Author Topic: Little Issue  (Read 2052 times)

Offline Nemesis

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Little Issue
« on: September 25, 2008, 07:24:08 AM »
ok i know i posted this in the pc section a minute ago but i urgently need to know this and the pc section isnt viewed as much.

i shouldnt have attempted this on my laptop when i know so little but here goes. i partioned my hdd so i could dual boot vista and linux. when i restarted my laptop and put in the disc with linux on it i had a black screen saying " non-system disc , reboot or select proper boot device or insert boot media in selected drive" something like that. problem is that i cant select which operating system to boot from as i forgot to install the software for that.

so i didnt know what the problem was until i tried to partially reboot my laptop so i wouldnt loose my files, me being and idiot forgot to plug the ac adaptor and it turned off in the middle of it restoring windows. now that i come to think of it i think it was a bad iso image burn, but im wondering if i do a new install of vista from a cd will my files be erased? and if i do the new install of vista will it install on the other partition of the hdd or will it overwrite over the whole hard drive?

thanks
« Last Edit: September 25, 2008, 07:41:57 AM by Nemesis »

Offline Sil3ntP3nguin

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Re: Little Issue
« Reply #1 on: September 25, 2008, 07:39:41 AM »
thats a lot of reading..

did you try the BIOS menu? Thats what I used to load a different O/S. I have ubuntu and vista on my laptop as well. For me it was the F4 key. can't remember...

If you have your vista disc, you should try the recovery console as it worked for me.

Hopefully someone else can help you a bit better than I did
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Offline PspKicks316

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Re: Little Issue
« Reply #2 on: September 25, 2008, 08:04:36 AM »
Alright, here goes nothing. You'll be back working on no time.

Insert your Linux boot disk into the drive, and start up the laptop.
Press [whatever key lets you choose boot media] and select boot from CD drive.
Once linux is loaded, go to My Computer and select your Vista partition.
Connect a flash drive, usb hdd, etc., and copy your important files that you want to keep over to that device.

Now as I see it, you've got 3 choices. Your description was a little vague though.

Choice 1: Repairing Vista
Insert the Vista install disk and boot into that using the same way you did for the linux disk.
Once loaded, accept the T&C and stuff, and when it's at the "Install Windows" screen, there will be an option or two under there in smaller writing.
Click "Repair windows".
Select the partition that Vista is on and click ok.
Select the first option which should be an automatic repair.
It SHOULD find a problem (mainly with the bootloader) and it should repair it (most likely reinstall the bootloader).
If this works, continue on to Choice 2.
If it doesn't work, continue on to Choice 3.

Choice 2: Booting into Windows
Congrats, you're able to boot into Vista, either from the start or after repairing it.
Boot into Vista and connect to the internet.
Go to http://neosmart.net/dl.php?id=1 and download the latest version of EasyBCD.
Install that and start it up.
Go to the edit configuration tab (I think).
At the bottom, there's an add new entry box.
Select Linux and choose your type and install partition and click add. You can also go into the other tabs on the left and find the edit timeout box and change that. Higher is more time before auto booting.
Close everything and reboot, and you should be able to select and boot into either Vista or Linux on startup. It will take you to the Vista bootloader instead of auto booting Vista.
If that still won't work, choose Choice 3.

Choice 3: Reinstalling
Let's hope you backed everything up from Choice 1.
You've got 2 choices based on this. Choice 3.a and Choice 3.b, all based on which bootloader you want.

Choice 3.a: Using Vista's bootloader with reinstalling
Boot into the Linux install disk.
Choose "install" on the desktop.
Go through everything, but when you get to choosing where to install, format the whole harddrive and only install on [however much space you want] of the harddrive. You're going to need to choose Manual Configuration to do that. Delete all partitions and create new ones for Linux, etc.,etc..
Once you're done, shut down Linux.
Boot into the Vista install DVD.
Install everything as normal, and on your other partition that you left blank for vista.
No special options to hit, or CMD promt commands, just install it normally.
Restart the computer, you're going to automatically boot into Vista.
Follow the steps in Choice 2 for downloading and using EasyBCD to add the Linux entry to the bootloader.
Restart, choose your OS.

Choice 3.b: Using the GRUB bootloader with reinstalling
Boot into the Vista install DVD.
Format the whole harddrive.
Install on [however much space you want] of the harddrive.
No special things to select, jsut install normally.
Once done, insert the Linux disk and boot into that.
Select install and go through everything, and when you get to choosing how to install, select Manual Configuration.(YOU MUST SELECT THIS. No other option will work!)
Choose the other half of your harddrive that you kept clean for Linux and hit Ok/Enter/Whatever the button is.
There's going to be more screens for settings, account, etc.. KEEP AN EYE OOUT FOR AN "ADVANCED OPTIONS/SETTINGS BUTTON"!!
Click that Advanced Settings/Options button when you see it.
Tick the box saying install the GRUB bootloader on [this] partition/drive.
Choose the actual drive and then hit ok.
Continue with the install and when it's done, reboot.
You'll be able to choose between your Linux and Vista.
Congrats!


Man, that took forever to type! I've been dual booting for a while now and know a bunch about it. I'm dual booting OSx86 and Vista atm. Will be triple booting on my laptop with OSx86, Vista Ultimate, and Ubuntu later on today.
« Last Edit: September 25, 2008, 08:09:10 AM by PspKicks316 »

Offline Nemesis

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Re: Little Issue
« Reply #3 on: September 25, 2008, 08:15:22 AM »
Alright, here goes nothing. You'll be back working on no time.

man you are a god, thanks for all that info, i'm trying out choice 1 right now, takes a while to load up.

thanks for all that i appreciate it so much and ill post back with the progress.
« Last Edit: September 25, 2008, 08:18:04 AM by Nemesis »

Offline PspKicks316

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Re: Little Issue
« Reply #4 on: September 25, 2008, 08:16:49 AM »
Hope everything works out, I tried to add every possibility to that list.

Offline Nemesis

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Re: Little Issue
« Reply #5 on: September 25, 2008, 08:28:39 AM »
ok so after i click the "repair computer" button in the corner it says that it has problems with the startup and if i want to "repair and restart", i click that and then it says "failed to save startup options" and then theres a blank table with the headings "operating system", "partition size" and "location" but its all blank. i think that windows vista is messed up from when the laptop ran out off battery while trying to partially reboot as i had attempted earlier.

EDIT: i found out that the linux file is a bad iso, i have a patched mac os x aswell, could i use that to transfer the files?
« Last Edit: September 25, 2008, 08:30:16 AM by Nemesis »

Offline PspKicks316

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Re: Little Issue
« Reply #6 on: September 25, 2008, 08:35:27 AM »
No, you can't use an OS X disk, it's not a Live CD it's an installer.
Try to download a new Linux ISO and use that, you need it.
As with Vista, it shut off as you were INSTALLING? If so you have no files on there. But just check first (Booting into Linux and copying files) before reinstalling.

Also, if in linux the partition won't mount because of an unclean shutdown, there's a force option you can use. Google it, but if you're in Ubuntu it will tell you the terminal command. I don't remember it offhand though.

Offline Nemesis

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Re: Little Issue
« Reply #7 on: September 25, 2008, 08:41:01 AM »
the laptop shut off as it was doing a partial recovery. Got a link to get a linux iso? im all over the place today and cant find any.

Offline PspKicks316

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Re: Little Issue
« Reply #8 on: September 25, 2008, 08:49:45 AM »
ubuntu.com In my opinion, best Linux distro.

http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/download < Download page.

Your system files are [partially] missing with Vista. That's why it's not being detected. You'll need to reinstall unfortunately. But don't do it yet. Try to see if there's files still there since it was a recovery not an install.
« Last Edit: September 25, 2008, 08:51:16 AM by PspKicks316 »

Offline noah03ark

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Re: Little Issue
« Reply #9 on: September 25, 2008, 09:12:57 AM »
good luck with fixing it

ubuntu is nice... if you dont want to use iso you can order a cd for 100%

its super awesome, i got 7.10 free from the netherlands! no cost!!


btw, pc section topic removed, as this is the one getting coverage

Offline PspKicks316

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Re: Little Issue
« Reply #10 on: September 25, 2008, 09:50:13 AM »
Also, the advanced option to install the Linux bootloader is the second screen after the partitioner.
Partitioner>Account setup>ready to install screen(here)

On my itouch Atm cuz I'm partitioning my new 7200rpm 200gb laptop hdd =D

Offline Nemesis

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Re: Little Issue
« Reply #11 on: September 25, 2008, 10:18:13 AM »
WOOOO! YAY!...that was the most relieving feeling ever... finally linux downloaded after the longest hour ever, booted my laptop from there and for a second i thought all the files were gone because i went to pictures etc, then found out that was linux only. then i went to my computer and under, "user_recovered" there was all the files, everything even programs. i havent transferred everything yet, im gonna do that in a bit but its just a relieve that everything is there after about 3-4 hours of trying to get it to work. i guess i learnt a lesson today.

thanks a lot for all the help pspkicks, i owe you one.

and thanks also penguin and noah.

now im off to write up the first of my english essay >.<

Offline PspKicks316

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Re: Little Issue
« Reply #12 on: September 25, 2008, 10:21:24 AM »
Glad I could help

 

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