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I installed Ubuntu on a logical partition a while ago. When I get to the grub bootlist, Vista is not there. What i get is this:

Ubuntu, with linux 2.6.32-26
Ubuntu, with linux 2.6.32-26 (Recovery mode)
Ubuntu, with linux 2.6.32-25
Ubuntu, with linux 2.6.32-26 (Recovery mode)
Ubuntu, with linux 2.6.32-24
Ubuntu, with linux 2.6.32-26 (Recovery mode)
Memory test (memtest86+)
Windows vista (loader) (on/dev/sda1)
windows recovery environment (loader) (on/dev/sda2)

"Windows vista (loader)" is an acer erecovery manager

Im guessing that grub installed on my primary partition so it overwrite the vista MBR and i dont have the option to boot vista. Is there some way i can just edit the MBR and add vista to it or how will i have to repair this?

here is my boot script http://pastebin.com/7HZFjBT7

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    Similar Question: How to restore Windows (XP) menu entry in GRUB? : http://askubuntu.com/questions/11916/how-to-restore-windows-xp-menu-entry-in-grub – Sid Dec 08 '10 at 18:32
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    have you tested both entries? – RolandiXor Dec 08 '10 at 18:35
  • i already have os-prober installed but it hasnt worked.it only found

    /dev/sda1:Windows Vista (loader):Windows:chain and /dev/sda2:Windows Recovery Environment (loader):Windows1:chain

     –  Dec 08 '10 at 19:07
  • I can help you if you post the output of bootscript http://bootinfoscript.sourceforge.net/ – karthick87 Dec 08 '10 at 19:10
  • here is the bootscript http://pastebin.com/7HZFjBT7 –  Dec 08 '10 at 19:16
  • The output of update-grub suggests that it is able to see Vista.Bootscript output contains Vista under OS-prober.How come it not be listed in Grub menu..?Are you sure it is not listed on your grub bootlist? – karthick87 Dec 08 '10 at 19:49
  • Please run update-grub once more and post the output sudo update-grub – karthick87 Dec 08 '10 at 20:08
  • the only two vista things in the grub menu is windows vista (loader) which boots into the acer eRecovery manager which has 3 options: restore to factory settings, restore to restore point and exit. the first two are greyed out. exit is all i can choose.

    the second is windows recovery environment which boots into a basic System recovery program.

     –  Dec 08 '10 at 20:09
  • Just run update-grub once more and post the output of sudo update-grub let me sort out this problem. – karthick87 Dec 08 '10 at 20:11
  • here ya go. same as before http://pastebin.com/Cij8ujT6 –  Dec 08 '10 at 20:13
  • The last two line says that it can find those entries, Found Windows Vista (loader) on /dev/sda1
    Found Windows Recovery Environment (loader) on /dev/sda2     – karthick87 Dec 08 '10 at 20:25
  • yes those two are available on the grub menu. it says it in my original post but neither boot into vista –  Dec 08 '10 at 20:27
  • Post this output sudo cat /boot/grub/grub.cfg | grep menuentry – karthick87 Dec 08 '10 at 20:38
  • http://pastebin.com/wafGPcr0 –  Dec 08 '10 at 20:40
  • Can you please post a screenshot/snap of Grub menu? – karthick87 Dec 08 '10 at 21:02
  • here is a photo http://imgur.com/1a6tC.jpg –  Dec 08 '10 at 21:16
  • Obviously os-prober does not "see" any Vista partitions other than that for recovery. Likewise we all have not clue on what partition your Vista resides. Check for a file BOOTMGR on any NTFS partition. This file tells grub/os-prober that there is Vista present (NTLDR would be for XP or NT). – Takkat Dec 08 '10 at 21:36
  • it says there is bootmgr in the first two partitions in the bootscript from ealier. it seems vista is installed on sda2 because winload.exe is on that. –  Dec 08 '10 at 21:48
  • @tacomesa: grub is able to boot to /sda2 (last entry!). It says it is "windows recovery environment" and thus maybe your (broken?) Vista. What errors do you get if you boot there? If you cannot boot at all then have a look at this answer: http://askubuntu.com/questions/10410/windows-7-doesnt-boot-after-ubuntu-install/10418#10418 – Takkat Dec 08 '10 at 22:35
  • LOL I can find vista in your snapshot.What else you need?? – karthick87 Dec 09 '10 at 04:17
  • Boot Ubuntu and purge Grub packages.

    sudo apt-get remove --purge grub grub-pc grub-common

    Then reinstall,

    sudo apt-get install grub-common grub-pc

    Follow the on-screen instructions, choose your proper device i.e, sda in your case and then,

    sudo update-grub

    Lets see how that goes.

     – karthick87 Dec 09 '10 at 07:27
  • @karthick87: as has been said, /sda1 is Acer Vista recovery partition intended to restore factory settings - that means most likely wiping Ubuntu ;). Note that at the moment even this does not work for tacomensa. Odd: /sda2 says it's some recovery also even though it has boot flag. /sda4 is Acer/XENIX stuff. What's left is /sda5, a data partition named "Data". IMO no need to reinstall grub as it already is there on /sda. – Takkat Dec 09 '10 at 08:00
  • think im just going to reinstall both windows and ubuntu. ive been putting off a fresh start for a long time. guess now is the time to do it. thanks for the help –  Dec 09 '10 at 18:29
  • @tacomensa: that would also be a chance to make clear and clean partitions on your disk ;) – Takkat Dec 09 '10 at 19:05
  • Wait a second. I think I found the problem from your comments. You said it boots to a recovery environment from the second one. That is completely normal, and that is your vista installation right there. If you follow the instructions you can boot again. Just don't do anything to wipe ubuntu. I've boot to that a couple of times before. – RolandiXor Dec 10 '10 at 15:03

3 Answers3

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According to your boot info script output you only have two bootable Windows partitions, and both are included in your grub.cfg. Have you tried selecting the "Windows Recovery Environment (loader) (on/dev/sda2)" option? That may be your main installation, just mislabeled for some reason.

Jordan Uggla
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I have the same issue and tried the 2nd option, the Vista loaded right up and worked fine. They're flipped on the grub bootlist

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Have you tried running sudo update-grub?

user898763452
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