Help! I lost my Ubuntu!

[Goh Lip]

On 04/25/2011 05:41 AM, Cliffer Benny wrote:
> I reformatted my Windows HD and reinstalled Vista on it. My Ubuntu
> (10.10) is on a separate drive (external USB 2.0).
> Now when I start my computer, I can no longer choose which OS I want to
> use. Neither the GRUB screen, nor the other Windows selection screen
> come up. It just starts right into Winblows.
> Is it possible to recover from this?
> At the moment, I'm downloading the Wubi installer, hoping it will at
> least let me access the Ubuntu drive.
> Thanks
>
> Ben
>

You've got this okay, Ben?
If not, try this...it's simpler.

Boot livecd (10.10).
At terminal, type the following...

sudo mkdir /media/ubu
sudo mount /dev/sdbx /media/ubu
sudo grub-install --root-directory=/media/ubu /dev/sdb


Notes:
o  the "x" in /dev/sdbx is a number, most likely "x'="1" (one)
    check first with "sudo fdisk -l" first at terminal if unsure.
    The "-l" in  "sudo fdisk -l" is small "L" not the number "one".

o the above will put the menu at the external drive (dev/sdb)
   and not at the hard drive (dev/sda) so you will still boot
   automatically to Vista. To boot into Ubuntu at external,
   press either F8, F10, F12 or 'esc' depending on your
   computer bios and select the external to boot.
   This is recommended; but if you want to overide the
   windows mbr at the hard drive, you just change from
   sudo grub-install --root-directory=/media/ubu /dev/sdb
   to
   sudo grub-install --root-directory=/media/ubu /dev/sda
   *However*, note that your external must always be plugged
   on to boot anything, including your windows.

Regards - Goh Lip

ps: always make a grub-rescue-cd. Always handy for any situation.
     (a one-line entry will solve this, for example)
     but lets leave this aside for now.


-- 
Life is a sexually transmitted disease with a 100% mortality rate.