OSS - Lost access to Ubuntu - but windows 7 works!

Did you lose the working Linux entry at the same time you added Windows 7 or did Linux still work for a while?

Was the Linux OS entry removed from the file?

Do you have a backup image of the partition containing the BOOTWIZ.OSS file so you could compare it with the current version?

Is you Linux installation using GRUB? If so, have you tried doing a GRUB repair?

I'm assuming the "flashing cursor" screen appears immediately after selecting the Linux entry from the OSS menu. Is that correct or does it happen after a GRUB menu selection?

I got rather confused and ended up re installing (not just activating) OSS during the win 7 install - it lost all the config and alas I don't have a backup of the old bootwiz.oss!

Yes I think my Linux used grub, and that’s right the cursor appears after selecting the linux entry which I had a go at recreating from scratch in the bootwiz file - but it was just guess work.

I’m just a little nervous about what to do next as I don’t want to make things worse - after all my vista and windows 7 work fine at the moment.

What distro of Linux are you using?

Have you done a GRUB repair install before?

I'm using Ubuntu, no I've never completed a GRUB repair - I assume I just use the linux boot disk and do the repair - won't this upset my windows duel boots?

Mark,

Did you try using the OS Detection Wizard to see if it could find your Ubuntu installation?

Here are the steps for reinstalling GRUB to the Ubuntu partition:

1. Boot to the Live Ubuntu CD.
2. Start the Terminal program.
3. Run the following command: sudo fdisk -l
   (that's a lower-case L)
4. This will list the partitions. Examine the output and determine the location of the Linux root partition. For example: /dev/sda5
5. Start the GRUB program by running the following command: sudo grub
6. Find the GRUB files by running the following command: find /boot/grub/stage1
7. Confirm that you have the correct partition by comparing it to the fdisk output. In this example, it should be (hd0,4).
8. Install GRUB to the partition by running the following commands:
9. root (hd0,4)
10. setup (hd0,4)
11. Exit GRUB by running the following command: quit

Now, shutdown Ubuntu and reboot to the OSS menu. See if OSS has automatically detected Ubuntu.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask.

MudCrab thank you so much that has worked like a charm! :-)

I have a similar problem. I've install Ubuntu 10.04 but acronis os selector never detected it.I've tried to make bootwiz.oss manualy but when I choose it to boot, the system hangs with the flashing cursor... all the other osses work normally..please help me!!!
Ubuntu is on partition 8 (dev/sda8) and grub also. I've tried these steps to repair grub from live-cd but nothing happens because it can't find grub on (hd0,7).

You will probably have to "force" install GRUB2 into the Ubuntu partition. The last time I checked, Ubuntu won't do this automatically, even if you tell it to when you install it. Also, GRUB2 resists installing the loader into a partition's boot sector, though the reasons given are no worse than doing the same with GRUB. Basically, they just made it more difficult to use (in my opinion).

I've tried to install GRUB from live-cd..
from terminal I wrote..:
1) sudo mount /dev/sda8 /mnt
2) sudo grub-install --force --root-directory=/mnt /dev/sda8
It works fine!!..but for the first time only. Next time that I restart my computer and I select it to boot..it hangs again with the cursor flashing!

any other ideas (because everytime I must force install GRUB) ????

THANKS ANYWAY!!!!!

See this thread for what I've done, though I would have thought what you did would have worked.

You might try unselecting the option for OSS to write the boot sector for the Ubuntu entry. It may be undoing the fix.

Unfortunately happened the same thing..
1) I deactivated OSS
2)from Live-cd I follow the instructions of thread (Taylor)
2)After this.. OSS detected Ubuntu normally...
3) I activated OSS and after restart I select ubuntu...everything ok but...
4) When I restart my computer and I select to boot Ubuntu...the same thing.. it hangs with flashing cursor...

I'll try to re-install ubuntu and make these instructions(thread) immediately after first restart... this is my last hope :((
..and I hope to fix it...

Anyway.., Thanks a lot for your help!!!!!! :)

MudCrab, I found a solution to my problem and I give you, if anyone has the same problem with me...

I remove grub2 and I installed grub 0.97...

1)First of all I follow the instructions of thread (Taylor) because it's necessary to enter to ubuntu partition..

2)then in a terminal...

sudo aptitude purge grub2 grub-pc (Remove GRUB2)

tab to "Yes" when prompted..

sudo aptitude install grub (Install Grub 0.97)

sudo update-grub (this generates menu.1st)

tab to "Yes" when prompted..

sudo grub-install /dev/sdX (this creates stage 1 and stage 2 files)

where x in my case is sda8...

....and finally Reboot and it works!!!!

thanks for all, and thanks for your time!!! :)