Ubuntu boot error

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Kaos36

709 posts

Ultimate Geek

#56555 16-Jan-2010 17:01

Something has screwed up in Ubuntu 9.10. Ive put this up in the ubuntu forums with no luck yet as the threads move down the page quite quick that its probably going to get lost in cyber space.

I boot into ubuntu 9.10 today where i have 47 new updates so download and install them, then restart and on booting up ubuntu i get this error:

[125.300362] Kernel panic - not syncing: VFS Unable to mount root fs on unknown-block (8,5)

I restart and this time choose 'recovery mode' At the end of the loading I get same as above & this one then it just sits there and wont boot.

[125.297688] no filesystem could mount root, tried ext1, ext2, ext4.

Anyway i can fix this without reinstalling the OS. I have Winxp on C and Ubuntu on D: im worried a reinstall of Ubuntu might mess up the boot loader - where i could lose XP

Worst Response To A Crisis:
From a readers' Q and A column in TV GUIDE: "If we get involved in a nuclear war, would the electromagnetic pulses from exploding bombs damage my videotapes?"

pdc

22 posts

Geek

#290572 16-Jan-2010 18:07

if you google search on

Kernel panic - not syncing: VFS Unable to mount root fs on unknown-block (8,5

there are various posts

see this one

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1335085

the last poster seemed optimistic

hopefully you have your ubuntu install in one partition, and your "home" in another

Kaos36

709 posts

Ultimate Geek

#290586 16-Jan-2010 18:47

thanks will take a look.

Worst Response To A Crisis:
From a readers' Q and A column in TV GUIDE: "If we get involved in a nuclear war, would the electromagnetic pulses from exploding bombs damage my videotapes?"

pseudogeek2009

66 posts

Master Geek
+1 received by user: 9

#290588 16-Jan-2010 18:54

I am kind of a Linux newbie. You should be okay to reinstall Ubuntu. I have tried it many times before without affecting the Windows partition and the boot process.

Have you tried using Wubi as I think that will be easier for a Linux newbie? It is very easy to reinstall Ubuntu without affecting the boot process. It just appear as software in your windows add/remove program. I am always cautious with the Ubuntu updates as I had problems with the graphics drivers. I spent a full day trying to resolve my graphics driver but at the end, I had enough and reinstall linux. Lucky for me I haven't done much on the linux so it was okay to reinstall everything. The only annoyance is the time spent reinstalling Linux. Once I gain more knowledge on Linux file system and setup, hopefully I can resolve my issue when it occurs the next time. Since then I always search the net on the system updates and check if there are any problems that could affect my current setup.

Kaos36

709 posts

Ultimate Geek

#290599 16-Jan-2010 20:00

pseudogeek2009: I am kind of a Linux newbie. You should be okay to reinstall Ubuntu. I have tried it many times before without affecting the Windows partition and the boot process.

Have you tried using Wubi as I think that will be easier for a Linux newbie? It is very easy to reinstall Ubuntu without affecting the boot process. It just appear as software in your windows add/remove program. I am always cautious with the Ubuntu updates as I had problems with the graphics drivers. I spent a full day trying to resolve my graphics driver but at the end, I had enough and reinstall linux. Lucky for me I haven't done much on the linux so it was okay to reinstall everything. The only annoyance is the time spent reinstalling Linux. Once I gain more knowledge on Linux file system and setup, hopefully I can resolve my issue when it occurs the next time. Since then I always search the net on the system updates and check if there are any problems that could affect my current setup.

Yes Wubi is the download version I have.

Well the guys post on ubuntu forums did have a solution but I couldn't get round to do what he suggested as i could not even bring up a console to type anything in. So I reinstalled Ubuntu and everything ran fine installation took about 25min. As for updates maybe this time i wont surf the net while ubuntu is updating in the background that might of cause an update to become currupt.

Anyway problem now solved. :)

Worst Response To A Crisis:
From a readers' Q and A column in TV GUIDE: "If we get involved in a nuclear war, would the electromagnetic pulses from exploding bombs damage my videotapes?"