Howto Boot Windows without problems

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Other titles for this same problem.

   * How to boot Windows without problems
   * I had Linux and Windows in dual boot and then Windows no longer boots.
   * I had both Ubuntu and Windows installed and now Windows boots just hangs. 

README

This page is for knowing how to boot Windows from Grub. You might want to remove Grub boot and boot Windows automatically instead. This page is for normal Windows installations where Windows is found at first partition on first hard disk. Your Windows might be in a second hard disk (NTLDR is missing), might be in a second partition (laptop) or might be in a special place.

In the second part of the page (ntrl is missing and so on) you will find some clues for these installations where you boot Windows from Grub but then, somehow, Windows has errors and you do not see your Windows desktop.

Non permanent solutions:

Quick solution

!WIN!  :(((

Classical solution

This option boots Windows found at first partition from first hard disk. This is not a persistent solution. When you are going to reboot you will have to follow the same steps for booting Windows.

  • Super Grub Disk (WITH HELP)  :-)))

TODO: MOVE TO STANDALONE WEBPAGE Advanced Solution

TODO:Windows Advanced to boot any partition

  • Super Grub Disk (WITH HELP)  :-)))

Permanent solutions:

Grub solution

This is a permanent solution. After having done it you will no longer have to edit menu.lst.

You need to know how to edit menu.lst as a root or superuser.

You should search for a piece of code very similar to this one:

# This entry automatically added by the Debian installer for a non-linux OS
# on /dev/sda1
title           Microsoft Windows XP Professional
root            (hd0,0)
savedefault
makeactive
chainloader     +1

and write this one instead of it:

title           Windows
rootnoverify            (hd0,0)
makeactive
chainloader     +1
boot

This way you can check if Windows boots. If Windows you might want to save it as the default option once you boot into it. Edit the file once again and add the savedefault line after the rootnoverify line. (In some situations savedefault hangs Windows boot) boot line is not compulsory.

Ntldr is missing

First of all check that you are not trying to boot your second hard disk windows with the wrong commands in menu.lst.

Then you can try to activate the Windows partition, which might not be the one where you have your current Windows but the first FAT32 partition (where you once had windows 98 or whatever).

If Windows still refuses to boot you will a Windows recovery disk and..

TODO WINDOWS RECOVERY DISK INSTRUCTIONS

On a alternative option you can use the new SGD option: Windows Partition Boot Restore TODO: IMPLEMENT THE OPTION AND COMPLETE THIS EXPLANATION