HELP! - installing Ubuntu to USB stick "trashes" hard drive

[Richard Owlett]

That's a lot milder subject line than I was considering 
yesterday.

I downloaded the Ubuntu 10.10 iso {back when it was latest} 
and burned a CD.
I had been referred to Ubuntu as it was reportedly "new user 
friendly" and that the applications I wished to use were 
available in its or Debian's repositories.

Although it would run on both my machines (a desktop and a 
laptop), the initial experience was anything but pleasant. 
It was bloated with applications I would not use and lacked 
those I would use routinely. The *critical* deficiencies 
were ability (as delivered) to connect to the internet via 
dial-up (USROBOTIC USB modem) and apparently no simple way 
have on a USB stick. The laptop, though lacking a working 
CD, can be taken to local library and connect to internet 
via WiFi hotspot. *BUT* I would need to be able to boot from 
a USB stick.

Many here "just go for it the repositories will take care of 
every thing" [LOL]

So with Live CD and 8GB USB stick in hand, I sat down at my 
desktop.
Brought up Ubuntu and with trepidation clicked Install.
   Trepidation, my credo being *ABSOLUTELY NO UNTRIED OS ON 
HARD-DRIVE* as I've
   have had past bad experiences ;/
With further fear and trembling, I chose use whole disk.
I breathed a PREMATURE sigh of relief when it asked "Which 
drive?".
Chose the USB stick and it chugged along copying files.
When complete, quit the Live session and rebooted.

When my BIOS gave me the option to boot from an alternate 
device, I chose the USB stick. All   _appeared_   well.

I found I'd been sucker punched on the next reboot :<
The BIOS driven screen comes up.
I let it time out, vainly innocently expecting Windows to 
come up.
    I get a simple menu the first several items are Ubuntu 
specific.
    The last option is Windows which I had explicitly 
"chosen" by *NOT*
       choosing an alternate boot device.
    *EVEN WORSE* if the USB stick is not there, I get an 
error message
       and a "grub rescue" CLI prompt.


How do I rescue my system from Ubuntu which seems to be as 
monomaniacal as Microsoft ever thought of being?
[There's a reason I was trying to escape M$ ;]