# Solved: Ubuntu not starting up anymore



## lastrachris (Jan 17, 2010)

I restarted my computer last night, and when it was turning back on, Ubuntu wouldn't start anymore. It would lead me to an alternate boot location, I tried manually making it start from the hard drive but it was no use. I plugged in it's CD and all my files where still there. I really don't want to have to make a fresh install and move all my files over again. Why is this happening? Please help.


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## saikee (Jun 11, 2004)

It would help if you can tell us the error message that made you coming top the conclusion that Ubuntu wouldn't start.

What is the alternate boot location?

If you were able to boot it manually what was the message saying your manual booting was no use?

Please also supply the output of

```
sudo fdisk -l
cat /boot/grub/grub.cfg
```
If you have no /boot/grub/grub.cfg of Grub2 then supply the information of /boot/grub/menu.lst which is available in Ubuntu using Grub1.


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## lastrachris (Jan 17, 2010)

All that loads is the boot menu, then it reads:

"Intel(R) Boot Agent GE v1.2.42
Copyright (C) 1997-2006, Intel Corp.

Intel(R) Boot Agent PXE Baser Code (PXE-2.1 Build 085)
Copyright (C) 1997-2006, Intel Corp

PXE-E61: Media test failure, check cable
PXE-MOF: Exiting Intel Boot Agent"

That is all that I see when I turn on my computer. Not wonderful drums of the start up, no pretty image, nothing. Just a black and white screen that says exactly that. What is weird though, is that it isn't a hard drive failure totally because upon running a live CD it allows me to access my files, but I can not copy them because they are only in create and delete permission. Also some helpful advice would be if someone could tell me a way to change the permissions of the folders so that I can just make a clean install.


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## saikee (Jun 11, 2004)

This is a message saying your Bios has been asked to boot from a network!

Why not get in the Bios page and ensure it is configured to boot from a hard disk first?

If you copy your files in a root terminal, or prefix every command with "sudo", you can bypass the file ownership issue at least temporarily.


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## lastrachris (Jan 17, 2010)

Yeah it wouldn't load my hard drive no matter what I did.


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## saikee (Jun 11, 2004)

You should load a Linux Live CD and use it to see 

(1) If the disk can be detected at the hardware level (Checking the Bios to get the first opinion)

(2) Can the partitions be mounted?


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## lastrachris (Jan 17, 2010)

Yes everything is detected. Also I tried re installing the grub and that also did not work.


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## Lozu (Aug 11, 2010)

1. Boot live cd.
2. Mount your hda (if this is where are your files are)
3. Grab a 8GB-32GB usb.
4. Copy all the important files such as projects you needed.
5. Open TextEdit and write a list of the software that your project needs, or anything you will need.
6. Install Ubuntu. But I like Linux Mint.
Is All Your choice .


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## lastrachris (Jan 17, 2010)

How do you change the permission of the files? I am not allowed to copy them because I am not the owner. I can not right click it and change it that way.


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## saikee (Jun 11, 2004)

You can be a Super User in a terminal and able to alter any file just by adding "sudo" in front of the command.

Say if you want to edit /boot/grub/grub.cfg with the editor "nano" just type

```
sudo nano /boot/grub/grub.cfg
```


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