Re: UEFI 12.04_AMD64 - Win7 dual boot problems
My brain reached critical mass this morning, after reading up on EFI boot sequences, WIN7x64 + GPT, Darko's help and reading a lot of other threads.
Here's a recap for other people experiencing similar problems.
Goal:
Create a dual boot system with a pre installed Win7x64 and Ubuntu Desktop 12.04 LTS amd64 with Grub installed as the boot-loader in the MBR of sda.
Problem symptoms:
After Ubuntu installation from the Live CD along side Win7x64, Grub wont start at boot-up of the system. It boots straight into Win7.
Hypothesis:
The Ubuntu Desktop 12.04 amd64 Live CD, was booted with an UEFI boot sequence although the hard disk structure is MSDOS with MBR.
This fools Grub into switching to EFI mode and failing to install itself into the MBR.
To test this hypothesis I will reinstall from the Live CD, but start it with an BIOS/MBR boot sequence.
Needed Materials:
- An external HD and/or a 10 pack of empty DVDs (for backup).
- Ubuntu Desktop 12.04 LTS amd64 Live CD
Method:
- Backup first.
- Determine if the HD structure is mdos/MBR or GUID Partition Table (GPT).
- Determine the utilized boot sequence of the Live CD (U)EFI/GPT or BIOS/MBR.
- Determine if you can somehow switch between (U)EFI or BIOS/MBR boot sequence.
- Boot the Live CD in non (U)EFI mode.
- Install Ubuntu on its partition and install Grub in the MBR of sda (the boot HD).
- Reboot and test if Grub appears and Win7 and Ubuntu 12.04 work.
Results:
- As a precaution backup (in order of prevalence): your MBR, your data, burn the (cheap-***) OEM (bastards) factory restore DVDs, burn the Win7 recovery DVDs.
- Run parted on sda to find out your HD partition structure.
Code:
(parted) print
Model: ATA WDC WD10EADX-22T (scsi)
Disk /dev/sda: 1000GB
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/512B
Partition Table: msdos
Number Start End Size Type File system Flags
1 1049kB 16.1GB 16.1GB primary ntfs diag
2 16.1GB 16.2GB 105MB primary ntfs boot
3 16.2GB 177GB 161GB primary ntfs
4 177GB 1000GB 823GB extended
5 177GB 182GB 5046MB logical ntfs
6 182GB 189GB 6443MB logical linux-swap(v1)
7 189GB 242GB 53.7GB logical ext4
8 242GB 247GB 5046MB logical ext4
9 248GB 1000GB 753GB logical ntfs
- I verified in the intial install logs (/var/install/syslog) that erroneously grub-efi was installed instead of grub-pc:
Code:
Jun 13 13:45:35 ubuntu grub-installer: info: architecture: amd64/efi
...
Jun 13 13:45:38 ubuntu grub-installer: Removing grub-pc ...
Jun 13 13:45:39 ubuntu grub-installer: Purging configuration files for grub-pc ...
Jun 13 13:45:40 ubuntu grub-installer: Removing grub-gfxpayload-lists ...
Jun 13 13:45:40 ubuntu grub-installer: Removing grub-pc-bin ...
...
Jun 13 13:45:44 ubuntu ubiquity: The following extra packages will be installed:
Jun 13 13:45:44 ubuntu ubiquity: efibootmgr grub-common grub-efi-amd64 grub-efi-amd64-bin grub2-common
...
Jun 13 13:45:57 ubuntu ubiquity: Setting up grub-efi (1.99-21ubuntu3.1) ...
...
Jun 13 13:45:58 ubuntu grub-installer: info: Installing grub on 'dummy'
Jun 13 13:45:58 ubuntu grub-installer: info: grub-install supports --no-floppy
Jun 13 13:45:58 ubuntu grub-installer: info: Running chroot /target grub-install --no-floppy --force
Jun 13 13:45:59 ubuntu grub-installer: Installation finished. No error reported.
Jun 13 13:45:59 ubuntu grub-installer: info: grub-install ran successfully
- Check for (U)EFI options in your BIOS and or firmware boot menu. Switch off (U)EFI or select the non (U)EFI DVD boot method in your firmware boot menu. My computer offers a firmware boot menu by pressing F12 at start-up. Switch off the (U)EFI boot sequence in the bios or select the non (U)EFI boot device/method in the firmware boot menu. I will choose the non UEFI CD boot in the firmware boot menu (no BIOS changes required).
See my next posting for further results, my conclusion and recommendations.
[Whilst I was writing this, I saw that Darko simultaneously had replied, thanks it supports my hunch and gives me confidence I'm on the right track.]
Last edited by martinr; June 16th, 2012 at 11:01 AM.
To fail to prepare is to prepare to fail.
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