How to install Grub from a live Ubuntu cd.

[unutbu]

Edit: Sorry -- I am too slow.
themusicdan, I'll leave what I've written, but caljohnsmith is much more knowledgable than I am, and I'd recommend listening to what he says first.

I just noticed this:

root@ubuntu:/# sudo fdisk -lu
sudo: unable to resolve host ubuntu
omitting empty partition (5)

I believe when you see "omitting empty partition" it is a sign that the partition table is corrupted. To fix this, boot from the LiveCD, go to System>Admin>Software Sources and make sure the Ubuntu universe repository is enabled. Then install the testdisk package.

To run testdisk, type

sudo testdisk

Then follow caljohnsmith's instructions here: http://ubuntu-virginia.ubuntuforums....07&postcount=3.

Testdisk can repair partition tables.
Currently, fdisk is saying that sda5 is empty. That's not good, since sda5 contained your Linux installation. Testdisk may be able to recover the old partition table, and all the files within it.

After you do the testdisk "Quick Search" or "Deeper Search", use the up/down arrows to move among your partitions. Press 'p' to try to list files inside the sda5 partition. See if you can find a partition with your Linux files inside.

[caljohnsmith]

Themusicdan, how about downloading the attached "partition_table.txt" file to your Ubuntu desktop, and then do:

sudo sfdisk --no-reread -f /dev/sda  < ~/Desktop/partition_table.txt

And please post the output. Then reboot your Live CD, and please post the output of all the following commands:

sudo fdisk -lu
sudo parted /dev/sda print
sudo grub
grub> root (hd0,4)
grub> setup (hd0)
grub> quit

And we can work from there.

EDIT: Sorry, just saw your post Unutbu. Testdisk would work, but since all we need to do is change sda3 into a logical partition, I think the above method is quicker and easier; it's up to themusicdan though.

[themusicdan]

Unutbu, I didn't find testdisk in the repository, so I am going to try caljohnsmith's method. Here's the output:

ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ sudo sfdisk --no-reread -f /dev/sda < ~/Desktop/partition_table.txt

Disk /dev/sda: 91201 cylinders, 255 heads, 63 sectors/track
Old situation:
Units = cylinders of 8225280 bytes, blocks of 1024 bytes, counting from 0

Device Boot Start End #cyls #blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 0+ 2549 2550- 20482843+ 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda2 6374 91199 84826 681364845 f W95 Ext'd (LBA)
start: (c,h,s) expected (1023,254,63) found (1023,0,1)
/dev/sda3 12748+ 38243 25496- 204796588+ 7 HPFS/NTFS
start: (c,h,s) expected (1023,254,63) found (1023,1,1)
/dev/sda4 0 - 0 0 0 Empty
/dev/sda5 6374+ 10315 3942- 31664052 83 Linux
start: (c,h,s) expected (1023,254,63) found (1023,2,1)
/dev/sda6 10316+ 12747 2432- 19535008+ 82 Linux swap / Solaris
start: (c,h,s) expected (1023,254,63) found (1023,1,1)
/dev/sda7 38244+ 91199 52956- 425369038+ 7 HPFS/NTFS
start: (c,h,s) expected (1023,254,63) found (1023,1,1)

sfdisk: long or incomplete input line - quitting
ubuntu@ubuntu:~$

[caljohnsmith]

I think I didn't get the spacing exactly right in that last partition_table.txt file that I uploaded, themusicdan; sfdisk is unfortunately very finicky about things like that. I uploaded a new partition_table.txt file to my previous post that I think should work. Please use that and post the output; we can work from there.

[themusicdan]

I tried using the updated file and the output is the same.

ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ sudo sfdisk --no-reread -f /dev/sda < ~/Desktop/partition_table2.txt

Disk /dev/sda: 91201 cylinders, 255 heads, 63 sectors/track
Old situation:
Units = cylinders of 8225280 bytes, blocks of 1024 bytes, counting from 0

Device Boot Start End #cyls #blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 0+ 2549 2550- 20482843+ 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda2 6374 91199 84826 681364845 f W95 Ext'd (LBA)
start: (c,h,s) expected (1023,254,63) found (1023,0,1)
/dev/sda3 12748+ 38243 25496- 204796588+ 7 HPFS/NTFS
start: (c,h,s) expected (1023,254,63) found (1023,1,1)
/dev/sda4 0 - 0 0 0 Empty
/dev/sda5 6374+ 10315 3942- 31664052 83 Linux
start: (c,h,s) expected (1023,254,63) found (1023,2,1)
/dev/sda6 10316+ 12747 2432- 19535008+ 82 Linux swap / Solaris
start: (c,h,s) expected (1023,254,63) found (1023,1,1)
/dev/sda7 38244+ 91199 52956- 425369038+ 7 HPFS/NTFS
start: (c,h,s) expected (1023,254,63) found (1023,1,1)

sfdisk: long or incomplete input line - quitting
ubuntu@ubuntu:~$

[caljohnsmith]

Themusicdan, would you please repost the output of the "sudo -d /dev/sda" command, but this time do not put it in quotes? If you don't use the "quick reply" box, but instead hit the "reply" button in the lower left corner of the thread, in that message box there should be a pound/hash sign "#" graphic near the quote button to put "code" tags around the result (it's right next to the quote button graphic). Please try that, because I think I must be getting the spacing messed up with the partition_table.txt file.

[themusicdan]

Sorry about that. Here is the output. Thanks for the tip.

ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ sudo sfdisk -d /dev/sda
# partition table of /dev/sda
unit: sectors

/dev/sda1 : start=       63, size= 40965687, Id= 7, bootable
/dev/sda2 : start=102398310, size=1362729690, Id= f
/dev/sda3 : start=204796683, size=409593177, Id= 7
/dev/sda4 : start=        0, size=        0, Id= 0
/dev/sda5 : start=102398436, size= 63328104, Id=83
/dev/sda6 : start=165726603, size= 39070017, Id=82
/dev/sda7 : start=614389923, size=850738077, Id= 7
ubuntu@ubuntu:~$

[themusicdan]

I edited the partition_table.txt, and tried again using the output I just posted. I attached the partition_table3.txt that I made, and here is the new output:

ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ sudo sfdisk --no-reread -f /dev/sda < ~/Desktop/partition_table3.txt

Disk /dev/sda: 91201 cylinders, 255 heads, 63 sectors/track
Old situation:
Units = cylinders of 8225280 bytes, blocks of 1024 bytes, counting from 0

   Device Boot Start     End   #cyls    #blocks   Id  System
/dev/sda1   *      0+   2549    2550-  20482843+   7  HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda2       6374   91199   84826  681364845    f  W95 Ext'd (LBA)
		start: (c,h,s) expected (1023,254,63) found (1023,0,1)
/dev/sda3      12748+  38243   25496- 204796588+   7  HPFS/NTFS
		start: (c,h,s) expected (1023,254,63) found (1023,1,1)
/dev/sda4          0       -       0          0    0  Empty
/dev/sda5       6374+  10315    3942-  31664052   83  Linux
		start: (c,h,s) expected (1023,254,63) found (1023,2,1)
/dev/sda6      10316+  12747    2432-  19535008+  82  Linux swap / Solaris
		start: (c,h,s) expected (1023,254,63) found (1023,1,1)
/dev/sda7      38244+  91199   52956- 425369038+   7  HPFS/NTFS
		start: (c,h,s) expected (1023,254,63) found (1023,1,1)
Warning: given size (850738077) exceeds max allowable size (0)
cannot build surrounding extended partition

sfdisk: bad input

[caljohnsmith]

OK, I think I got it this time, so please download the attached partition_table.txt and give it a try.

[themusicdan]

Well, it gave me an error again. Here it is:

ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ sudo sfdisk --no-reread -f /dev/sda < ~/Desktop/partition_table4.txt

Disk /dev/sda: 91201 cylinders, 255 heads, 63 sectors/track
Old situation:
Units = cylinders of 8225280 bytes, blocks of 1024 bytes, counting from 0

   Device Boot Start     End   #cyls    #blocks   Id  System
/dev/sda1   *      0+   2549    2550-  20482843+   7  HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda2       6374   91199   84826  681364845    f  W95 Ext'd (LBA)
		start: (c,h,s) expected (1023,254,63) found (1023,0,1)
/dev/sda3      12748+  38243   25496- 204796588+   7  HPFS/NTFS
		start: (c,h,s) expected (1023,254,63) found (1023,1,1)
/dev/sda4          0       -       0          0    0  Empty
/dev/sda5       6374+  10315    3942-  31664052   83  Linux
		start: (c,h,s) expected (1023,254,63) found (1023,2,1)
/dev/sda6      10316+  12747    2432-  19535008+  82  Linux swap / Solaris
		start: (c,h,s) expected (1023,254,63) found (1023,1,1)
/dev/sda7      38244+  91199   52956- 425369038+   7  HPFS/NTFS
		start: (c,h,s) expected (1023,254,63) found (1023,1,1)

sfdisk: long or incomplete input line - quitting
ubuntu@ubuntu:~$