Installed ubuntu, now windows wont boot?

Question

I installed Ubuntu on my external hard drive and dropped the hard drive on accident, now when i turn the computer on it says loading grub, and wont boot to windows. I tried using the vista disk to repair startup problems, but it didnt work please help.

Answer 1

By mistake you must have installed on the same partition was. Format & install in different partition.

Answer 2

Is Windows also installed on that external hard drive? You may be having some communication problems.



The best thing you could have done is create two partitions at one disk: one with the space already used by Windows plus additional storage space and one with enough space for Ubuntu. You could create a backup on the external HD which could have saved your life.



My suggestion (long steps but that is the closest thing that can come to my mind): Run Ubuntu and try to recover some of your most important data from the Windows area then check your disk's partitions. Delete extra partitions and format your hard drive. Try to do a fresh install of Windows, then after you set it up, try to install Ubuntu with the instructions above. GRUB loader should be able to recognize Windows as Vista/Longhorn plus several versions of Ubuntu.



Hope this helps.

Answer 3

Ok so if I understand correctly.



You install Ubuntu on an external.

Vista is on Internal.



You dropped external...



Now you have no ubuntu...



Therefore grub cant properly load the info to boot to windows because it is on the external...



What has happened is, you basically have lost the drive which contains your Master Boot Record... which would have been on the internal, but is now on the external due to Ubuntu being installed...





If you have files you want to keep, there is really only one way to repair a situation like this...



You need a program called Acronis Disk Director Suite 10.0



You can get it on torrents for free, or you can Honor the programmer, and go to your local computer store and buy it...



Basically you get the Acronis cd, boot to it, it will install a boot loader, and it will repair your master boot record and the windows partition as well... Allowing you to reboot to windows...



Ive used it before, it works miracles...



Acronis Disk Director Suite 10.0

http://www.acronis.com/homecomputing/products/diskdirector/



It isnt cheap, but its amazing what you can do with this software...

Answer 4

Can you use your vista disk to replace the MBR? The MBR is the bit that contains the pointer to the grub loader... and you've broken the files it needs.



Certainly XP would repair the MBR... not sure how you do it in Vista as I've so-far avoided Vista as being too new and unreliable.

Answer 5

you ought to installation grub on the mbr (grasp boot checklist) often /dev/sda no longer contained in the domicile windows partition. you will ought to reinstall grub to the mbr. contained in the 1st link scroll all the way down to 13. Reinstalling GRUB 2 from LiveCD. It additionally refers back to the 2d link. study the stairs intently and be valuable to appreciate them. because of the fact which you do not have a vista installation cd it would be a stable theory to make a stable finished backup of vista so which you ought to reinstall it if necessary. i understand I incredibly have by twist of destiny wiped out a domicile windows installation while getting to grasp a thank you to place in linux. I in simple terms chanced on redo backup and it incredibly is an elementary thank you to do a bare metallic reinstall. stable success