[hpsdr] Windows install out of order on dual boot machine (Intel ATOM upgrade to XP64)

[Bob McGwier]

I had Windows XP on my Atom and I upgraded to Windows XP64. I had Ubuntu 
in a second partition. I had installed Ubuntu 64 after Windows XP but 
before Windows XP64 on the ATOM330 computer.

How does one do this? Once done, it is utterly trivial.

When you install a version of Winblows and it overwrites the master boot 
record (as it did in the case of my upgrading to XP64) you need to 
reinstall grub.

You have to pay attention but it is straightforward.

Boot the Ubuntu LiveCD you used to install.

On applications, accessories, click on terminal and when it is open run

sdr bash

This will make you root. Let us assume your machine has identified the 
disk as /dev/sda.

Run

fdisk /dev/sda

and then type
p and hit return

This will print the partition table. Your root directory (assuming you 
put everything into one directory) will be in the list. Suppose it is 
third in the list (you DO count any extended partitions as one in the 
list, you just count down until you find the root partition). You start 
counting 0,1,2,....

As I said, suppose it is third in the list at position 2. In this 
position, assuming we are talking about drive a (in windows, it is 
called C by default) this will be /dev/sdaN where N is some integer.

in the terminal window, type

grub

this will give you a grub shell prompt
grub>

This will be implied from here until the end.

root (hd0,2) (hd0 if your drive is sda, hd1 if sdb, etc.)
setup (hd0)

you will get data back if it finds the /boot/grub/menu.lst and it will 
tell you if you succeed or not.

quit

you are done. Reboot

Remember, if this did not work, nothing is lost. You can boot the 
windows and repair the master boot record or if the grub menu.lst is 
faulty you can edit it

Go into the LiveCD again and bring up a terminal

mkdir /mnt/sysimage
mount -t ext3 /dev/sdaN /mnt/sysimage

where N is the integer mentioned above when you printed the partition table

cd /mnt/sysimage/boot/grub

and you can edit menu.lst with gedit or vi or some other fave.

Good luck,
Bob
N4HY

-- 
ARRL SDR Working Group Chair
Member: ARRL, AMSAT, AMSAT-DL, TAPR, Packrats,
NJQRP, QRP ARCI, QCWA, FRC.
“Order and simplification are the first steps
toward the mastery of a subject.”, Mann