Ubuntu 14.04LTS after updates can't boot

Question

My desktop has the following OS installed on each of the harddrive:

1. Windows XP Pro
2. Ubuntu 12.04 LTS
3. Ubuntu 14.04 LTS
4. Linux Mint 10 Julia

1 is SATA drive; 2,3 and 4 are SCSI drives.

It has been working fine but last night whenI ran updates in 14.04, I saw some changes done in GRUB. Reboot couldn't pass the cursor, GRUB couldn't start. I used Disk Repair and the auto repair process showed success. But GRUB still couldn't boot. I even tried installing Kubuntu over Linux Mint, hoping the newly installed GRUB would pick up the other OS but failed. What is next? Thanks for any help!

Answer 1

If you go into BIOS and everything on the hardware end is working correct, then first try to run the file system check command from root. When you get to the Boot option screen select advanced options for Ubuntu 14.04. In the next screen select the highest number Ubuntu recovery mode, the number changes but the it's always chronological. When you get to the recovery menu, select root and enter, fsck -A , don't use the fsck selection it's actually a different command. Select Y for every option it gives. This could correct your problem. Then type exit. The recovery menu will then come back up. Select the network option to mount the file system it will return to the recovery menu when complete. Select dpgk ,this can take a wi when it finishes type exit. You will then return to the recovery menu and tell it to return to regular boot. If you can't get any boot menu or that fails, put a live disc of ubuntu 14.04 in, and select reinstall ubuntu. If this doesn't work, I NEED MORE INFO to help. TTFN, the toachGmon

Answer 2

First HRDWARE - Make sure your BIOS boot option order matches your order of OS install, I explain later why. Using the Windows disc now will only create problems with the Linux distros if that needs to be used I explain when and how later. If you don't even have a BIOS menu, make sure if your using a video card that your video is connected to the card and not the motherboard I/O . SECOND SOFTWARE - If your connection is good try the file system check from a Live session the goal being to get you to GRUB to be able to get to the recovery mode. Here's the procedure. Boot into a live session with the Ubuntu install disk. Select Try Ubuntu. When your desktop comes up, press cntl + Alt + t to open the Terminal. Use the fsck -A from the terminal in a live session. After that go ahead and try a reboot. You hopefully will then be able to get to GRUB and go into recovery mode. The important thing here is to pickup with the the select network step and then select dpkg option. If this still won't work, don't address the OS as a whole but individually. First - Use a Live DVD to back up files and folders. Second - You disconnect the drives that Linux are on. Windows removes other boot loaders. Linux does as well but you can avoid the defult process of installing linux along side, which it does even if its on another disk unless you tell it other. Therefor your problem is in your bootloaders. XPs was removed and because of the different linux distros you can't get your GRUB menu. For the Window XP repair you need your recovery console or command prompt safe boot to run the fix mbr process, you can google the commands your looking for and steps. After Windows XP fix mbr is done you can reconnect all drives and do the Linux. When you get to Linux install select do something else and tell it the target drive. Remember filesystem is ext4 , mount point is root ( / ) , and to leave 4gb at the end of partition, in that 4gb create a logical partion and select linux swap. Your will ultimately wined up with the GRUB menu with all your options. The GRUB version used will be determined by order of install and your BIOS boot option order must match so do Ubuntu 14.04 last and the oldest first.Sorry about the long rewrite long day yesterday. If this fails at some point I need more info. Good luck