Windows 7: multi boot linux problem

Hello,

I have a system with 2 disk.
One Windows 7 disk and one for playingh with linux.
I have installed easybcd so I can boot in Win or Linux.

But when I choose for linux the only thing I see is boot error.

I have asked in the easybcd and in the forum of the linux distro but on easybcd I got no answer and the linux guy's don't know what is going wrong.

I hope anyone who can help me figure this out

Roelof

This tutorial is a simple guide that will explain the two easiest ways to setup and install Ubuntu to dual-boot with your current installation of Windows. One option describes how to do this via WUBI. Another describes how to do this as a native dual-boot.

How to Dual Boot Windows 7 and Ubuntu

Hope this helps ..

Thanks fort the help but it don't answered my question.

I use pc-bsd and that one don't come with Grub so I had to install another bootloader.
So I decided to use the Windows 7 boot loader.

Roelof

I never heard of any Windows based boot loader that worked with Linux.
There are 3d party applications that may help you restore the MBR, like System Commander. A reinstall/repair of your BSD might also help. I would however make sure to make a backup of the Windows partition/files, before attempting this.

You also have a LOT of tips on related issues at the PC-BSD forums, so I am a bit puzzled about why you ask here? Bootloader can't boot Windows after installing PC-BSD 8.2 - PC-BSD Forums

You can use the Windows 7 bootloader, but then you need to have Grub or something similar installed in the root partition of your *nix. The Windows 7 bootloader simply chains off to whatever bootloader you have on you *nix system.

EasyBCD has options in the "Add New Entry" dialog for Grub (Legacy), Grub 2, Lilo/eLilo, FreeBSD, and Wubi. I don't know much about *BSD - perhaps the FreeBSD option would work?

Hello,

Like i said I use Easybcd.
But when I want to start up BSD I see a boot error.

I posted here because I wonder if some protection thing is messing this up.

Roelof

I am also having two OSs, essentially windows7 and ubuntu . But not in a dual boot set up . I use single time boot menu to select which disk is to boot up , and the key is F10 for my intel motherboard .

It is the better way to handle multiple OSs when they are installed in separate disks . So what is your motherboard ? your System specs is silent about it

Hoi,

I filled in my system specs and I hope i did it right.
Can you help me now ?

Roelof

Hi roelof ...
As yours a MSI board, the F11 key should be the boot menu key for you .

During startup, just when the MSI screen appears, hold and tap F11 key (or you may tap it after power on , but hold it until the list appears).... it should show a list of your existing disks . Using the scroll key, select the disk that contains the ubuntu installation and hit enter ....

Ubuntu should boot up .

The chain loading of *nix based systems over Windows 7 boot environment is like this:

1. Create an entry in BCD of type BootSectorLoader.
2. Give it a file to be loaded which has the contents of the MBR(master) or PBR(partition) boot record of the installed *nix system.

On my system I am very happy with chainloading the file boot.img from grub2 environment.

In Windows 7 you can use Ext2fsd version 0.50 to gain access to ext3,4 file system.

If the *nix loader is grub legacy you can first repair the *nix boot environment.
Then copy the MBR and PBR to two separate files with dd utility.
Examine with a hex editor if the last two bytes of the PBR (512 bytes long) are 55AA.
If not use the saved MBR-file for chainloading. Check here: Visual BCD Editor - How To , Section 8. Create new Boot-Sector Loader (Linux, Mac OS X)

If you destroy Windows MBR you have to repair it using the Windows Recovery CD or installation DVD - Startup repair or "bootrec /fixmbr" from command prompt