Grub does not appear when installing ubuntu 12.10 with windows 8

[dankpc]

Hello,

I've tried to install Ubuntu 12.10 64-bit alongside windows 8, but haven't been able to even see the Grub, Windows 8 starts automatically.
I've done all the basic steps told, using boot-repair twice, even disabling Secureboot, but still nothing.

Anyway, this is the URL I've been given after the second boot-repair attempt: http://paste.ubuntu.com/5678141/ .
Is someone able to help me? : (
Thanks.

[grooodle]

I just had this exact problem. What ended up working for me was booting ubuntu through the UEFI menu and then manually moving and renaming the boot files. So copying all the files from /EFI/ubuntu into /EFI/Microsoft/Boot and renaming /EFI/Microsoft/Boot/shimx64.efi to bootmgfw.efi, as below.

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2102083
So this time installed 12.10, then booted again from liveCD, made backup of (efi part)/EFI/microsoft/boot and copied all files from /EFI/ubuntu into it. Then renamed /EFI/microsoft/boot/shimx64.efi to bootmgfw.efi. And it works

[oldfred]

Several others with Sony seemed to have to use manual copy. Normally Boot-Repair works.

Sony - manually copy grub efi files & rename to make them work post #3
http://askubuntu.com/questions/15017...-into-grub-efi
Sony - Manually copied but still some issues.
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2093415


Sony Vaio T13
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2127699
Sony T & Intel SRT ubuntu 12.10 & Windows 8 oem
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2090605
Sony Vaio [SOLVED] dual boot ubuntu 12.10 & windows 8 problem
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2094761

Some systems just work with a default install and will boot both Windows & Ubuntu with secure boot on or off. But those seem to be few.
Some only boot Windows with secure boot on, and then you normally have to install grub2's secure boot version with the signed kernel. And some of those have UEFI that has been modified to only boot the Windows efi file. Boot-Repair (or manually) you can rename shim to the Windows file and in grub boot the renamed Windows file.

Others only boot with secure boot off. But some still seem to need files renamed.

Or it is a mess, every vendor seems different and we do not have one easy or even consistent way to install. It becomes trial & error by every user. Eventually vendors will update UEFI so it is more consistent and grub will have better install routines for the differences, but right now that seems to be a ways away.

[dankpc]

I just had this exact problem. What ended up working for me was booting ubuntu through the UEFI menu and then manually moving and renaming the boot files. So copying all the files from /EFI/ubuntu into /EFI/Microsoft/Boot and renaming /EFI/Microsoft/Boot/shimx64.efi to bootmgfw.efi, as below.

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2102083
So this time installed 12.10, then booted again from liveCD, made backup of (efi part)/EFI/microsoft/boot and copied all files from /EFI/ubuntu into it. Then renamed /EFI/microsoft/boot/shimx64.efi to bootmgfw.efi. And it works

When you copied all files from /EFI/ubuntu into /EFI/Microsoft/boot, did you erase microsoft files or just left them there? Also, there were more files than the shumx64 in the ubuntu folder? Here I only see shimx64.
By the way, I've tried this leaving Microsoft files, erasing them, renaming also shimx64 to the bootx64 in the /EFI/Boot folder and all combinations, but still nothing.

[oldfred]

This is how Boot-Repair renames files:

Boot-Repair - Updated Jan 1, 2013 to not rename first time, but rename if first time Windows does not boot. Post 706 and 711
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.p...769482&page=71
Boot-Repair copied /EFI/ubuntu/grubx64.efi to /EFI/Boot/bootx64.efi (in case the BIOS is hard-coded to boot into /EFI/Boot/bootx64.efi or secure boot signed GRUB file shimx64.efi.
Renamed files:
/EFI/Boot/bkpbootx64.efi
/EFI/Microsoft/Boot/bkpbootmgfw.efi

To perform this, just run Boot-Repair --> Adv options --> tick "Backup and rename EFI files" --> Apply
Then reboot the PC to UEFI/BIOS and chose ubuntu, and please tell us what you observe.
Please enable SecureBoot in your BIOS, then run Boot-Repair --> Advanced Options --> "GRUB options" tab --> tick "SecureBoot" --> Apply.
To undo & to rename files to their original names, you just need to tick the "Restore EFI backups" option of Boot-Repair.
A user disabled secure boot, and unchecked it in boot-repair. It now bypasses Grub and goes straight in to Windows.

[dankpc]

Then reboot the PC to UEFI/BIOS and chose ubuntu, and please tell us what you observe.

How can I do that? In my BIOS there's no option to choose ubuntu or windows. The UEFI part is only to enable or disable.

Just tried re-enabling SecureBoot in the BIOS and in the Boot-Repair, but nothing changed. I don't know if the boot files should be normal or renamed.

[oldfred]

UEFI has entries on boot choice.
Some must not make if very obvious, others are bit more clear. It may be under another choice or on anther page. But that is how UEFI works is that all the systems (can be many) are bootable from the efi partition. It is like choosing which drive to boot from in BIOS.

UEFI also seems to remember settings and may require maintenance from UEFI menu if a system is removed.

One user posted this:

Enter your UEFI menu, select "Boot maintenance manager", then "Boot options", then "Add boot option", then "NO VOLUME LABEL,....Primary,Slave...1, GPT,..", then browse the /EFI/ubuntu/ folder via the UEFI boot menu, and select the grubx64.efi . Give it the name you want (eg "Precise"), then "Commit Changes and exit", then Enter.
And to remove entries as UEFI remembers them.
UEFI system only shows ubuntu. Delete ubuntu entry & reboot a couple of times & it resets to defaults including drives & USB ports.

[dankpc]

Ok, so..
I'm now able to boot Ubuntu, not from the bios, but I've followed another "guide": http://www.hackourlife.com/sony-vaio...-04-dual-boot/
But the problem is, when trying to boot Windows, I get the following errors:

error: unknown command 'drivemap' error: invalid EFI filepath

Googling, I've found two ways to try to solve this.
This one: https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php...86_64_UEFI-GPT
Yes, I know it's archlinux, but I thought the basic idead would work.
And this, http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2085530
Which is a solution you gave, oldfred.

Basically, the error continues the same and the new entry from the grub file just goes back to the grub menu. So, I cannot boot to Windows, I'm in a infinite loop there.
No problems with Ubuntu though.

I've sincerely worried that I've may have erased the Microsoft boot file, bootmgfw.efi, from all this changing the name to old and stuff. But I've made an old backup though, so I hope it's still safe there.
Any help?

[oldfred]

Windows UEFI install should have backup of bootmgfw.efi here:
C:\Windows\Boot\EFI\bootmgfw.efi from a working Windows x86_64 installation.

But Boot-Repair may have done some renaming of files. Some systems have (not per standard) modified UEFI to only boot the Windows efi file. So Boot-Repair renames files so it really is booting grub's shim file which is renamed to the Windows name. If that is the case then the manual entry for Windows has to chain load to the backed up Windows efi file which Boot-Repair names

Renamed files:
/EFI/Boot/bkpbootx64.efi
/EFI/Microsoft/Boot/bkpbootmgfw.efi

But Boot-Repair should have added chain load entries with those names, if it renamed them.

[dankpc]

I've almost got it, oldfred.
The grub appeared, ubuntu was working, windows was working.
Then i shutdown windows, no sign of grub anymore. I've read that might happen.
Windows 8 erase all efi files from /boot/, that's a low kick.
Is there anyway to not make this happen?