im I'm sorry i I can not specefically comment on your 'strange happening' happening', but the first place i'd poke around I would begin to troubleshoot this issue would be in the bios settings. Every computer is a little different, but most can be accessed during the boot routine by pressing a 'f-key'; on my bios setup useually f8, f10 of something like that... just computer I believe it is F10. Take your time, read through all of the options to make sure nothing is blazingly outta-what(thats tech jargon for something odd or and settings. Keep your eyes open for anything out of place). then i the ordinary that might possibly relate to the way in which your computer boots.
Next, I would question how you went about setting up the partitions for the seperate filesystems.
- did Did you manually partition your drive, THEN install ubuntu?
-if yes, ubuntu, and if so, what file system did you format the partition to?
-and when doing so did you set a master boot record?
or
-did you let ubuntu handle the partition work for you?
the fisrt part of my query is me wondering if you chose e file to? Knowing this could help us figure this out. If you partitioned the drive yourself, before the install and a files system that like ext4, this could be the problem because ext4 does not 'boot' EXAMPLE ext4. i've been burnin' up my ubuntu 10.10 live usb saving hold boot records, it has many many great features as a file system, but is not intended to be used as a booting filesystem, ext2 is what should be used for Linux boot partitions. If you happen to have a "live cd" or "live usb" of a Linux distro, take a look at the partitions and file systems used for each task, this could provide some windows laptops from the dog poung the their windows vista and xp os's had confined them to. after doing 4 mahchines this month(please remember im new useful clues.
My personal method for adding Ubuntu to dual boot on existing Windows machines goes as well... say 3. montns into linux, but mine is an addiction) my system is simple. follows:
1) delete Delete all unwanted files.( not files. (not file system files, user files: files for your Windows system): Things like old zip files, movie, media, music.. anythinkg you movies/music/media files, anything you no longer need or want that are certain you can part with. simply taking up space in your drive.
2) uninstall Uninstall all software yoy KNOW you will no longer user, stupid use. Examples of things I will look for first when I do this are as follows: unused toolbars, the 5 redundant virus pritection packakes, keeping your one favotite(this is windows remember) 3) un install packages, unessential windows components. for me ie exlorer 1st to go, but only you can make a decision like that. components.
4) clean, repair, DEFRAGMENT the Using basic Windows utilities, which are mostly found in the control panel, I clean the file system, repair any existing file system problems, then defragment the hard drive. now linus has a nice tidy workspase to take root. i
I do it in this order because I do not want to spend the time defragmenting files I no longer need or use. After defragmenting, you drive will have a large open area without little bits/bytes of Windows files scattered about, which I assume makes for an easy automatic install for Ubuntu. I let ubuntu creat create the partitions, the en i squeeze the slining bar down I find it does a fine job all on it's own. You will be given the option during this process as to how much space on you drive you wish to allocate to partition each OS will use. Each time I have done this, I usually have to adjust it a bit, as Ubuntu is a bit modest in how much space it gives itself. I prefer to give Ubuntu more space that bloatded windows secton, it asks for, knowing I will use it more than my old Windows setup. So, think about how you plan to use each system, and your future storage needs, because i spend most of my time using linux, therefore requiruiring drive space.. if it will be harder to adjust this in the future.
If none of this applies to you, i I migh suggest you alloocate 65-100 mb blank disk space befote your before the fisrt allocatded sector beause you might have carrupted blocks of your boot partition. This is where your the master boot record its... after resides. You may have some problems here from formatting the drive multiple times. I do not fully understand what happens here in this area, but my experience has taught me to leave a little extra room here for the filesystem records. I also learned that what ever you do, dont go into the white light calling you from the tv! best of luck!the larger the drive is, the larger the boot records will be.
I understand I have not directly answered your question, but I hope you can fine a clue or new direction of investigation for your issue somewhere in there. Best of luck, let us know how it works out in the end.
