Grub doesn't recognise WIndows 7

[soulja786]

Hi Guys,

I am a complete newbie to Ubuntu and first time user, hopefully want to try it out and use it for some useful stuff.

I have 3 hard drives, 1 is for Windows 7 (My primary), 1 for Media/Downloads etc and 1 on which I have installed Ubuntu on just today.

Installation went all good, except when I reconnected my other 2 hard drives and Set the Ubuntu drive to load first, GRUB doesn't pick up my Windows 7.

Anyone have a solution for this? Couldn't find anything on the net specifically related to my scenario.

I did read quite a few threads, and people have been asking to see some sort of script on bios/start up details. Here are mine:

Thank You for reading and helping! :)




Boot Info Script 0.60 from 17 May 2011


============================= Boot Info Summary: ===============================

=> Windows is installed in the MBR of /dev/sda.
=> Grub2 (v1.99) is installed in the MBR of /dev/sdb and looks at sector 1 of
the same hard drive for core.img. core.img is at this location and looks
for (,msdos1)/boot/grub on this drive.
=> Windows is installed in the MBR of /dev/sdc.

sda1: __________________________________________________ ________________________

File system: ntfs
Boot sector type: Windows Vista/7
Boot sector info: No errors found in the Boot Parameter Block.
Operating System:
Boot files: /bootmgr /Boot/BCD

sda2: __________________________________________________ ________________________

File system: ntfs
Boot sector type: Windows Vista/7
Boot sector info: No errors found in the Boot Parameter Block.
Operating System: Windows 7
Boot files: /Windows/System32/winload.exe

sda3: __________________________________________________ ________________________

File system: ntfs
Boot sector type: Windows Vista/7
Boot sector info: No errors found in the Boot Parameter Block.
Operating System:
Boot files:

sdb1: __________________________________________________ ________________________

File system: ext4
Boot sector type: -
Boot sector info:
Operating System: Ubuntu 11.04
Boot files: /boot/grub/grub.cfg /etc/fstab /boot/grub/core.img

sdb2: __________________________________________________ ________________________

File system: Extended Partition
Boot sector type: -
Boot sector info:

sdb5: __________________________________________________ ________________________

File system: swap
Boot sector type: -
Boot sector info:

sdc1: __________________________________________________ ________________________

File system: ntfs
Boot sector type: Windows Vista/7
Boot sector info: No errors found in the Boot Parameter Block.
Operating System:
Boot files:

[coffeecat]

Installation went all good, except when I reconnected my other 2 hard drives and Set the Ubuntu drive to load first, GRUB doesn't pick up my Windows 7.

Does that mean that the drive with Windows was disconnected when you installed Ubuntu? If so, the grub installer would have been unaware of the presence of Windows and would not have included a Windows entry in the main grub.cfg configuration file.

Set the BIOS to boot from the Ubuntu drive, but keep the other two drives connected, boot into Ubuntu, open a terminal, and:


sudo update-grub

If I've misunderstood you, could we have the rest of the boot info script output, please? About 90% is missing! :) And please enclose it in code tags, not quote tags - for correct formatting.

[soulja786]

Hi,

Thanks for your reply coffeecat. Yes you are correct, I did disconnet the other 2 drives when installing, to be safe?

sorry about the script, I thought it was too long so only added the first part.


Boot Info Script 0.60 from 17 May 2011


============================= Boot Info Summary: ===============================

=> Windows is installed in the MBR of /dev/sda.
=> Grub2 (v1.99) is installed in the MBR of /dev/sdb and looks at sector 1 of
the same hard drive for core.img. core.img is at this location and looks
for (,msdos1)/boot/grub on this drive.
=> Windows is installed in the MBR of /dev/sdc.

sda1: __________________________________________________ ________________________

File system: ntfs
Boot sector type: Windows Vista/7
Boot sector info: No errors found in the Boot Parameter Block.
Operating System:
Boot files: /bootmgr /Boot/BCD

sda2: __________________________________________________ ________________________

File system: ntfs
Boot sector type: Windows Vista/7
Boot sector info: No errors found in the Boot Parameter Block.
Operating System: Windows 7
Boot files: /Windows/System32/winload.exe

sda3: __________________________________________________ ________________________

File system: ntfs
Boot sector type: Windows Vista/7
Boot sector info: No errors found in the Boot Parameter Block.
Operating System:
Boot files:

sdb1: __________________________________________________ ________________________

File system: ext4
Boot sector type: -
Boot sector info:
Operating System: Ubuntu 11.04
Boot files: /boot/grub/grub.cfg /etc/fstab /boot/grub/core.img

sdb2: __________________________________________________ ________________________

File system: Extended Partition
Boot sector type: -
Boot sector info:

sdb5: __________________________________________________ ________________________

File system: swap
Boot sector type: -
Boot sector info:

sdc1: __________________________________________________ ________________________

File system: ntfs
Boot sector type: Windows Vista/7
Boot sector info: No errors found in the Boot Parameter Block.
Operating System:
Boot files:

============================ Drive/Partition Info: =============================

Drive: sda __________________________________________________ ___________________

Disk /dev/sda: 500.1 GB, 500107862016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 60801 cylinders, total 976773168 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes

Partition Boot Start Sector End Sector # of Sectors Id System

/dev/sda1 * 2,048 206,847 204,800 7 NTFS / exFAT / HPFS
/dev/sda2 206,848 204,802,047 204,595,200 7 NTFS / exFAT / HPFS
/dev/sda3 204,802,048 976,769,023 771,966,976 7 NTFS / exFAT / HPFS


Drive: sdb __________________________________________________ ___________________

Disk /dev/sdb: 250.1 GB, 250059350016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 30401 cylinders, total 488397168 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes

Partition Boot Start Sector End Sector # of Sectors Id System

/dev/sdb1 * 2,048 480,010,239 480,008,192 83 Linux
/dev/sdb2 480,012,286 488,396,799 8,384,514 5 Extended
/dev/sdb5 480,012,288 488,396,799 8,384,512 82 Linux swap / Solaris


Drive: sdc __________________________________________________ ___________________

Disk /dev/sdc: 82.0 GB, 81964302336 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 9964 cylinders, total 160086528 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes

Partition Boot Start Sector End Sector # of Sectors Id System

/dev/sdc1 * 2,048 160,083,967 160,081,920 7 NTFS / exFAT / HPFS


"blkid" output: __________________________________________________ ______________

Device UUID TYPE LABEL

/dev/sda1 9474183674181D94 ntfs System Reserved
/dev/sda2 EE08385C083825CD ntfs Windows
/dev/sda3 66926B7C926B4F9B ntfs Downloads and Media
/dev/sdb1 99797e3f-7682-4927-91ee-ef5e4ecc245a ext4
/dev/sdb5 5d140ee7-3294-4a0e-bcc0-c000746db76c swap
/dev/sdc1 9030E94E30E93BBA ntfs Work

================================ Mount points: =================================

Device Mount_Point Type Options

/dev/sda2 /media/Windows fuseblk (rw,nosuid,nodev,allow_other,blksize=4096,default_ permissions)
/dev/sda3 /media/Downloads and Media fuseblk (rw,nosuid,nodev,allow_other,blksize=4096,default_ permissions)
/dev/sdb1 / ext4 (rw,errors=remount-ro,commit=0)


=========================== sdb1/boot/grub/grub.cfg: ===========================

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
#
# DO NOT EDIT THIS FILE
#
# It is automatically generated by grub-mkconfig using templates
# from /etc/grub.d and settings from /etc/default/grub
#

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/00_header ###
if [ -s $prefix/grubenv ]; then
set have_grubenv=true
load_env
fi
set default="0"
if [ "${prev_saved_entry}" ]; then
set saved_entry="${prev_saved_entry}"
save_env saved_entry
set prev_saved_entry=
save_env prev_saved_entry
set boot_once=true
fi

function savedefault {
if [ -z "${boot_once}" ]; then
saved_entry="${chosen}"
save_env saved_entry
fi
}

function recordfail {
set recordfail=1
if [ -n "${have_grubenv}" ]; then if [ -z "${boot_once}" ]; then save_env recordfail; fi; fi
}

function load_video {
insmod vbe
insmod vga
insmod video_bochs
insmod video_cirrus
}

insmod part_msdos
insmod ext2
set root='(/dev/sda,msdos1)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 99797e3f-7682-4927-91ee-ef5e4ecc245a
if loadfont /usr/share/grub/unicode.pf2 ; then
set gfxmode=auto
load_video
insmod gfxterm
fi
terminal_output gfxterm
insmod part_msdos
insmod ext2
set root='(/dev/sda,msdos1)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 99797e3f-7682-4927-91ee-ef5e4ecc245a
set locale_dir=($root)/boot/grub/locale
set lang=en_GB
insmod gettext
if [ "${recordfail}" = 1 ]; then
set timeout=-1
else
set timeout=10
fi
### END /etc/grub.d/00_header ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/05_debian_theme ###
set menu_color_normal=white/black
set menu_color_highlight=black/light-gray
if background_color 44,0,30; then
clear
fi
### END /etc/grub.d/05_debian_theme ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/10_linux ###
if [ ${recordfail} != 1 ]; then
if [ -e ${prefix}/gfxblacklist.txt ]; then
if hwmatch ${prefix}/gfxblacklist.txt 3; then
if [ ${match} = 0 ]; then
set linux_gfx_mode=keep
else
set linux_gfx_mode=text
fi
else
set linux_gfx_mode=text
fi
else
set linux_gfx_mode=keep
fi
else
set linux_gfx_mode=text
fi
export linux_gfx_mode
if [ "$linux_gfx_mode" != "text" ]; then load_video; fi
menuentry 'Ubuntu, with Linux 2.6.38-10-generic-pae' --class ubuntu --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os {
recordfail
set gfxpayload=$linux_gfx_mode
insmod part_msdos
insmod ext2
set root='(/dev/sda,msdos1)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 99797e3f-7682-4927-91ee-ef5e4ecc245a
linux /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.38-10-generic-pae root=UUID=99797e3f-7682-4927-91ee-ef5e4ecc245a ro quiet splash vt.handoff=7
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.38-10-generic-pae
}
menuentry 'Ubuntu, with Linux 2.6.38-10-generic-pae (recovery mode)' --class ubuntu --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os {
recordfail
set gfxpayload=$linux_gfx_mode
insmod part_msdos
insmod ext2
set root='(/dev/sda,msdos1)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 99797e3f-7682-4927-91ee-ef5e4ecc245a
echo 'Loading Linux 2.6.38-10-generic-pae ...'
linux /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.38-10-generic-pae root=UUID=99797e3f-7682-4927-91ee-ef5e4ecc245a ro single
echo 'Loading initial ramdisk ...'
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.38-10-generic-pae
}
### END /etc/grub.d/10_linux ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/20_linux_xen ###
### END /etc/grub.d/20_linux_xen ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/20_memtest86+ ###
menuentry "Memory test (memtest86+)" {
insmod part_msdos
insmod ext2
set root='(/dev/sda,msdos1)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 99797e3f-7682-4927-91ee-ef5e4ecc245a
linux16 /boot/memtest86+.bin
}
menuentry "Memory test (memtest86+, serial console 115200)" {
insmod part_msdos
insmod ext2
set root='(/dev/sda,msdos1)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 99797e3f-7682-4927-91ee-ef5e4ecc245a
linux16 /boot/memtest86+.bin console=ttyS0,115200n8
}
### END /etc/grub.d/20_memtest86+ ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/30_os-prober ###
if [ "x${timeout}" != "x-1" ]; then
if keystatus; then
if keystatus --shift; then
set timeout=-1
else
set timeout=0
fi
else
if sleep --interruptible 3 ; then
set timeout=0
fi
fi
fi
### END /etc/grub.d/30_os-prober ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/40_custom ###
# This file provides an easy way to add custom menu entries. Simply type the
# menu entries you want to add after this comment. Be careful not to change
# the 'exec tail' line above.
### END /etc/grub.d/40_custom ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/41_custom ###
if [ -f $prefix/custom.cfg ]; then
source $prefix/custom.cfg;
fi
### END /etc/grub.d/41_custom ###
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

=============================== sdb1/etc/fstab: ================================

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
# /etc/fstab: static file system information.
#
# Use 'blkid -o value -s UUID' to print the universally unique identifier
# for a device; this may be used with UUID= as a more robust way to name
# devices that works even if disks are added and removed. See fstab(5).
#
# <file system> <mount point> <type> <options> <dump> <pass>
proc /proc proc nodev,noexec,nosuid 0 0
/dev/sda1 / ext4 errors=remount-ro 0 1
# swap was on /dev/sda5 during installation
UUID=5d140ee7-3294-4a0e-bcc0-c000746db76c none swap sw 0 0
/dev/fd0 /media/floppy0 auto rw,user,noauto,exec,utf8 0 0
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

=================== sdb1: Location of files loaded by Grub: ====================

GiB - GB File Fragment(s)

218.193855286 = 234.283868160 boot/grub/core.img 1
156.239543915 = 167.760932864 boot/grub/grub.cfg 1
1.047851562 = 1.125122048 boot/initrd.img-2.6.38-10-generic-pae 2
0.860782623 = 0.924258304 boot/vmlinuz-2.6.38-10-generic-pae 1
1.047851562 = 1.125122048 initrd.img 2
0.860782623 = 0.924258304 vmlinuz 1

=============================== StdErr Messages: ===============================

unlzma: Decoder error

[soulja786]

Actually, I have just run the sudo grub update command as you said in terminal, and it has successfully added the windows 7 loader. :) Thank You! :)

Ive got a few more questions regarding GRUB. Is there any way to remove the 'memory test' entries in the loader, and, is there any way for GRUB to load automatically instead of me holding down shift.?

Thanks! :)

[Mark Phelps]

The script result is what is to be expected when the Win7 drive was not connected.

Simply run the command that coffeecat suggested and you should be OK.

[coffeecat]

Is there any way to remove the 'memory test' entries in the loader

But, of course! Open a terminal, and:


sudo chmod -x /etc/grub.d/20_memtest86+
sudo update-grub


and, is there any way for GRUB to load automatically instead of me holding down shift.?

Do you mean that the grub menu is not showing unless you press shift? When you have a dual-boot with Windows, grub *should* be configured so that it shows the menu by default, but sometimes things go wrong with the configuration. If you mean that the menu is not showing, post the output of:


cat /etc/default/grub

All of it, please! :p There will be more than fits in a normal size terminal window so you'll need to scroll to highlight it all to copy. Highlight the output with the mouse, right-click and choose "copy". Then paste it into your post, but between code tags, please.

EDIT: not thinking straight - now that you've added Windows to the menu with update-grub, the menu may start to show. Let us know if that is so.

[soulja786]

thanks a lot guys, CoffeeCat/Mark your help is much appreciated. I don't know if I ran that command for grub to load by default or because I added the windows entry, it does load automatically now when booting up. Also got rid of the memory entries :)

... any way to customise the GRUB bootloader screen? lol or am I pushing it :P... I'm hoping to learn more and pick up on Ubuntu so sorry about the noob'ness

[coffeecat]

... any way to customise the GRUB bootloader screen? lol or am I pushing it

But, of course! :lol:

The simple and quick way with the version of grub that comes with Ubuntu 11.04 is to copy a .jpg, .png or .tga image to /boot/grub and then to run 'sudo update-grub' again. You need root privileges to copy to /boot/grub, so post back if you need help with that. The image then becomes the background for the grub menu. More here:

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1739412

And more from drs305 (who has written a lot about grub in the forum):

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1664134

But note drs305's opening comment in that thread about grub customizer and grub 1.99, which is what comes with Ubuntu 11.04. You might want to read that thread in detail before using grub customizer. The thread was started before the release of Ubuntu 11.04 when grub version 1.98 was the one that came with the then latest release of Ubuntu (10.10).