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Need help desperately with Linux/ windows booting

2K views 21 replies 8 participants last post by  tecknurd 
#1 ·
I need help badly. I partitioned my 2nd hard drive (I have 3 on alienware desktop) to install linux so I could try it. Installed clean on partition . But now I cant log into windows it wont give me the option it only shows linux when I log into linux I go to computer and can see all my hard drives and partitions but cannot mount the hard drive with windows as suggested by a different site. my first hard drive has windows 7 I want to keep linux if possible but would like to be able to boot windows o do not have repair disk or start up disk I just got computer back from repair shop so haven't had a chance to make one
 
#4 ·
So, we should assume that you overwrote the Windows boot loader with the one that only boots "linux"? Maybe you specified to not set up a dual boot, or maybe the installation failed for some reason. If you specify the exact distribution/version of "linux" probably somebody can tell you, or direct you to the instructions, of how to repair the boot to include the Windows OS as an option.
 
#11 ·
Open a terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T) and type this into it
sudo os-prober
then press Enter

If it doesn't show you Windows installation stop now and close the terminal window

Only if it DOES show your Windows installation type this
sudo update-grub
then press Enter

Restart the computer and you should have an option to boot windows in the grub boot menu now.
 
#13 ·
Sounds like you've accidentally overwritten the Windows bootloader with the Linux (Mint? It looks like Mint to me) one.

I don't have this problem. I don't run Windows (haven't done for about 5 years)! However, I do know this much; it's far, far easier to add a Windows boot entry to Grub2 than it is to try and add a Linux one to the Windows bootloader.

From what I've been able to glean, you can d/l the Ultimate Boot CD from Sourceforge:-

http://ubcd.sourceforge.net/download.html

.....and use that to either boot directly into Windows (assuming it's still there, of course), or to re-write GRUB2 to include a Windows boot-entry.

Allan's suggestion of using sudo update-grub really ought to fix it. The fact that it didn't suggests one of two things:-

a ) There is no Windows bootloader left to pass control to (what we call chain-loading), and Linux (Mint?) has completely overwritten the MBR. (All the command does is to set up within GRUB2 what's known as a 'chain-loader' command, which then passes control over to the Windows bootloader.....though with you having RAID0 running I really don't know if that would work). Like this:-

menuentry 'Windows 7′ {
set root='(hd0,msdos2)'
chainloader +1
}


Or:_

b) You haven't entered the command correctly in the terminal.

Without more details, it's hard to know what to suggest.

Mike. ;)
 
#14 ·
I really dont like windows which is why I wanted to try linux lol however there are files on my windows that I need so is it easier to get those files off the hard drive and I also created a back up on a partition. Basically in my thinking I downloaded linux onto a seperate hard drive that was partitioned so that I would be able to go back and forth using windows while learning linux I am going to try the download you Mike suggested next I do appreciate all the help I think I got in a little over my knowledge level lol
 
#15 ·
You will probably have to disable RAID in your Bios and start from scratch. At this point each hard drive will become independent of the other. If there is anything you need to backup I would strongly suggest you do so BEFORE disabling RAID and the backup will have to be done on a flash drive or CD/DVD.
 
#16 ·
The drive that is labeled as UUI is usually a LIVE Linux configuration and I think you made a mistake. It should be a USB flash drive and you have to quadruple check that it is really the USB flash drive that it is going to store the LIVE Linux boot disk. If you don't want to make the same mistake again, disconnect all drives but Windows and rerun the program to put Linux ISO on the USB flash drive. After booting from the USB flash drive that has the LIVE Linux, you can install Linux. Watch any youtube videos of the process of downloading an ISO of Linux, putting it on a USB flash drive or DVD/CD disc, and then installing Linux on the hard drive or SSD will help you to do the process properly.

RAID from the BIOS has its pros like booting into Windows and only Windows. The cons, Linux won't see the RAID that you set up from the BIOS. Linux will see the drives in the array and never the RAID. Installing dmraid in Linux, you can see the BIOS RAID. Your setup is an improper install of Linux and I don't know what will happen if you install and run dmraid. Its best to setup RAID in Windows (Dynamic Disks) or Linux (mdadm), but not through the BIOS. If want access to the data on the BIOS RAID array, you have to install Windows on another drive. Then access the RAID array in Windows.

When doing a multi-boot, disconnect the data cable of all drives but the drive you want the operating system install on. When this is done correctly, you can choose what drive to boot to in the BIOS. You can later set up either GRUB (modern based boot loader for Linux and other non-Windows OS) or BCD (Windows Vista or higher bootloader) to make the selection process easier to boot to any operating system.

In Linux, at a terminal type fdisk -l and post the output. Also type lsblk and post the output.
 
#18 ·
A repair disc is not what you need. Also I'm not sure that is a legit disc because there is text bleeding through the disc label. You need a Windows installation disc. Buy an authentic Windows 7 if you don't have one. Install Windows on one of the drives that is not part of the RAID array.
 
#22 ·
The way BIOS RAID works is through Windows. You are required to use Windows in order to access the RAID that you have setup. I can't guarantee that Linux will have access to it even though there is dmraid. I'm not saying to permanently to install Windows. I'm saying to temporary install Windows to get access to the data on your RAID array. In Windows, copy the data from your RAID array to USB hard drive such as the following.

Rosewill 3.5 Inch Hard Drive Enclosure to USB 3.0 / eSATA -- https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817182247
Seagate BarraCuda ST2000DM006 2TB -- https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822178993

Format the USB external drive as either as FAT32 or NTFS. Don't use exFAT. Use NTFS if the files are larger than a gigabyte. Linux will be able to access NTFS and FAT32. Since this is a new drive uncheck quick format to make sure all sectors are OK. Formatting will take a long time. If the format is successful, then you can rely on the drive to keep data you are going to store on this drive.

This is the best way to do it.
 
#20 ·
The best way to get files from a hard drive that will not boot is to hook it up by a USB adapter to a booted and working computer.
Use Windows Explorer to locate the files on the USB connected hard drive and copy these files either to a USB stick or an external portable hard drive.
I always copy and never move. Why? If the computer or connected device has a glitch and you are moving, the file will be lost. If the glitch happens while you are copying, the file still remains on the original device and you can try to copy it again, losing nothing.

In the future, it is always good to have a copy of any file you think you might want stored off the computer hard drive. If the drive dies and won't spin up, you won't get your files.
 
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