu; but I have seen it work in other ways as well.