Help with Computers - Dual Boot problems

[Zuwxiv]

Okay, so here is what I did to mess up my computer:

I got a new computer, and partitioned the hard drive into two sections. A 20gig section for linux, and a 300 gig section for Windows. I install windows, get it up and running, it's going fine.

So I get Ubuntu and install that into the smaller partition. However, I needed a swap file and created that as well. To the best of my knowledge, this is where things went wrong. My boot.ini file listed windows as in partition 2 - it was now in partition 3. Ubuntu would boot fine, but windows wasn't even listed as an option for booting.

Anyway, I try searching for the problem. I put in the XP CD (dell CD, non dell computer: note, this wasn't the "recovery" cd) and enter the recovery console. I read that doing a bootcfg /rebuild would work, but it would give the message that there were no installations of Windows. I know this isn't true, I've checked in my folders when Linux boots up. All my data is still there.

Tried FIXMBR and FIXBOOT, they would work but still I could not use the bootcfg commands. And when originally I could boot nomrally into Ubuntu, if I try to boot from the hard drive I get a "Verifying DMI Pool Data..." and then it just freezes there.

So I try to fix the boot.ini file first, by running linux. But I can't boot it from the hard drive, so I'm using the CD. I can't edit it at all, read only and it won't let me change it. I'm currently trying to fix that problem.

After that, any sugguestions? If I just deleted and merged those two other partitions, could that help?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated, I haven't had this for more than a week.

[GrnEyedDvl]

Can you boot to Windows? You didnt say, if you can then click Start, Run and type in msconfig. Click the boot.ini tab and you can edit it from there.

[Zuwxiv]

No, it wouldn't boot into windows. Later, it wouldn't boot anything...

Hmm, I thought I was fixing this. Up to today, I had customized my Ubuntu linux, and was just trying to get my Windows up. It was even recognizing itself, which it hadn't done before.

And then BAM. Unrecoverable partition. No idea what happened, I don't remember doing anything to it. I don't think there's a problem with my hard drive, just a really messed up boot sector or something.

Anyway, reformatted it completely. Added the Linux in the end like it should, rather than the beginning of the hard drive. The only issue is that Windows has left these little 8 megabyte partitions all over my hard drive - no idea what they do.

Anyway, I hope I can get my version of Windows to work. I gave away the case with the sticker on it because it was working fine... So now I don't have the authentication number. Bah.

Anyway, this should fix it. If anyone knows about the 8 megabyte partitions, I would like to know... other than that, thread over.

[GrnEyedDvl]

Sometimes when you partition and format via the Windows installer there are small chunks that dont get assigned, its not a real partition per say and there is no information in it, and once you have both operating systems up and running you can merge them with either system. If you have more than 1 then its probably because you tried to install Windows more than once.

Anytime you are trying to dual boot Windows with anything else its usually best to install Windows first because of the way it tries to dominate the partition structure. Then install your other system behind it. I havent used Ubuntu but I have never really had a problem like this installing any version of Linux after Windows is installed, only when I installed Linux first.

Have you tried running a recovery on the Windows partition from the Windows CD? Theres a Repair Windows Installation option once you get past the F8 I agree stuff. Basically this just rewrites system and driver files. If you can actually get it to boot then getting tour Windows Key back is no big deal, use this tool:
http://blog.kevindonahue.com/archive...uct_key_viewer

If you cant get it to boot then get it from whoever you gave your case to.