[Boot-Repair] Graphical tool to repair the PC boot in one click

[calvin-higby]

Thank you so much for your help! You are a wealth of knowledge, and have been a lifesaver for me today.

[Andy_beck]

I'm trying to set up a Gateway Laptop with Windows 8 factory installed with UEFI (cannot be disabled) to dual boot with Ubuntu. I have tried to select sda2 as the boot/efi partition but I get the error: “Locked-ESP detected”: http://paste.ubuntu.com/5960362/. It seems like I need to modify that partition, but I have no clue what I need to do. BTW - the partitions were created in Windows.

Thanks in advance for any help!

[oldfred]

We thought there was no way to lock an ESP that is FAT32, but somehow perhaps a bug in how they create the partition.
Sometimes just running Windows chkdsk on the efi partition works, but usually you have to fully backup the efi partition (good idea anyway), totally delete that partition and then with gparted create a new partition of the same size (keep track of its size or start and end sectors) and format FAT32, add boot flag which with gparted makes it the efi partiton. Then copy the backup back into the partition. Then it should work.

post this from Ubuntu liveDVD or gparted liveCD with terminal, as it will show sectors of your partitions for documentation.

sudo parted /dev/sda unit s print

[BlindSoothsayer]

I tried using the boot-repair-disk to fix a version of Ubuntu which never had a bootloader properly installed during the installation process. Unfortunately, this is now preventing me from booting into Windows 7. Any help or advice you could offer at this thread would be greatly appreciated.

[Adriano_Sanches_Melo]

Dear colleagues,
I got a new DEll XPS 8700 desktop (i5, 8gbRam with Windows 8).
I updated windows and tried to install Kubuntu 12.04LTS following these instructions http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQzmI_30nJM.
I did not complete the last step (use of EasyBCD) as I never used a tool like that in my previous installs of Ubuntu.

Everything was fine and I was able to run Kubuntu and update it. However, It crashed after the update (stop at the login page). I suspect it was something related to my graphical card (AMD Radeon HD 7570). I reinstalled Kubuntu 12.04, installed the Catalyst software (for the graphical card) and updated again. Crashed again after restart.

I gave up and got a new DVD of Kubuntu 13.04. Before that, I deleted partitions of kubuntu12.04 using windows8. Install of 13.04 was absolutely fine (I used the live DVD and chose the suggested options to partition the disk). I was able to update it and restart. The boot options did not appear and kubuntu13.04 was loaded.

I tried to fix the boot issue using boot-repair using the regular options. I restarted the system and the problem appeared
Error: No such device 4f008b47.......
grub rescue>

I google it and found some advice:
set root=(hd0,x)
set prefix=(hd0,x)
insmod /boot/grub/normal.mod

I used several numbers for `x` listed using ls. No one worked.

I booted kubuntu13.04 using the DVD and run boot-repair a few times. In one of them I opted for the `Ata disk support`, but in all cases got the same grub rescue> after restart.

I am not familiar with partitions and I am not sure if I deleted the correct ones when removing the initial kubuntu12.04LTS install.

My boot-repair said that:
EFI detected. Please check the options.


I do not know what to do regarding this EFI.
My boot-repair summary is: http://paste.ubuntu.com/5964337/


I would be very grateful for any help.
Sincerely,
Adriano

[oldfred]

I do not know about the AMD issues. May be best to post a separate thread. Often both drivers and other boot options are required.

Boot-Repair says you did not turn off hibernation which then causes all sorts of issues.

The disk contains an unclean file system (0, 0).
Metadata kept in Windows cache, refused to mount.
Failed to mount '/dev/sda4': Operation not permitted
The NTFS partition is in an unsafe state. Please resume and shutdown
Windows fully (no hibernation or fast restarting), or mount the volume
read-only with the 'ro' mount option.
mount -t ntfs-3g -o remove_hiberfile /dev/sda4 /mnt/boot-sav/sda4

https://wiki.ubuntu.com/X/Troublesho...riverDetection
Ubuntu Precise Installation Guide - AMD/ATI
http://wiki.cchtml.com/index.php/Ubu...#Video_Tearing
Add Hardware Graphics - ATI: After installing ATI Driver: From QIII
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2050320

Another slightly different Dell. May have solved similar issues?

Dell XPS 8500, desktop. Win 8 eventually worked (Ignore sidetrack to EasyBCD)
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2086383

[han_jo2]

Hi everyone,

I am currently trying to fix my MBR or Windows7 installation ):. I installed Ubuntu 13.04 and tried after set to add the Ubuntu entry into the Win7 loader. THis didn't work and after some hacking I crashed the MBR obviously... I was able to stat from a ubuntu live CD and fix the grubloader, so that I can now start the Ubuntu installation from the harddisk, but windows 7 still won't boot. The error message is:

"Windows failed to start. A recent hardware or softwarae blablablabla

If you do not have this disc blabla

File:\Boot\BCD"

Following the instructions from boot-repair, here is my LINK and I would be so freakin' thankful if anyone could help me out of this misery...:
http://paste.ubuntu.com/5966357/



Thanks in advance,
Cheers!

[oldfred]

@han_jo2
You have the BCD file in both sda1 & sda2. But normally the 100MB (hidden) system partition is the boot partition but Windows can boot directly from its main install if boot files are there. Have you tried both? You also have boot flag on sda2. Grub does not use boot flag but that is how Windows knows which partition to boot from.

Boot-Repair does not fix internal Windows issues. You need to either boot into repair console in Windows which is f8 when booting from sda1, but with grub that can be very quick and not work. Some have reported multiple tries and hitting keys at almost same time may work. Otherwise you need a Windows repairCD. You also may be able to temporary install a Windows boot loader to directly boot Windows, but then would have to reinstall grub after repairs. Boot-Repair can install boot loaders, or you can manually do it.

How to restore the Ubuntu/XP/Vista/7 bootloader
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Re...ta/7Bootloader

If you have access to another Windows 7 system that is 32bit or 64 bit to match yours,but any version you can create a Windows repairCD or flash drive.

Make your own Windows repairCD (not vendor recovery):
http://forums.techarena.in/guides-tutorials/1114725.htm
Windows users only - Silverlight
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-GB/w...em-repair-disc

Windows 7 repair USB, Also Vista if service pack installed
http://www.intowindows.com/how-to-re...tion-dvd-disc/
http://www.webupd8.org/2010/10/creat...usb-drive.html

Some third party Windows tools also do some repairs.

http://neosmart.net/blog/


http://www.sevenforums.com/

[Babak_Hashemian]

I got boot-repair for my ubuntu but "Repair windows boot files" on "other options" tab is off. Does anyone know how should I get it on ?

[jacob5]

Hi, I have recently isntalled Ubuntu 12 LTS, and it boots fine. However, Windows will no longer boot, from GRUB or from the BIOS. I have ran Boot Repair with the recommended repair settings, but to no avail. Here is the URL that Boot Repair gave me: paste.ubuntu.com/5964252 Any help or feedback will be very much appreciated.