Windows and Linux dual-boot failure story

0x0000007B. This was the error code nestled in a blue screen of death when trying to boot Windows XP after an install of Ubuntu Hardy Heron. The screen flashes so quickly I had to boot to it once just notice there was an error code and then two more times to transcribe the hexidecimal error code.

Skipping the details of the hours of research and troubleshooting, the end result was a determination that to make Windows work again, the hard drive would need to be wiped clean of both Windows and Ubuntu Linux.

I generally recommend against dual-boot systems except as a transitional solution. It at least doubles the complexity of the system, creating two paradigms each with their own maintenance and gotchas.

This experience left me disappointed in both Microsoft and Ubuntu, but it's hard to blame either more than the other for the serious flaw, as it only came up when the complexity of both systems was combined.

I am disappointed in Microsoft for being closed-- Closed to helping legitimate users recover from serious problems with their systems. It became clear that I should try to use the "Windows XP Recovery Console" for this, along with the "CHKDSK", "FIXMBR" and "FIXBOOT" commands. But Microsoft does not make these tools easily available. They expect users to have a "Recovery CD", which a legitimate owner of a used system could easily not have.

Windows XP is closed to dual-booting Linux. Its tools assume Windows is the only operating system installed and Linux does not exist. Microsoft is also of course closed with their technologies and source code, so that it seems no one even claims to have alternative tools that work in perfectly compatible ways with the black-box tool "CHKDSK". So Microsoft failed me when I needed it most to repair their operating system. Their penalty was severe. The laptop users, already happy with Ubuntu decided not to re-install Windows, and instead will continue using just Ubuntu, at least for now.

I am disappointed with Ubuntu for seemingly being able to get into problems with NTFS partitions that it can get out of by itself. At some point the Ubuntu prescribed the solution of using "CHKDSK /F"...from Windows. Ubuntu was telling me to use Windows to solve a problem it had a hand in creating. Not cool, even if the developers are handicapped by reverse-engineering a closed system.

My take away: Seek openness and simplicity in technology. I will continue to avoid Windows as a closed platform and at this point would only use or recommend read/write NTFS access from Linux if it is considered mission-critical.