Can't setup a dual boot with Windows 7

[chunnel]

I have done a dual boot with Ubuntu and OpenSuse already in the last 2 weeks. Had some driver issues so I thought I'd try the different distro's and versions. However, I have now installed Kubuntu 6 times with various changes to bootloader and the drives it is installing on, yet everytime I reboot, it goes straight to Windows 7. I can run Kubuntu from the CD and haven't had any errors in install.

[vinnywright]

Re: Can't setup a dual boot with Windows 7

during the install at the sumery page thar is a advanced button for the boot loader I asume you did that as you say you tryed vareus drives for it.................did it let you chose sda?

asuming sda is your boot drive.

VINNY

[Snowhog]

Re: Can't setup a dual boot with Windows 7

As you are still booting into Windows, that means that you did not put Grub in the MBR (a good thing), and that you told it to install to the partition that Karmic was installed to. That being the case, the Windows boot loader is "in charge." You need to (some how) add to that loader the information that will allow you to select between the two.

[Qqmike]

Re: Can't setup a dual boot with Windows 7

Try this to see your options and if you can get it the way you want it:
The definitive dual-booting guide: Linux, Vista, 7, and XP step-by-step
http://apcmag.com/dualboot

[chunnel]

Re: Can't setup a dual boot with Windows 7

I believe the problem to be related to Kubuntu, not to my installation process. Because I've already installed GNOME based Ubuntu 9.10 in a dual boot and OpenSuse KDE in a dual boot. I've just read the info provided above but I've done all that. Except for the info about changing the bootloader because I can't get into Kubuntu from the installation. I can only get into Kubuntu direct from the CD, and then I don't have issues with bootloader. Of course, then I can't really run Kubuntu or install anything, but I can play with it.

[vinnywright]

Re: Can't setup a dual boot with Windows 7

I was just asking.......as I had a Karmic cd that wouldent let me mess with sda ware sda was the primarey boot disk..........so I was asking if you WERE abell to install grub to the first disk's MBR

VINNY

[Snowhog]

Re: Can't setup a dual boot with Windows 7

Except for the info about changing the bootloader because I can't get into Kubuntu from the installation.

It isn't the Grub boot loader you need to get into - it's the Windows boot loader. I don't know how you do that, but that's what needs to be done. You would add to that loader the information that allows you, at boot time, to select either Windows or Kubuntu. Grub does not have to be the controller boot loader.

[vinnywright]

Re: Can't setup a dual boot with Windows 7

that would be the boot.ini file in C:\

look's like this

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOW S
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Micro soft Windows XP Home Edition" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect

how to edit it I dont Know.

VINNY

[vinnywright]

Re: Can't setup a dual boot with Windows 7

Humm seams win7 dosent use the boot.ini as XP .........hears a good looking read on it if you want to go that way

http://www.dslreports.com/forum/r217...ting-questions

VINNY

[Snowhog]

Re: Can't setup a dual boot with Windows 7

Probably/maybe better still, is The definitive dual-booting guide: Windows 7, Linux, Vista and XP step-by-step

UPDATED | How to set up your PC to dual-boot between Windows 7, Linux, XP or Vista! We've done the hard work and put together a totally step-by-step guide with screenshots.

[Qqmike]

Re: Can't setup a dual boot with Windows 7

That's the one I gave him way back where ...

[Snowhog]

Re: Can't setup a dual boot with Windows 7

:P

Well, make it two recommendations then.

[Qqmike]

Re: Can't setup a dual boot with Windows 7

I still don't know what you are trying to do specifically. You can do various tasks on your installed Kubuntu from a live CD (you can use the Kubuntu Live CD, for example). You can usually boot into your Kubuntu using Super Grub Disk, yet another option ...

[chunnel]

Re: Can't setup a dual boot with Windows 7

YES! I'll bet that's it. Based on your recommendation regarding Super Grub, I found this... http://www.supergrubdisk.org/w/index..._Boot_Problems.
I had reinstalled Windows onto a different drive, I have 4 internal. Now I'll bet BIOS is defaulting to the old drive, and ignoring the drive with GRUB which I keep putting on sda. I either need to make sure GRUB is installed on the correct drive, which is mostly guessing since BIOS and Linux identify the drives in a different way. Or I need to keep changing the default drive for boot until GRUB starts.

I'll let you know.

[chunnel]

Re: Can't setup a dual boot with Windows 7

Success! I'm writing this from Konqueror.

Thanks for the help and quick response. All ideas were considered.