DCCoolBreeze
asked on
Unable to Access Windows 7 Drive After Installing xubuntu
I still cannot get my windows 7 partition to load after installing xubuntu on the free partition of my hard drive. Basically, I shrunk my windows 7 partition from 500GB to 250GB and deleted the remaining HD space. Then I installed xubuntu on the remaining 250GB. It did not ask if I wanted to install beside windows, it just installed xubuntu. Once installed xubuntu works great, but i cannot get to my windows partition. I tried to use my windows CD to recover it, but the CD was unable to do it... it is one of those CD's that comes with the laptop. I have now replaced the HD and made the 500GB drive an external USB drive. Windows drive management shows that external drive as 1 partition of 200+GB and one that is 400+GB (see attached). What can I do to get my drive to boot in windows 7 again - without using my non-working windows OS dvd. I do not care about xubuntu.
Snap1.png
Snap1.png
ASKER
i tried remix, but it did not work. thanks for the suggestion! i forgot to mention that i tried that option
ASKER
also, while grub in on xubuntu, it does not look like it is the bootloader. the first thing i tried, was getting grub to boot into windows, but reinstallation... changing config files... nothing seemed to work
That screen-shot, is it the new disk or the one you had Windows 7 on and then added Xubuntu? If it is the one you installed Xubuntu on, it looks like Windows is gone, as there are only 2 partitions on it (a small 250 MB partition which is probably for the bootloader, and a large 470 GB partition for the OS. There aren't 2 250 GB which you'd have approximately if you shrank and the installed Xubuntu like you described.
It looks as if, when you installed xubuntu, you selected the wrong option, like replace existing OS with Xubuntu. The Xubuntu installer allows you to select Manual partitioning, you probably just didn't read everything that was displayed. So it replaced Windows 7 with Xubuntu and overwrote your old OS.
Windows 7 doesn't come on CD's, it is too large for that. It would have to be a DVD. Can you boot the DVD on another PC? If not, you'll probably have to try to find another installation DVD. Was the PC originally delivered with Windows 7?
It looks as if, when you installed xubuntu, you selected the wrong option, like replace existing OS with Xubuntu. The Xubuntu installer allows you to select Manual partitioning, you probably just didn't read everything that was displayed. So it replaced Windows 7 with Xubuntu and overwrote your old OS.
Windows 7 doesn't come on CD's, it is too large for that. It would have to be a DVD. Can you boot the DVD on another PC? If not, you'll probably have to try to find another installation DVD. Was the PC originally delivered with Windows 7?
ASKER
I meant to say DVD. you are right. the drive show not 250GB, but ~250MB. Looks like you might be right and I accidentally removed the windows 7 partition; therefore, the next question would be how can i get - if i can - some important files i had on my windows 7 partition
ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION
membership
This solution is only available to members.
To access this solution, you must be a member of Experts Exchange.
Download here : http://doc.ubuntu-fr.org/linux_secure_remix