Linux Mint Forums

I have a most peculiar problem. I have/had a dual boot setup with Win XP and all the associated DATA/Progs on a 250 GB HDD (call it Win) and my LINUX MINT 12 and all associated docs/apps on a 120 GB HDD (call it Linux). This dual boot system has worked well for years and I have been happily converted to Linux except that I need Win XP for a number of Applications that are just not Linux capable e.g Premier Elements for video editing, Aust Gov TAX returns, etc.

The two internal HDD were/are as follows:
Disk 0 Partition 1 - 110 GB - System (LINUX) - (bootable)
Disk 0 Partition 2 - 3.5 GB - Logical

Disk 1 Partition 1 - 47 MB - OEM (reserved) [DellUtility]
Disk 1 Partition 2:Win - 39.1 GB - System - (bootable)
Disk 1 Partition 3:DATA - 39.1 GB - Logical
Disk 1 Partition 4:OfficeProgs - 19.5 GB - Logical
Disk 1 Partition 5:PROJECTS - 39.1 GB - Logical
etc to Partition 8 with 9MB Unallocated Space.

My old XP (2005) was becoming difficult and I decided to ditch it and install Windows8. Let us just say I had mega problems but eventually I completed the installation successfully. During the process I had to use the Disk 0 Partition 2 during the Windows installation.

Although Win8 is OK I no longer have a dual boot system and cannot access the disk that carries my LINUX Mint 12 OS and DATA. I do remember that when I was reinstalling XP - had to do this BEFORE I could install Win8 - there was a message that "another operating system" would be "Deactivated" but I would be able to activate it later - or words to that effect. Unfortunately I have NOT found a way to do this.

I have booted to my Linux Mint 12 DVD and using Gparted could only see the opportunity to format Disk 0 Partition 1 to get it back for Linux - obviously not on!

Any advice on how to recover the full Linux HDD greatly appreciated.

since window 8 uses eufi booting I'm not sure this will work but I would go to the link below and try boot-repair first.
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Boot-Repair

if it does not work it saves a log file on line. go to it and past the results here.

I have almost EXACTLY the same issue, albeit with Win7 and LMDE. OP is stronger than I am, as I can not for the life of me figure out how to successfully install Win8. I'll subscribe just to see replies to OP.

The link that kc1di posted seems like a good option, but if it fails, you could always boot into a LiveCD and backup all your data. Then reinstall Mint and/or GRUB.

Also, make sure that your UEFI/BIOS is pointing to the correct disk to boot from first. If it's pointing to the Windows disk, then GRUB won't work.

Finally, try unplugging the Windows drive and see if your Mint install can still boot. If it doesn't, then fix that before you worry about anything else. You could do like I did for a few months when I had a bad motherboard. Just plug in the drive you want to use, and switch them when you want to use the other

Thanks for the reply.

bigj231 wrote:you could always boot into a LiveCD and backup all your data. Then reinstall Mint

I have copied as opposed to B/U my MICHAEL folder which contains ALL settings etc. as well as those documents, images etc. that were saved on my LINUX Disk onto an external HDD so reckon they are safe. I assume that after reinstalling Mint I replace/overwrite the "new" MICHAEL folder with the "old" one.

ozdroggy wrote: after reinstalling Mint I replace/overwrite the "new" MICHAEL folder with the "old" one.

All that worked OK and happilly I have my original Mint 12 up and running. I did have to reinstall some of my apps - Google Earth, KMyMoney, Gramps but all my data for these was available 100%. Very happy -

The only problem is that I am no longer able to access (boot to) the Win8 as it does not appear on the "boot menu" although DellUtility does. BEFORE the boot menu appears I get the message "DRIVE 1 Not found : Serial ATA, SATA-2. Strike F1 to continue ........". Now to try and find out how to get Win back w/o loosing Mint

FWIW - Attached is a screen shot of the partition that I want as an alternative boot - I can "see" but not open all the files on this disk from Mint 12.

Glad you got Mint working again. Copy/replace and Backup are almost the same thing.

It seems to be a problem with GRUB that it won't show Windows 8. Try updating GRUB, or look at this page: http://askubuntu.com/a/211070.

bigj231 wrote:Glad you got Mint working again. Copy/replace and Backup are almost the same thing.

It seems to be a problem with GRUB that it won't show Windows 8. Try updating GRUB, or look at this page: http://askubuntu.com/a/211070.

Thanks for your help and sorry to be so dumb BUT the saga continues

Tried updating GRUB but could not do any good. Then fiddled with my BIOS and lost Mint

Managed to "Repair computer - Auto Repair" from the Win8 DVD and that is now 100% OK but I now can't access Mint. The "usual" message on booting up "Drive 1 not found: Serial ATA, SATA2 - Strike the F1 key......"

Booted to the Mint 12 DVD and
(a) Can examine Drive 1 (the LINUX drive) in Disk Utility and note that "Partition Flags: Bootable" so it should be bootable I reckon.
(b) Can access all documents/folders on Drive 1 as Administrator.
(c) Can open GRUB folder in the BOOT folder on Drive 1 as Administrator.

Any suggestions please to try and get Disk 1 back before I repeat the reinstallation of Mint 12.

Here is a screen shot of my setup from the Win8 side of things: Thanks for your patience......Mike

Just to close this one off.

After several days of stumbling around I again did a reinstall of Mint 12 and recovered all my previous settings from backups.

I then d/l and installed Boot-Repair https://sourceforge.net/p/boot-repair and using the recommended option have managed to get back both Mint 12 AND Win8.

I still have a minor inconvenience with the BIOS in that it still can't find Drive 1 [ "Drive 1 not found: Serial ATA, SATA2 - Strike the F1 key......" ] but after F1 the GRUB menu gives me access to both Mint 12 and Win8. I will contact Dell and see if they can sort out this glitch.

Thanks for your help; for my part I will call this SOLVED.

Glad you got it to work. You might try moving the hard drive cables to different ports on the motherboard and see if that fixes your BIOS issue. Definitely call DELL and see what they can do to fix it. You might look for BIOS updates on their website. Make sure to read the instructions and warnings before you begin to keep yourself out of trouble.