Trouble Dual-booting (SOLVED)

[metroid_maniac]

Is there a way to install Linux Mint alongside Windows, with GRUB or another bootloader automatically loading Windows rather than Linux Mint? I have tried using EasyBCD in Windows to reinstall Vista Bootloader and adding a Linux Mint boot option but it always reboots the computer when I try launching Linux Mint! help?

[markcynt]

Could you please give more details for your situation? Is your dual boot working at all?

[metroid_maniac]

right:

I am using Linux Mint 7 and Vista Ultimate
I have used the default settings and the Dual booting option works (Gives list of Options for Linux Mint, "other operating system" and Windows Vista)
I want to Automatically boot Vista after 5 seconds, so I used EasyBCD to reinstall Vista Bootloader and added a "Linux Mint" option to it.
When I rebooted the computer, it wasn't able to load Linux mint.
If there is a way to fix this, or a way to Autoboot Vista in the Linux Mint selection screen, please can you tell me!

[markcynt]

You should reinstall Mint and let Grub take over like before.

When you get back to MInt, run the updates and then open Synaptic and install startupmanager.

Then open a terminal, type sudo startupmanager, press enter, enter your password, and when the program starts, click the little up/down arrow at the end of the "Default operating system" box and select Vista.

[metroid_maniac]

thank you. will try ASAP

[kansasnoob]

You can reinstall GRUB without having to completely reinstall Mint. Just boot the Mint Live CD (or any Mint or Ubuntu Live CD) and go to Terminal. Then type

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sudo grub

Of course you'll be asked for your password (which does not appear as it's typed). Then it drops you into a "grub shell" that looks like this:

grub>

Next type (or copy-n-paste):

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find /boot/grub/stage1

And hit enter (on some keyboards only the enter button in the main keyboard section works at this point). Which will produce an output like:

(hd0,4)

Of course your numbers may be different - FYI GRUB begins numbering with 0 (zero) so that sample output indicates hard drive number 1, partition number 5 - but whatever that output is you'll want to enter next like this (of course substituting the actual numbers displayed:

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root (hd0,4)

Then next you'll want to enter the command:

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setup (hd0)

Which is the hd0 (hd zero) from the output of that "find /boot/grub/stage1" command. Of course if you have more than one hard drive the number might be different.

Then finally just type the command:

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quit

Which will exit the grub shell, then restart and you should have GRUB back again so you can select to boot either Mint or Vista.

Next, while booted into Mint, install startupmanager either using Package Manager or go to Terminal and run the command:

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sudo apt-get install startupmanager

You'll then find it by going to Control Center > System > Startup-Manager. As you can see here:

http://www.psychocats.net/ubuntu/images/sum09.png

You can then change the length of time (in seconds) before the default boots, as well as selecting which OS to boot by default.

[metroid_maniac]

IT WORKS!!! thanks for the help

[markcynt]

Glad to hear you got it sorted! And thanks kansasnoob for teaching me a little.

[npap]

using Package Manager or go to Terminal and run the command:

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sudo apt-get install startupmanager

You'll then find it by going to Control Center > System > Startup-Manager. As you can see here:


You can then change the length of time (in seconds) before the default boots, as well as selecting which OS to boot by default.

Yes, in the Star-tup Manager you can change which OS starts by default. It is marked in the boot loader. Press Enter and you are there.
Thanks
Good trick
npap