PC boot not seeing Ubuntu drive ...

brianlcain · Mar 26, 2014

I've (I think) successfully installed Ubuntu 12.04.4 LTS to a USB (confirmed success) and from that to my E: drive, which is dedicated to Ubuntu. I also have C: F; G: H: I: J: and P: drives - all Windows.

When I boot the machine, Ubuntu on the E: drive is not detected. It sees only the Windows C: drive.

E: is visible in Windows Explorer although its contents are hidden, which I expect.

Any ideas?

Thanks ....

skittle · Mar 26, 2014

Windows cannot see Linux partitions. Blame Microsoft for not supporting 3rd party filesystem's.

Your only option is to use something like
https://www.paragon-software.com/home/extfs-windows/

Edit

r do you mean that you cannot boot into Ubuntu?

stillblue · Mar 27, 2014

If you installed correctly then windows should see what used to be your "E" drive as unknown. How did you install?
ie You booted your computer from the USB and followed instructions, selected other for where to install and chose the "E" drive? I put the e in quotes because linux does not use that method of identifying drives.

Out of curiousity 8 drives for windows? Do you have more than one copy of windows or do you just like a lot of organizing?

brianlcain · Mar 27, 2014

Thanks for the response. 8 drives? - I keep everything and organize the hell out of it ... data, photos, music, video & P: is my backup drive.

stillblue · Mar 27, 2014

brianlcain :

Just makes it a little tougher is all to identify which is the "e" drive, you have to know the size.
My advice is to go to your windows drive manager and just delete the partition you want to use.
Start your ubuntu install by booting the computer from the USB.
It's very straight forward until you get to the where to install page where you can select side by side with windows.

Since you are installing a nearly 2 year old version if you connect to the internet during the install it may take a while because it will update probably everything so if you have a slow internet don't connect and update at your convienience.

brianlcain · Mar 27, 2014

stillblue :

brianlcain :

Just makes it a little tougher is all to identify which is the "e" drive, you have to know the size.
My advice is to go to your windows drive manager and just delete the partition you want to use.
Start your ubuntu install by booting the computer from the USB.
It's very straight forward until you get to the where to install page where you can select side by side with windows.

Since you are installing a nearly 2 year old version if you connect to the internet during the install it may take a while because it will update probably everything so if you have a slow internet don't connect and update at your convienience.

brianlcain · Mar 27, 2014

I've installed from USB to the dedicated E: drive (hd2,1). Windows sees the E: drive but not the partitions - there are three (root, swap, ntfs). When I boot to Ubuntu, I get the GRUB prompt. I try to manually boot Ubuntu with:

set root=(hd2,1)
linux /boot/vmlinuz-3.11.0-15-generic ro root=/dev/sda2
initrd /boot/initrd.img-3-11-0-15-generic
boot

This takes me to the (initramfs) prompt.

What I really want is for the initial Ubuntu selection to automatically boot into Ubuntu.

stillblue · Mar 27, 2014

How do you know it is the sda2 partition? Have you booted to ubuntu? Did you copy the usb or follow the install instructions? If you are sure that ubuntu is installed then install boot-repair to your usb, https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Boot-Repair
Better still, boot to the usb and look at your drives from there first. Would that be how you found sda2?

brianlcain · Mar 27, 2014

stillblue :

I get the same result using /dev/sda1. I followed the instructions when installing from the USB. I found sda1 and sda2 using 'ls' in the dev directory on hd2.

stillblue · Mar 27, 2014

I get the same result using /dev/sda1. I followed the instructions when installing from the USB. I found sda1 and sda2 using 'ls' in the dev directory on hd2.

Instead of CDEF drives Linux uses sdx to identify them. sda is typically your hard drive and sda1, sda2... are the partitions. sdb1 would be your flash drive sdc1 your second flash drive etc...

Since you have 8 partitions your ubuntu could be on sda8!
To find out for sure boot to the live usb and go to a terminal. Do that by typing term in the search window. from there type sudo fdisk -l (as in lower case L, linux is case sensitive). You will see all your partitions listed, the linux one is Ubuntu.

If Ubuntu is there run boot-repair, it should fix you up. If Ubuntu is not there re-install it.

brianlcain · Mar 27, 2014

sdc1 appears to be the correct partition but I'm still getting directed into (initramfs). I'm reinstalling.

skittle · Mar 27, 2014

Boot into live USB and check "sudo parted -l" will list all partitions

brianlcain · Mar 27, 2014

skittle :

That confirmed sdc1 as the correct partition .. reinstalling with fingers crossed ...

... all good. Reinstalled without "download updates" and we're up and running. Many thanks to you both for your assistance.

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