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I've successfully installed Ubuntu (or so I'm told) on my Dell laptop alongside a clean Windows XP install. When I turn on the computer it boots directly into Windows with no options given to boot into Linux. What am I missing?

Eliah Kagan
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Jeff Nolan
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    http://askubuntu.com/questions/88384/how-can-i-repair-grub-how-to-get-ubuntu-back-after-installing-windows – Tim Aug 31 '14 at 20:59
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    See also Ubuntu does not load after installing it alongside Windows – Eliah Kagan Aug 31 '14 at 21:00
  • I had a post a while back http://linux.m2osw.com/booting that explained how I created a quintuple boot system. However, in general, you want to first install Ubuntu, not on the first partition, then install WinXP on the first partition. At that point Windows overwrite your boot sector. So you want to "repair" your GRUB loader so it can find Linux again. – Alexis Wilke Aug 31 '14 at 21:02
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    The most scary thing about this question is "alongside a clean Windows XP install". Windows XP is officially obsolete since April 8, 2014 (although unofficially since the release of Ubuntu 4.10). You should really consider upgrading to a modern OS, i.e. just keep Ubuntu. – Andrea Lazzarotto Aug 31 '14 at 21:10
  • @AlexisWilke At least for the typical dual boot case, I very much disagree that it is at all preferable to install Windows second (though of course it can be done that way). Installing Ubuntu after Windows usually yields a working Windows system, a working Ubuntu system, and a working GRUB installation that provides the user with an easy selection between the two on boot. Even in cases like the OP's where it doesn't and GRUB must be installed to the MBR manually, the total work is still less. – Eliah Kagan Aug 31 '14 at 21:13
  • @EliahKagan, it could be that it works better today. I don't do dual boot anymore. I use virtualbox instead (I very rarely need MS-Windows, and with their new additional protections, I'm less and less interested by their shitty OS.) However, a while back, it seems that RedHat (which I don't use either anymore) would do something that would blow Windows away... – Alexis Wilke Aug 31 '14 at 21:16

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