Triple-boot problem...

The other day, I tried to triple-boot my Dell E1705 computer with XP Pro, Vista and Ubuntu. I started by making a clean installation of XP Pro I then proceeded to installing Vista Ultimate on a second partition. After installing Vista, I went to installing Ubuntu using the live CD. Everything went well, I created the Linux swap partition as well as the EXT3 one, I then rebooted my computer and chose to go into Ubuntu; everything seemed to work fine. However, when I tried to go into XP the system said there was an error of some sort and that I could not get into XP anymore. Does anyone have any idea on why this occurred?

Thanks.

- Robert A.

 

Can you exactly tell the error, does it have anything to do with NTLDR ?

 

Does your XP bootable after Vista installed?

 

Darn, I'm really stupid... I don't remember. I was so frustrated that I just reinstalled Windows XP and Vista right after didn't bother to try to get Ubuntu to work again.

Yup, it was bootable so I decided to try my luck with Ubuntu right after... Unfortunately, this last one did not work and ended up ruining all my previous installation work.

 

The problem is Vista's boot loader. When you triple boot like that, GRUB (Ubuntu's boot loader) will detect your Windows XP partition and thus show it in your boot menu. However, when you put Vista on after XP, it basically over-writes XP's boot loader. So basically, what's happening is that GRUB is trying to send you to XP's boot loader (which you would never see since it's transparent and automatically assumes that Windows is the only OS on your system), but it's not there any more. What should happen is that you boot into Vista from GRUB, and Vista's boot loader should appear, giving you the option to boot into Vista or XP. It's annoying, but that's what Vista does. The beauty of GRUB is that you can edit to just take away the Windows XP option, and then rename the Vista option to just Windows. GRUB will then direct you to the Windows boot loader.

 

Thanks for the helpful and informative post.

How do you edit GRUB? And how do you rename the Vista option to just Windows?

Thanks again for your help.

 

You'll want to edit the grub configuration file. This file is found in /boot/grub/menu.lst. To edit it, you'll want to go to a terminal and type the following command:

Code:

sudo gedit /boot/grub/menu.lst

From there, you'll see some entries towards the bottom of the file making references to operating systems and the partitions on which they are found. All you really need to do is find where it says "Windows XP," delete that whole sections (about 3-5 lines usually). Then you can find the Windows Vista entry, and edit the line

Code:

title                 Windows Vista

to

Code:

title                 Windows

It's pretty simple really. If you feel like venturing into it, post your file (/boot/grub/menu.lst) up here and we can help you.

 

Just in case you would forgot anything, you can use "#" to mask options that you are not currently use. Grub also let you choose which OS is your default OS, but remember it count from 0.

 

Thanks everyone for your help.

I've been a wuss and haven't tried installing Ubuntu for a second time since I'm scared that what happened last time might happen again. Here's what someone else said in another thread. I never did this and I'm wondering whether it would change anything if I did it or not and whether this might actually be the reason why I wasn't able to boot into XP.

notebook_ftw thanks for showing me how to edit GRUB.

 

It would prevent Grub from being installed on any other Partition. Grub will be installed on the same Partition as Ubuntu. This will eliminate any risk of messing up the MBR, Windows Partition or any other partition other than Ubuntu. No worries at all about messing Windows up. But you will need a Bootloader like GAG to enter the Ubuntu Partition(Grub menu) or you can edit Windows Bootloader to pick up Ubuntu Partition. I recomend GAG though.

Go to my post and give it a try if you install Ubuntu again.