Windows wont boot in GRUB after Ubuntu install?

Question

I have vista installed on my laptops HDD and I freed up some space to add Ubuntus partitions. I went through the install and at the last part where you set the bootloader to a partition it got set to my vista partition, so it put grub on my vista partition and now when I boot grub comes up and I can boot in to Ubuntu but when I try to boot in to windows it just restarts grub.

here is the data from fdisk -l

Disk /dev/sda: 160.0 GB, 160041885696 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 19457 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x98b977c6

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 1 16579 133169676 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda2 16579 19458 23119873 5 Extended
/dev/sda5 16579 17066 3905536 82 Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sda6 17066 18889 14647296 83 Linux
/dev/sda7 18889 19458 4564992 83 Linux


And here is the /boot/grub/grub.cfg

#
# DO NOT EDIT THIS FILE
#
# It is automatically generated by /usr/sbin/grub-mkconfig using templates
# from /etc/grub.d and settings from /etc/default/grub
#

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/00_header ###
if [ -s $prefix/grubenv ]; then
load_env
fi
set default="0"
if [ ${prev_saved_entry} ]; then
set saved_entry=${prev_saved_entry}
save_env saved_entry
set prev_saved_entry=
save_env prev_saved_entry
set boot_once=true
fi

function savedefault {
if [ -z ${boot_once} ]; then
saved_entry=${chosen}
save_env saved_entry
fi
}

function recordfail {
set recordfail=1
if [ -n ${have_grubenv} ]; then if [ -z ${boot_once} ]; then save_env recordfail; fi; fi
}
insmod ext2
set root='(hd0,6)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 7edd625b-2ee7-44ee-bd31-2c323e09c264
if loadfont /usr/share/grub/unicode.pf2 ; then
set gfxmode=640x480
insmod gfxterm
insmod vbe
if terminal_output gfxterm ; then true ; else
# For backward compatibility with versions of terminal.mod that don't
# understand terminal_output
terminal gfxterm
fi
fi
insmod ext2
set root='(hd0,6)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 7edd625b-2ee7-44ee-bd31-2c323e09c264
set locale_dir=($root)/boot/grub/locale
set lang=en
insmod gettext
if [ ${recordfail} = 1 ]; then
set timeout=-1
else
set timeout=10
fi
### END /etc/grub.d/00_header ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/05_debian_theme ###
set menu_color_normal=white/black
set menu_color_highlight=black/light-gray
### END /etc/grub.d/05_debian_theme ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/10_linux ###
menuentry 'Ubuntu, with Linux 2.6.32-24-generic' --class ubuntu --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os {
recordfail
insmod ext2
set root='(hd0,6)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 7edd625b-2ee7-44ee-bd31-2c323e09c264
linux /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.32-24-generic root=UUID=7edd625b-2ee7-44ee-bd31-2c323e09c264 ro quiet splash
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.32-24-generic
}
menuentry 'Ubuntu, with Linux 2.6.32-24-generic (recovery mode)' --class ubuntu --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os {
recordfail
insmod ext2
set root='(hd0,6)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 7edd625b-2ee7-44ee-bd31-2c323e09c264
echo 'Loading Linux 2.6.32-24-generic ...'
linux /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.32-24-generic root=UUID=7edd625b-2ee7-44ee-bd31-2c323e09c264 ro single
echo 'Loading initial ramdisk ...'
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.32-24-generic
}
### END /etc/grub.d/10_linux ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/20_memtest86+ ###
menuentry "Memory test (memtest86+)" {
insmod ext2
set root='(hd0,6)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 7edd625b-2ee7-44ee-bd31-2c323e09c264
linux16 /boot/memtest86+.bin
}
menuentry "Memory test (memtest86+, serial console 115200)" {
insmod ext2
set root='(hd0,6)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 7edd625b-2ee7-44ee-bd31-2c323e09c264
linux16 /boot/memtest86+.bin console=ttyS0,115200n8
}
### END /etc/grub.d/20_memtest86+ ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/30_os-prober ###
menuentry "Windows Vista (loader) (on /dev/sda1)" {
insmod ntfs
set root='(hd0,1)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 78be6059be601244
chainloader +1
}
### END /etc/grub.d/30_os-prober ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/40_custom ###
# This file provides an easy way to add custom menu entries. Simply type the
# menu entries you want to add after this comment. Be careful not to change
# the 'exec tail' line above.
### END /etc/grub.d/40_custom ###



I have never used Linux or anything like this, So please explain exactly what to do if you know what's going on. Thanks

Answer 1

You should install grub on the mbr (master boot record) usually /dev/sda not in the windows partition. You will need to reinstall grub to the mbr. In the first link scroll down to 13. Reinstalling GRUB 2 from LiveCD. It also refers to the second link.

Read the steps carefully and be sure you understand them.

Since you don't have a vista install cd it would be a good idea to make a good complete backup of vista so that you could reinstall it if needed. I know I have accidentally wiped out a windows install when learning how to install linux.

I just found redo backup and it is an easy way to do a bare metal reinstall.

Good luck

Answer 2

You should never install GRUB to the windows partition, which is what appears to be your problem. Try this and see if the "testdisk" utility helps since you do not have the win install disk:

http://sourceforge.net/apps/mediawiki/bootinfoscript/index.php?title=Boot_Problems:Boot_Sector

Answer 3

you could try using your vista installation cd's repair options to repair the start up of vista and then re-install ubuntu (since vista repair will screw up grub).