That being: an install of ubuntu 8.10 where grub did not write anything to the mbr of windows xp and did not perform the dual boot changes. Can you imagine installing ubuntu and seeing no obvious way to enable access the installation?

Solution:
Boot up live CD, launch the install to ram.
Use the bootinfoscript Ninad Bapat kindly posted above, to find out the address of the drive ubuntu is installed to.
Open up the terminal and type:
sudo grub
find /boot/grub/stage1 (for example)
root (hd0,6) where the first number is the drive and the second the partion, all information given from the script)
setup(hd0)

Upon restarting your computer should boot with the dual boot option.

Now I’m rolling with Ubuntu

(but no dual monitor graphic drivers.. sigh)

Good blog you have
The above problem was faced by me also albeit recently.
I have been using Linux off and on from 2000 starting with slackware
I had posted my problem of not getting the relevant menus in GRUB
( am using GRUB4DOS) in the ubuntu forums.
Some user directed me to
https://sourceforge.net/projects/bootinfoscript.
This is a good script to analyse your partitions and the problems.
I also had installed Ubuntu from the LFY DVD.
I gave up on continuing to download and install Ubuntu due to lack of time and also faulty internet.
The ubuntu forums suggested downloading a fresh iso nd not copying those 2 files.
Thanks to your post now I can continue installing Ubuntu