10.04 Update breaks Windows 7 - dual boot

[smvr99]

I had a perfectly working dual boot (Ubuntu 10.04 and Win 7). After I installed updates through Update Manager, I cannot boot Windows 7 but can boot Ubuntu.

I noticed that the Update Manager upgraded grub and the kernel but still bugs. From now on, i will no longer upgrade grub, very annoying!

:mad:

[banskt]

have you tried running


sudo update-grub

[smvr99]

no, i will restore the MBR in Windows 7, which has an entry for Ubuntu (using EasyBCD). i prefer to control my dual boot from the Windows side. Thanks

[banskt]

no, i will restore the MBR in Windows 7, which has an entry for Ubuntu (using EasyBCD). i prefer to control my dual boot from the Windows side. Thanks

Before the grub upgrade, were you using Windows to control your grub?

If so, then it is quite obvious that the grub will break, if upgraded in Ubuntu.

[oldfred]

to get grub to remember where to reinstall on updates:
sudo dpkg-reconfigure grub-pc
spacebar to choose drive, enter to accept, do not choose partitions

If you do not want grub2 in the MBR you are an exception and can set it to install to a partition. Understand that you will have to reinstall on any grub updates and possibly other changes (even filechecks) as you are using blocklists which grub2 says are unreliable. It is designed to be in the MBR not the PBR.

Attempting to install GRUB to a partition instead of the MBR. This is a BAD idea.
Embedding is not possible, GRUB can only be installed in this setup by using blocklists. However blocklists are UNRELIABLE and its use is discouraged.
error: If you really want blocklists, use --force

[wojox]

You really should install Grub2 to the MBR. Reinstalling from LiveCD (https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Grub2#Reinstalling%20from%20LiveCD)

[smvr99]

Grub was better in 9.04, detected my Windows installation, didn't break anything. In that version, I allowed grub to remain in the MBR. On the other hand, fresh install of 10.04 was buggy, it detected Windows but cannot boot, that's why i choose to restore the Windows MBR, then, using EasyBCD, add Ubuntu to the boot menu. I'd rather not deal confusing grub(2) commands.

I decided to create this thread to voice my experience with 10.04, anyway, thanks for the help.

[smvr99]

Before the grub upgrade, were you using Windows to control your grub?

If so, then it is quite obvious that the grub will break, if upgraded in Ubuntu.

From a fresh install of 10.04, grub added my Windows installation to the menu, but when I chose it, could not boot, brought me back again to the menu. As a quick workaround, i decided to have Windows control the boot, then use EasyBCD to add Ubuntu to Window's boot menu.

[smvr99]

to get grub to remember where to reinstall on updates:
sudo dpkg-reconfigure grub-pc
spacebar to choose drive, enter to accept, do not choose partitions

If you do not want grub2 in the MBR you are an exception and can set it to install to a partition. Understand that you will have to reinstall on any grub updates and possibly other changes (even filechecks) as you are using blocklists which grub2 says are unreliable. It is designed to be in the MBR not the PBR.

Attempting to install GRUB to a partition instead of the MBR. This is a BAD idea.
Embedding is not possible, GRUB can only be installed in this setup by using blocklists. However blocklists are UNRELIABLE and its use is discouraged.
error: If you really want blocklists, use --force

thanks for reply... I'm not sure what happens to grub after it is added to the Windows boot menu using EasyBCD. Like i said, it worked fine with Windows controlling the boot.

[DHSdrone]

I've got the same issue of GRUB working before updates, then after updates Windows 7 is no longer an option. My dramatic twist to this saga is that my Win install is running on a RAID. I've tried
sudo dpkg-reconfigure grub-pc and I saw my list of individual drives, and even monkey'd with adding * to the various drives and then running
sudo upgrade-grub to rescan, but it didn't recognize the RAID. I'm currently running 10.04 but upgrading to 10.10 as I type this. Any ideas?

[Mark Phelps]

DHSDrone: Please don't hijack this thread. It dealt with the use of EasyBCD -- which appears to be totally unrelated to your problem.

Please start your own thread, and for best reponses, please make sure that you mention RAID in the title. You'll more likely to get folks responding that have worked with RAID systems that way.