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Thread: change start up menu

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
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    49
    Distro
    Ubuntu 10.10 Maverick Meerkat

    Wink change start up menu

    Hi,
    I recently installed Ubuntu according to the instructions on the site. However, now when I start up my computer I see Ubuntu, Ubuntu recover (something like that), two windows 7's, and windows vista. Before I installed Ubuntu I only had windows 7. How can I clean it up so that I only see Ubuntu and Windows 7?

    ps. If you couldn't tell, I am a beginner so try not to use to much linux jargon, or better yet, explain it to me.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Oct 2009
    Location
    Elgin, IL USA
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    3,363
    Distro
    Ubuntu 16.10 Yakkety Yak

    Re: change start up menu

    What brand of computer. Many might have other recovery or utility partitions that are bootable. Usually the one to select to run Windows would be one that says (loader), which might not be the one that Windows itself runs from as drive C:.

    If you want to change that, you either need to edit /boot/grub/grub.cfg (which is temporary until kernel or grub update or anything else runs update-grub), or you need to change something in the scripts in /etc/grub.d/ (maybe in 40_custom and disable 30_os-prober by removing its execute permission). Not sure the proper format, maybe simply copying the correct menu entry for the one you want from grub.cfg to 40_custom, before disabling 30_os-prober and doing sudo update-grub.

    To disable os-prober: sudo chmod -x /etc/grub.d/30_os-prober

    To re-enable it: sudo chmod +x /etc/grub.d/30_os-prober

    Not sure how the binary os-prober determines which "other" partitions are bootable. For my new desktop, sudo os-prober from Maverick (10.10) on sda4 simply shows:

    /dev/sda2:Windows 7 (loader):Windows:chain
    /dev/sdb1:Ubuntu natty (development branch) (11.04):Ubuntu:linux

    From Lucid (10.04) on sda3 of my old PC it shows:

    /dev/sda1:Windows NT/2000/XP:Windows:chain
    /dev/sda2:Windows NT/2000/XP (loader):Windows1:chain
    /dev/sda6:Ubuntu 9.10 (9.10):Ubuntu:linux

    Both are correct, it is just that Dell boots from its RECOVERY partition (Win7 is on sda3), and the old HP had another partition (sda1) that you could alternately boot from for recovery.

    A shell script wiz could modify 30_os-prober script to toss out any Windows entries that did not contain (loader). But I am not that wizard.

    Note that you have to use sudo (or gksu for gui programs) prefix for commands to edit or change permissions of system files. For example gksu gedit in a terminal would bring up gedit as root. You can widen the window, but it is a little difficult to grab the edge.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Beans
    49
    Distro
    Ubuntu 10.10 Maverick Meerkat

    Question Re: change start up menu

    I have an hp computer. Here is exactly what I see.
    Ubuntu, with Linux 2.6.35-23-generic-pae
    Ubuntu, with Linux 2.6.35-23-generic-pae (recovery mode)
    Memory test (memtest86+)
    Memory test (memtest86+, serial console *I forgot what number was here*)
    Windows 7 (loader) (on /dev/sda1)
    Windows 7 (loader) (on /dev/sda2)
    Windows Vista (loader) (on /dev/sda3)
    Which one is the standard Windows 7 that I should use?
    What is "binary os-prober"?

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Location
    a puddle in Manchester
    Beans
    9,198
    Distro
    Ubuntu 14.04 Trusty Tahr

    Re: change start up menu

    Try both of the Windows loaders in turn and note which one actually starts Windows.
    Then have a look at this guide by drs305 for ideas

    http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1287602
    MacBook Pro 10,1 retina

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Beans
    49
    Distro
    Ubuntu 10.10 Maverick Meerkat

    Unhappy Re: change start up menu

    Thanks Quakers, but before I do anything that could potentially ruin my computer can you make sure what I am doing is right?

    In the command line I simply type
    Code:
    sudo chmod -x /etc/grub.d/20_memtest86+
    in order to remove both instances of "MEMTEST86+".
    After that I did not understand what I should do (and where I should put the code). Can you help me with that?

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Location
    a puddle in Manchester
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    9,198
    Distro
    Ubuntu 14.04 Trusty Tahr

    Re: change start up menu

    Yes, just copy/paste that line into the terminal and press enter then enter your password when required.
    Then whilst still in the terminal type
    Code:
    sudo update-grub
    and press enter. The next time you boot the Memtest entries should have disappeared from the grub menu.
    MacBook Pro 10,1 retina

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Beans
    49
    Distro
    Ubuntu 10.10 Maverick Meerkat

    Re: change start up menu

    Thank you quakers, everything works.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Location
    a puddle in Manchester
    Beans
    9,198
    Distro
    Ubuntu 14.04 Trusty Tahr

    Re: change start up menu

    Excellent!
    Can you mark the thread as solved please, using the Thread Tools near the top of the page. Thanks.
    MacBook Pro 10,1 retina

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