how to change OS list on startup

[craigap]

I just installed ubuntu and I want to change the order the operating systems are listed during booting so that Windows is on top and already highlighted when the pc restarts. Can anyone tell how I would do that?

[FLG]

Right click My Comp, properties, Advanced Tab, Startup and recovery settings, edit the startup options. You can then adjust the timeout and put windows as the default OS...be very careful not to change anything else.

Save and exit.

[freakitchen]

Boot your system into Ubuntu - from here you need to edit the GRUB config (grub being the name of the boot-loader that Ubuntu has installed). You're not going to be changing the position of the Windows entry, it's better to change the options so that the Windows entry is highlighted automatically when the boot menu appears:

Open up a termainal and type the following - hit return after each line (you'll need your password after the first)

sudo cp /boot/grub/menu.lst /boot/grub/menu.lst_backup
gksudo gedit /boot/grub/menu.lst

The first line backs up your grub config. The second opens it in a text editor for editing.

Scroll towards the bottom of the list to see the entries. You'll probably see the Ubuntu entries, followed by Memtest, then Windows at the bottom. These are all headed by "TITLE" - count the number of titles, the first entry being ZERO. You need to include the part that says "other operating systems" in your count. On my own Ubuntu install, Windows is number 6.

Now scroll back towards the top of the document - you're looking for where it says:

Default               0

Change the 0 to the number you worked out in the previous step, save the file, exit, and reboot. Windows should now be the highlighted entry.

EDIT: FLG, I don't think that your suggestion will work in this case - that only edits Windows' own boot.ini file that, when Ubuntu is installed, is overwritten by GRUB.

[FLG]

Thanks FK. Figured you would still be able to edit it in windows, little ignorant to Ubuntu.

[craigap]

I typed in that first line and hit enter and it says: cannot stat /boot/grub/menu.1st : no such file or directory. I made sure I typed it exactly the way it is written.

I went ahead and typed the second line and it opened up a menu.1st folder but it had nothing in it.

[freakitchen]

that's MENU.LST (not 1st). The font in the code box makes the L looks like a 1.

[craigap]

I got it. Thanks. A little off topic, but one of the reasons I wanted to do this is because for some reason I am unable to view BIOS and this OS boot list with my TV connected to my pc with an HDMI connection. If I want to view them I have to switch inputs on my tv and plug in the component cables. Any idea why this is so and/or how to fix it?