It sounds like your son set up the system to Dual Boot. It is odd that there is not a grub (Grand Unified Bootloader) at startup to let you choose whether to boot up windows or Linux.
If indeed your windows installation still exists, then it is probable that the Restore CD will bring back the normal boot process by overwriting the MBR (Master Boot Record) with the windows boot file. I am unfamiliar with the Dell Restore CD so I would recommend confirmation on this before you try it.
Now, if Ubuntu was told to use the 45GB of free space on your hard drive to install to, then it is probably set up as one large partition (and taking up maybe 2GB, if that). If you have the Ubuntu Live CD used to install Ubuntu, there is a program on there that will let you resize and manage the partitions on your hard drive. I think it is still using gparted. The most likely file system used when installing Ubuntu is called ext3. Windows will show up as ntfs. There may also be a small partition labeled swap (virtual memory for Ubuntu). With gparted you can delete the Ubuntu partitions and resize your windows partition to take up the whole disk.
The most likely layout is:
[--Windows-ntfs--][--Ubuntu-ext3--][swap]
After changing the partitions you should be able to recover the windows boot record with the Restore CD (again, seek confirmation that it won't restore your system to some manufacturers default state).
Now, these are the tools to change your system. Talk to your son first and try and get a better idea of what he did to set up the system with Ubuntu. If his setup differs from the standard installation above, post back with what he said.
Also, if he does not want to lose the work he did in Ubuntu, it is possible to mount and read/write to ntfs partitions from within Ubuntu (a free program is needed to do this) and copy the files he wants to save to a place in your windows installation.
Dual booting windows and Linux is a fine setup. It's a good way to experience Linux but still be able to fall back on windows (setting up a VM is a better way as it is easier to access one system when it is running within the other). When dual booting, it is a good idea to leave some free space, which was not done here. This allows each OS to grow naturally without running out of space prematurely.
[edit] Silly grammar
Message Edited by kevinf311 on 07-22-2007 06:50 PM
Hi macaj, This post isn't coming out the way it should. So, go to www.michaelturner.4t.com/post.html to read this post the way it should be. I am very good with computers, and Ubuntu. I can help you, unlike kevinf311, because I have a Dimension 2350 and experience with all Linux Operating Systems. You may want to print this out so you don't not know what to do and not get lost or confused. -- No. I'm not calling you stupid or anything, but you may want to print this page out anyway. Here's what you'll need to get started: 1. Windows XP Setup CD 2. Ability to understand what I'm about to tell you to do. Let's get started: 1. Intert the Windows XP Setup CD into your CD or DVD-ROM Drive. 2. Restart your computer. 3. When the DELL screen comes up, press F12 for a boot menu. 4. Select " IDE CD-ROM Device" and press "Enter" 5. When The Windows Setup comes up, press "R" 6. You should get a DOS Prompt now. 7. In the Recovery Console (The DOS Prompt I told you about) type "format c:" -- without the quotations. 8. Confirm you want to format by pressing "Y" 9. Setup will format your entire hard drive 10. Once the format is complete, reboot the system by typing "restart" -- without the quotations-- 11. Boot from the Windows CD again and instead of hitting "R", hit "Enter" 12. Press F8 13. If prompted to repair, hit "ESCAPE (Esc)" 14. A similar screen should pop up. When it does, hit "Enter" 15. Select " Format using the NTFS File System", not quick. 16. Setup will format. 17. Setup will load required files. 18. your computer will reboot. 19. If " Press any key to boot form CD..." comes up again, don't do anything and just let it sit there. That screen will pass in 10 secs. 20. Windows will load. 21. Windows will "install itself" 22. When prompted, enter your 25 digit product key located on the bck of the folder the CD was in. 23. Set the settings it asks you for and hit next. 24. Keep doing what the setup says and windows will be installed. 25. When windows is installed, use the "dell dimension resource cd" to install your Ethernet, Sound, and Video Drivers. (assuming you are using the integrated graphics, sound, and ethernet cards.) 26. Install the drivers, and restart the computer. 27. Right click the taskbar down at the bottom. go to "properties", go to the "Start Menu" Tab. Click "Classic Start Menu". Click "OK" 28. Click the start button. 29. Go to "windows Update" 30. Follow the on screen instructions. 31. Keep doing this until you can't get any more updates. ( This can take hours, depending on computer and internet speed.) 32. Install any antivirus software you may want. 33. Install all of your programs. 34. You're ready to go.
Thank you sincerely Mike and Kevin for taking the time to reply to my query, especially in such detail.My son tried to install Ubuntu on his portable HD using my PC. When he was finished he could not gain access to his Hard Drive or to Windows on my PC. The only access he had to anything was through the Ubuntu CD. To try to rectify the situation he was forced to install Ubuntu on the PC. You know the rest.
Partition details via Gnome Partition editor in Ubuntu is as follows:-
PARTITION FILE SYSTEM MOUNTPOINT SIZE USED UNUSED FLAGS
/dev/sda1 fat16 /media/DellUtility 31.5MB 6.69MB 24.66MB
/dev/sda2 ntfs /media/disk 15.02GB 10.97GB 4.05GB boot
/dev/sda3 ext3 / 39.38GB 2.75GB 36.63GB
/dev/sda4 extended 1.44GB
/dev/sda5 LINUX-Swap
There is a lock emblem before each in ENTRY FILE SYSTEM!
I have no problem with UBUNTU on my PC now that I see it working but would like it using less resources. If this can't be achieved I would prefer not to have it.
I will not act on your suggestions until you look through the above and hopefully reply.
Kindest Regards
James.
Since you said that there were locks in front of each partition I assume that you ran the partition editor from within the Ubuntu installation that is on your hard drive.
You cannot edit partitions on the file system that is mounted. To change the partitions you need to run the Ubuntu Live CD that was used to install (any will work, it's just that one should be easily available). Once you are in the Live environment, you will be able to run the partition editor again and change the partitions.
If I remember correctly, you cannot move the beginning of a partition, so I'm afraid the current installation of Ubuntu will have to be deleted.
Your drive looks like this currently:
[Dell Thing-32MB][--Windows-15GB--][---Linux-40GB---(Extended-1.4GB)][swap]
If you want to keep space for an Ubuntu installation you can change the partitions to this:
[Dell Thing-~32MB][----Windows-~40GB----][-Linux-~15GB-][swap]
You would have to first delete the existing Linux partitions (sda3, 4, and 5) and then after that has completed, resize the windows partition to whatever size you want (all the way if you don't want Ubuntu to be installed again). Ubuntu does not really need more than 15GB, this Laptop is using 10GB, and that is with 6GB of music and a whole lot of stuff installed (quite a few pictures too). The swap partition should be between 1 and 2 times the size of your RAM (although it is rare that Ubuntu will dip into that). Use ext3 for the Linux partition if it asks, and Linux swap for swap.
So after each step has completed successfully you will be done partitioning. Unfortunately, if you were using a grub to select which OS to boot, that configuration file has been removed. I am unsure of what the repercussions of that will be. Grub may still work (for selecting windows) or it may be completely broken leaving you with no way to boot your system.
It the latter happens, this is maybe where the Restore CD will come into play. If that CD is able to restore the MBR to windows default, then that is how you would get things back to normal. The other option, if you were going to put Ubuntu back on there, would be to go ahead and install Ubuntu to the new, smaller partition. The installation process would install a new Grub to the MBR and then you would be able to choose your OS at boot again.
Thanks again for your help. It will take some time for me to figure-out the choices you gave me. I want to avoid formatting the HD if possible. Anyway the PC wouldn't boot from the Dell Windows restore disk until Ubuntu was installed on the PC hard drive. Error 21!
I'd be afraid that the Grub? issue you mention might cause the same situation again. Nevertheless I'll have a go at one of the options you gave me---------fingers crossed!
Yeah, since the first Ubuntu attempt (on the external hard drive) probably installed the grub to the MBR on the master hard drive (in your computer) when the external was removed the grub would no longer work.
I think the easiest solution would be to reinstall Ubuntu right after you resize the partitions. That way, the grub installed by the Ubuntu installation process will allow you to choose which operating system.
If you completely remove Ubuntu and resize to one (windows) partition, then the same Grub error 21 will happen.
Being able to boot from the recovery CD should be controlled through your BIOS. Also, on many computers, just after POSTing there is a key you can hit to select boot device.
Hey macaj. It's mike again. NO PROBLEM!!! Just a heads up-- if ubuntu is installed, it's most likely it took over the hard drive and you probably lost your data when your son installed it and it is not retrievable.
Message Edited by mike_the_tech_whiz on 07-25-2007 09:46 PM
Hey Macaj--again, I just wanted to make an opinion: the most reliable computer is the one you build yourself. I build computers in my spare time and they are better, faster, cooler (in temperature), nicer looking, quieter, and can handle more hard drives than any computer Dell is selling. Not to say Dell stinks, which it doesn't, but computers that people build themselves are better in every way imaginable. But, if I had to buy a million computers from the company I thought was best, I'd buy Dell.
It's me again complete with a success story. I followed your advice re deleting the Ubuntu partitions and then resized the Windows partition, all from the original Ubuntu CD partition editor. Then Ubuntu was re-installed on the smaller partition(10GB) as is on your laptop! At the end of the whole procedure I got a warning notice saying that Windows might not like it's new layout and this included an 'ignore' option which I used(fingers crossed). I continued on to re-boot which seemed successful. Both Ubuntu and Windows opened ok. The only real problems I had was creating Ubuntu grub file area( forget the exact wording but was vague to me) as I am not knowledgable enough to figure out what was needed so that was trial/error and my son's help by phone. Also doing the manual partitioning can be daunting because you have to juggle with the actual HD sizing using GBs and MBs in real figures which have to balance out to your requirements(am I making any sense). Also, last night I found loading Linux Flashplayer for Firefox difficult as the instructions are obviously more suited to someone familiar with Linux and Dos. Nevertheless I found the whole episode rewarding and now have two functional operating systems. Unlike Windows Ubuntu makes you(ME) think and figure things out and perhaps even go crazy with frustration.
Thanks again Kevin and Mike for your help. Invaluable!
PS Had my Dell had a bios that allowed booting from a usb device I would have missed this whole experience.
I know its a little late, and this thread has been dead for almost a year now, but mike_the_tech...what the heck was your problem?
what exactly do you have against linux? its obvious that you know very little about linux OSs in general, unlike kevin who is clearly knowledgeable on the subject, or at least had a good general idea of what hes doing.
I see you as either a very unkind individual who tried very hard, though unsuccessfully, to frighten a user that was in unfamiliar territory away from Ubuntu, and linux in general, or you are a young child attempting to 'have some fun' by posing as a knowledgable person in a help forum and meddling with a user that had a serious problem.
Either way, your posts disgust me due to your clear lack of regard toward the user macaj...im just happy that he was able to solve his problem in the correct way, instead of wasting his time reformatting his harddrive, and possibly loosing unknown ammounts of precious personal data... despite your comments about how you claim can build computers, its fairly clear from the roundabout instructions you gave on how to reformat the computer that you dont work in any technical capacity. i mean, for crying out loud, if all you needed to do is let windows reclaim the hard disk space that ubuntu was on, you could do that from inside windows itself, without 2 pages of instructions:
Start -> Control panel -> Administrative tools -> Computer Management -> Disk Management. right click on 'unknown partition' and click 'delete logical drive' then right click again and 'delete partition' then right click the disk header and say 'convert to dynamic disk' or like keven suggested, use partition magic to 'paste' the empty space back onto the c drive
and another thing...the only OS that can successfully rob its way into taking over your harddrive is made by Microsoft, and is approximately 15 years old. No OS does that type of thing any more.
In conclusion...Mike, although you clearly know something about computers, I'd be willing to bet that you still have a few years to go until you graduate high school, and after that you will not be pursuing a career in computer science... and if by some chance you do get into CompSci, i promise you, you will never work for me.
Message Edited by AFarris01 on 06-24-2008 02:04 PM
kevinf311
48 Posts
0
July 22nd, 2007 21:00
If indeed your windows installation still exists, then it is probable that the Restore CD will bring back the normal boot process by overwriting the MBR (Master Boot Record) with the windows boot file. I am unfamiliar with the Dell Restore CD so I would recommend confirmation on this before you try it.
Now, if Ubuntu was told to use the 45GB of free space on your hard drive to install to, then it is probably set up as one large partition (and taking up maybe 2GB, if that). If you have the Ubuntu Live CD used to install Ubuntu, there is a program on there that will let you resize and manage the partitions on your hard drive. I think it is still using gparted. The most likely file system used when installing Ubuntu is called ext3. Windows will show up as ntfs. There may also be a small partition labeled swap (virtual memory for Ubuntu). With gparted you can delete the Ubuntu partitions and resize your windows partition to take up the whole disk.
The most likely layout is:
[--Windows-ntfs--][--Ubuntu-ext3--][swap]
After changing the partitions you should be able to recover the windows boot record with the Restore CD (again, seek confirmation that it won't restore your system to some manufacturers default state).
Now, these are the tools to change your system. Talk to your son first and try and get a better idea of what he did to set up the system with Ubuntu. If his setup differs from the standard installation above, post back with what he said.
Also, if he does not want to lose the work he did in Ubuntu, it is possible to mount and read/write to ntfs partitions from within Ubuntu (a free program is needed to do this) and copy the files he wants to save to a place in your windows installation.
Dual booting windows and Linux is a fine setup. It's a good way to experience Linux but still be able to fall back on windows (setting up a VM is a better way as it is easier to access one system when it is running within the other). When dual booting, it is a good idea to leave some free space, which was not done here. This allows each OS to grow naturally without running out of space prematurely.
[edit] Silly grammar
Message Edited by kevinf311 on 07-22-2007 06:50 PM
mike_the_tech_w
4 Posts
0
July 23rd, 2007 01:00
kevinf311
48 Posts
0
July 23rd, 2007 17:00
So... that will destroy all of the data. Given the partition sizes posted, it's pretty likely that both Ubuntu and Windows are on the drive.
What we need is a better idea of what was done to the computer, which is why I asked for the sons recount of what he did.
kevinf311
48 Posts
0
July 23rd, 2007 18:00
Also, if you could post the steps your son took in installing Ubuntu that would be helpful for us to better understand your situation.
macaj
5 Posts
0
July 23rd, 2007 22:00
Partition details via Gnome Partition editor in Ubuntu is as follows:-
PARTITION FILE SYSTEM MOUNTPOINT SIZE USED UNUSED FLAGS
/dev/sda1 fat16 /media/DellUtility 31.5MB 6.69MB 24.66MB
/dev/sda2 ntfs /media/disk 15.02GB 10.97GB 4.05GB boot
/dev/sda3 ext3 / 39.38GB 2.75GB 36.63GB
/dev/sda4 extended 1.44GB
/dev/sda5 LINUX-Swap
There is a lock emblem before each in ENTRY FILE SYSTEM!
I have no problem with UBUNTU on my PC now that I see it working but would like it using less resources. If this can't be achieved I would prefer not to have it.
I will not act on your suggestions until you look through the above and hopefully reply.
Kindest Regards
James.
kevinf311
48 Posts
0
July 24th, 2007 01:00
Since you said that there were locks in front of each partition I assume that you ran the partition editor from within the Ubuntu installation that is on your hard drive.
You cannot edit partitions on the file system that is mounted. To change the partitions you need to run the Ubuntu Live CD that was used to install (any will work, it's just that one should be easily available). Once you are in the Live environment, you will be able to run the partition editor again and change the partitions.
If I remember correctly, you cannot move the beginning of a partition, so I'm afraid the current installation of Ubuntu will have to be deleted.
Your drive looks like this currently:
[Dell Thing-32MB][--Windows-15GB--][---Linux-40GB---(Extended-1.4GB)][swap]
If you want to keep space for an Ubuntu installation you can change the partitions to this:
[Dell Thing-~32MB][----Windows-~40GB----][-Linux-~15GB-][swap]
You would have to first delete the existing Linux partitions (sda3, 4, and 5) and then after that has completed, resize the windows partition to whatever size you want (all the way if you don't want Ubuntu to be installed again). Ubuntu does not really need more than 15GB, this Laptop is using 10GB, and that is with 6GB of music and a whole lot of stuff installed (quite a few pictures too). The swap partition should be between 1 and 2 times the size of your RAM (although it is rare that Ubuntu will dip into that). Use ext3 for the Linux partition if it asks, and Linux swap for swap.
So after each step has completed successfully you will be done partitioning. Unfortunately, if you were using a grub to select which OS to boot, that configuration file has been removed. I am unsure of what the repercussions of that will be. Grub may still work (for selecting windows) or it may be completely broken leaving you with no way to boot your system.
It the latter happens, this is maybe where the Restore CD will come into play. If that CD is able to restore the MBR to windows default, then that is how you would get things back to normal. The other option, if you were going to put Ubuntu back on there, would be to go ahead and install Ubuntu to the new, smaller partition. The installation process would install a new Grub to the MBR and then you would be able to choose your OS at boot again.
Hope that this is helpful.
macaj
5 Posts
0
July 25th, 2007 15:00
kevinf311
48 Posts
0
July 25th, 2007 21:00
I think the easiest solution would be to reinstall Ubuntu right after you resize the partitions. That way, the grub installed by the Ubuntu installation process will allow you to choose which operating system.
If you completely remove Ubuntu and resize to one (windows) partition, then the same Grub error 21 will happen.
Being able to boot from the recovery CD should be controlled through your BIOS. Also, on many computers, just after POSTing there is a key you can hit to select boot device.
Good Luck :)
mike_the_tech_w
4 Posts
0
July 26th, 2007 01:00
Message Edited by mike_the_tech_whiz on 07-25-2007 09:46 PM
mike_the_tech_w
4 Posts
0
July 26th, 2007 02:00
macaj
5 Posts
0
July 27th, 2007 14:00
kevinf311
48 Posts
0
July 27th, 2007 14:00
Enjoy your new dual-boot system :)
mike_the_tech_w
4 Posts
0
July 28th, 2007 14:00
macaj
5 Posts
0
July 28th, 2007 19:00
AFarris01
1 Message
0
June 24th, 2008 18:00
I know its a little late, and this thread has been dead for almost a year now, but mike_the_tech...what the heck was your problem?
what exactly do you have against linux? its obvious that you know very little about linux OSs in general, unlike kevin who is clearly knowledgeable on the subject, or at least had a good general idea of what hes doing.
I see you as either a very unkind individual who tried very hard, though unsuccessfully, to frighten a user that was in unfamiliar territory away from Ubuntu, and linux in general, or you are a young child attempting to 'have some fun' by posing as a knowledgable person in a help forum and meddling with a user that had a serious problem.
Either way, your posts disgust me due to your clear lack of regard toward the user macaj...im just happy that he was able to solve his problem in the correct way, instead of wasting his time reformatting his harddrive, and possibly loosing unknown ammounts of precious personal data... despite your comments about how you claim can build computers, its fairly clear from the roundabout instructions you gave on how to reformat the computer that you dont work in any technical capacity. i mean, for crying out loud, if all you needed to do is let windows reclaim the hard disk space that ubuntu was on, you could do that from inside windows itself, without 2 pages of instructions:
Start -> Control panel -> Administrative tools -> Computer Management -> Disk Management. right click on 'unknown partition' and click 'delete logical drive' then right click again and 'delete partition' then right click the disk header and say 'convert to dynamic disk' or like keven suggested, use partition magic to 'paste' the empty space back onto the c drive
and another thing...the only OS that can successfully rob its way into taking over your harddrive is made by Microsoft, and is approximately 15 years old. No OS does that type of thing any more.
In conclusion...Mike, although you clearly know something about computers, I'd be willing to bet that you still have a few years to go until you graduate high school, and after that you will not be pursuing a career in computer science... and if by some chance you do get into CompSci, i promise you, you will never work for me.