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I just got a new pc laptop with windows 7 and wanted to install Ubuntu on it. Which i did, no problem there, by downloading the installer, burning it to dvd then booting off the dvd and installing.

Then, i realised that the new Ubuntu 12.04 uses the Unity desktop, which i immediately disliked, and after some research, began to hate. So, i decided (after a little googling) to install Linux Mint instead. So, thinking i'd better start from scratch, i went to the Windows 7 disk manager and wiped the Ubuntu partition that had been created.

Now, when i start up, i get an error from grub, the ubuntu boot manager:

error: unknown filesystem
grub rescue>  _

and a blinking cursor where i can enter commands.

I suspect that what i've done is deleted the main ubuntu partition but NOT deleted another partition which is a boot partition, or something like that?

Can anyone tell me how i can rescue or unbork this? I'd like to either

a) get back to my original windows-only setup

OR

b) install linux mint off dvd (which i have), into the empty partition, fixing any grub confusion in the process.

Any suggestions? Thanks, max

BTW please don't answer if you're just going to tell me to stick with 12.04, or install a different distro or something. I definitely want Mint and just want to fix this mess - thanks :)

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  • Try to reinstall the grub, yesterday only i got this problem in my linux (CentOS) system and i reinstalled the grub after that it works fine for me. you follow this link
    – max
    Aug 16, 2012 at 11:43
  • You did try to simply install Linux Mint?
    – Bobby
    Aug 16, 2012 at 11:58
  • Actually my incompetence further complicated this: I thought i'd burned the mint installer but it had made a data disc with the iso in it instead of making a disc out of the iso (if you know what i mean). So maybe if i'd burned the disc properly it would have worked. :/
    – Max Williams
    Aug 16, 2012 at 15:33

3 Answers 3

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1.Boot the system with ubuntu live CD

2.After booting with live CD open terminal And enter these commands in the terminal

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:yannubuntu/boot-repair

sudo apt-get update

sudo apt-get install -y boot-repair

boot-repair

After few seconds, Boot Repair's main window will open.

Click on Recommended repair. enter image description here

That's it...

now reboot the system

you are done.

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You probably just removed the Ubuntu partition, and therefore GRUB is unable to locate the boot information. Ubuntu installations do not create "boot partitions" (if you understand it as I do, as a partition containing the files for /boot under Linux). GRUB is launched by the computer when the booting process reaches your hard disk's MBR (master boot record).

For option a), use the Windows recovery CD and run FIXMBR (this will restore the classical Windows-only boot). For option b), install Linux Mint on the space freed by removing Ubuntu. It should install a new GRUB, or at least ask you whether you'd like to overwrite your current GRUB / MBR, and you'll be able to boot both Windows and Linux Mint from then on.

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I fixed this with the Boot Repair disk from here

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Boot-Repair#A1st_option_:_get_a_CD_including_Boot-Repair

But, thanks for the answers guys.

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