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Thread: Issue booting Ubuntu from External HDD on desktop. Works fine with laptop?

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
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    8

    Question Issue booting Ubuntu from External HDD on desktop. Works fine with laptop?

    Hi guys,

    First off, I am unsure as to whether or not this is the correct section for this post. If not, sorry.

    I've got a 1TB External HDD that I installed Ubuntu onto. I have three partitions; 250GB FAT32, 250GB Ext2, 500GB NTFS.

    The partition with Ubuntu installed (250GB Ext2) is set as the primary partition, and set to "logical". I have been using Ubuntu for the past few days on my Laptop with no issues booting (from the bios menu I located my ExHDD and placed it as the highest priority) and all has been well. After deciding to move back to my desktop environment I plugged in my HDD, placed the exact same driver as the priority in the BIOS of my PC, and when it boots I get the GRUB RESCUE prompt.

    I know fully well that my PC is able to boot from USB, so the cause of this I cannot fathom.

    Any help would be appreciated, thank you.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Beans
    7

    Re: Issue booting Ubuntu from External HDD on desktop. Works fine with laptop?

    Well I have heard of this before go to bios and set it to boot from the external because right now on the desktop it will most likely be booting from your hard drive. i.e set it as your only boot. Hope you figure it out
    Yu_Jin_X5

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
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    8

    Re: Issue booting Ubuntu from External HDD on desktop. Works fine with laptop?

    Thanks for the quick reply, but I'm booting from my USB Device and not from my HDD. I've checked and triple-checked that to make sure.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
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    7

    Re: Issue booting Ubuntu from External HDD on desktop. Works fine with laptop?


  5. #5
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
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    7

    Re: Issue booting Ubuntu from External HDD on desktop. Works fine with laptop?

    perhaps?

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
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    8

    Re: Issue booting Ubuntu from External HDD on desktop. Works fine with laptop?

    I'm rather begrudged to attempt that as it would most likely remove the modifications I have spent days doing. I have also been searching google and it appears my grub install is corrupt for some strange reason (considering the external harddrive still works on my Laptop. Anyhow, I have been attempting this through:
    Code:
    sudo -i
    mount /dev/sdb2 /mnt
    grub-install --root-directory=/mnt/ /dev/sdb2
    (obviously changing the drive to my own)

    However I am getting an issue stating:
    root@ubuntu:~# grub-install --root-directory=/mnt/dev /dev/sdb2
    /usr/sbin/grub-bios-setup: warning: File system `ext2' doesn't support embedding.
    /usr/sbin/grub-bios-setup: warning: Embedding is not possible. GRUB can only be installed in this setup by using blocklists. However, blocklists are UNRELIABLE and their use is discouraged..
    /usr/sbin/grub-bios-setup: error: will not proceed with blocklists.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Beans
    8

    Re: Issue booting Ubuntu from External HDD on desktop. Works fine with laptop?

    Booted Ubuntu from my Laptop and updated GRUB, but it's still the same:

    Code:
    Error: Uknown File System
    Grub Rescue

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Beans
    8

    Re: Issue booting Ubuntu from External HDD on desktop. Works fine with laptop?

    Just did a fresh install using my PC to install Ubuntu onto my HDD hoping that would help but still nothing.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Beans
    8

    Re: Issue booting Ubuntu from External HDD on desktop. Works fine with laptop?

    Okay to make sure again I modified my boot prio' in the Bios and get the same issue then I manually booted from every device in my boot list, all of which lead to Windows aside from my HDD that gave me the Grub issue again.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jun 2009
    Location
    SW Forida
    Beans
    Hidden!
    Distro
    Kubuntu

    Re: Issue booting Ubuntu from External HDD on desktop. Works fine with laptop?

    You do not install grub to a partition or sdb2 but to the MBR of the external drive or sdb. BIOS jumps to MBR to boot and will never see a PBR or partition boot sector.

    This can automate the repair and show details.

    Post the link to the BootInfo report that this creates. Is part of Boot-Repair:
    https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Boot-Info
    Boot Repair -Also handles LVM, GPT, separate /boot and UEFI dual boot.:
    https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Boot-Repair
    You can repair many boot issues with this or 'Create BootInfo' report (Other Options) & post the link it creates, so we can see your exact configuration and diagnose advanced problems.
    Install in Ubuntu liveCD or USB or Full RepairCD with Boot-Repair (for newer computers)
    http://sourceforge.net/p/boot-repair/home/Home/
    https://help.ubuntu.com/community/UbuntuSecureRemix

    With the new very large drives, it is better to have / (root) in a small 25GB ext4 partition and then separate /home or /mnt/data partition(s) to use the rest of the space you want to use for Ubuntu.

    Install to external drive. Also any second drive.
    Installer version has not changed much so still a good guide except I do not recommend the separate /boot for most systems. Older systems may need it. And some with very large / (root) partitions. BIOS/MBR not for UEFI
    http://www.linuxbsdos.com/2012/07/23...2-hard-drives/
    UEFI boot install & repair info - Regularly Updated :
    https://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2147295
    Please use Thread Tools above first post to change to [Solved] when/if answered completely.

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