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

[Colin Law]

On 14 October 2011 16:59, Richard Owlett <rowlett at pcnetinc.com> wrote:
> 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 can answer part of the question, ie what went wrong.  To make a
bootable USB stick without affecting the hard disk you should have
followed the instructions at
http://www.ubuntu.com/download/ubuntu/download and in section 2
selected USB stick and Show Me How.

> 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.

To explain what the installer has done, it made a multi boot system
for you, with Ubuntu on the usb stick.

>
>
> 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$ ;]

You need to restore the MBR (something Boot Record).  I am not sure
how to do this, someone will help I am sure.

Colin