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This question might be a repeat of several other questions. But I have tried most of the solutions and beaten my head to understand the remaining. To no avail, however.

So I basically have two partitions, which I created using Windows's disk management utility. Partition C: has Windows on it. And Partition E: had nothing.

So I decided to install Ubuntu on it. I wanted to try Ubuntu out and see whether it was faster than Windows and better to use. I downloaded the latest Ubuntu 14.04 and booted it from the pen drive. On the installation options there was no option of "Install Ubuntu alongside Windows 7". So I went to "Something else" and selected the Partition E: and installed Ubuntu on it. Here's what happened afterwards.

  1. When restarting, the computer did no detect the presence of Ubuntu at all. It directly started Windows, without giving me an option to select between the OS. And while in Windows, it did not show the other drive on which Ubuntu was installed.

  2. So I thought, that maybe bootloader of Ubuntu hasn't been installed. So if I re-install Ubuntu, it might detect the presence of an already installed Ubuntu and then maybe I can do automatic installation instead of "Something Else" and install Ubuntu with the bootloader and swap.

  3. I did that and the program did detect Ubuntu and gave me two options: "Erase Disk and install Ubuntu", "Install Ubuntu alongside Ubuntu" and "Erase Ubuntu and Install Ubuntu". I chose the last one.

Now, bootloader only shows Ubuntu. There is no mention of Windows. And moreover, if I select Ubuntu, nothing really happens. The screen turns purple and stays like that. I can only run the test version of Ubuntu from the pendrive. I don't know what to do now.

Is there a reliable, easy way to use both Windows and Ubuntu? I'm an Ubuntu noob --- so I am really struggling with it all.

Earlier I had just one partition with Windows on it. When I used the pendrive to install Ubuntu, it never detected the presence of Windows at all. I really want to give Ubuntu a shot, but at this moment I can't take the risk of not having Windows on my PC. So it's either Ubuntu+Windows or no Ubuntu at all!

Black Dagger
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  • Erase disk and install Ubuntu will most likely remove Windows. If you open GParted from your pendrive ubuntu - what does it show? I had the problem that alongside wasn't an option, a problem regarding some sort of error in the partition tables. So I installed Ubuntu with the erase option, created a partition for Windows and installed it there. Some fixes were need in order to get the boot loader working but since then it has been working without any issues. – Niklas Lindskog Apr 19 '15 at 12:40

4 Answers4

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Boot into Ubuntu and open a terminal window. From here, run sudo update-grub. That will search for other operating systems and will hopefully add Windows as an option in GRUB.

TheWanderer
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  • I could do this. Only that I cannot boot into Ubuntu as well. The screen turns purple after I select that option and Ubuntu doesnt open at all. The only thing I can do then is to cut off the power supply to my laptop. – Black Dagger Apr 19 '15 at 13:13
  • @BlackDagger Try reinstalling Ubuntu, and if that doesn't work, reburn the ISO. Also, when the screen's just purple it doesn't necessarily mean it's not responding. Before anything else, try just clicking randomly and pressing a few buttons on that screen to see if anything happens. – TheWanderer Apr 19 '15 at 13:29
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I have done the same thing after selecting try ubuntu while booting off of the pendrive to see the windows partion and upgrade grub.

Robert
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Try installing it using UnetBootin . You can use 'Try Ubuntu without installing' option

Mayur Kulkarni
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Okay what you have done here is, first you have installed Ubuntu in your E drive. (It had Ubuntu and Windows both when you did this, so that it loaded up Windows and not show you your Ubuntu partition on Windows).

And then you have completely flushed your hard drive and installed Ubuntu and Ubuntu alone (I can't quit figure out what is causing Ubuntu to not to boot up).

Normally how i do Dual boot is, first install Windows. And then install Ubuntu as same as you did in your first step. If the GRUB boot loader which will show you both Windows and Ubuntu is not appearing while you are booting the system, and going into windows. Do the following....

Boot Ubuntu from the pendrive, Select to Tryout Ubuntu (don't install again). When you are on the Ubuntu desktop, do what i have mentioned on this link.

After this is successful, restart your PC. You will have both Ubuntu and Windows ready to go.

Have fun exploring, and welcome to the world of Linux...

Community
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Nasik Shafeek
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