13.04 dual boot with Win8: Linux OK, can't boot Win8

[Scryer]

(Possible short-cut for experts reading this: Boot-Repair result is http://paste.ubuntu.com/5776162 . Thanks!)

I'd been using 12.04 LTS on this machine since November, and had a stable system. I'd clicked on the software updates each time they were offered, but the updates Sunday resulted in linux being unbootable: it got partway through the boot-up, then froze. Windows still worked from the Grub menu. I dropped into a root shell and successfully backed up the files that I hadn't backed up earlier. I burned a new 12.04 LTS disc to try to reinstall, but the disc didn't boot. Rather than messing with that further I decided to try 13.04. This disc worked fine for the installation.

The laptop has two hard disks. The Ubuntu system is on /dev/sdb6, and Win8 is on /dev/sda3. It originally had Win7, and I foolishly "upgraded" to Win8 before doing the 12.04 install. During the 13.04 install I told it to put Grub on /dev/sdb6 rather than accepting the default, since that's where the linux partition is -- I'm guessing this was a mistake.

After 13.04 installed (apparently successfully), on booting I got
error - file not found
grub rescue >
I couldn't find anything useful to type to the "grub rescue" prompt. 'Help' doesn't work, for example.

After some googling I booted Live from the 13.04 install disc, mounted /dev/sdb6 (the linux partition), and did "sudo grub-install --root-directory=/mnt /dev/sdb" and "sudo update-grub". More fails, then ran Boot-Repair, with result in http://paste.ubuntu.com/5776162 .

After more googling I found that I needed to change the disk boot order in the BIOS (probably I should have done this much earlier in the process), and then I got the Grub menu on booting.

From the Grub menu, Ubuntu boots into a running 13.04 system that still has my data files. It appears to be intact enough for me to tune it back to where I need it... assuming I can run CUDA on 13.04.

However, Windows doesn't boot from the Grub menu. Here are the options:

Ubuntu [boots into 13.04]
Advanced options for Ubuntu
[list of old versions]
Windows UEFI bkpbootmgfw.efi [ error: no such device D00A-07CD error file EFI /Boot/bkpbootx64.efi ]
Windows Boot UEFI loader [ `/EFI/Microsoft/Boot/bkpbootmgfw.efi' not found - Press any key to continue ]
Windows 7 (loader) (on /dev/sda3) [ invalid EFI file path ]
Windows Recovery Environment (loader) (on /dev/sda5) [ invalid EFI file path ]
Windows 8 (loader) (on /dev/sdb1) [error: can't find command `drivemap' error: invalid EFI file path ]

The BIOS gives four options for booting from disk:
Windows Boot Mgr - goes to the Grub menu
P2: MatshitaBD-CMB error: file `/boot/grub/i386-pc/normal.mod' not found
P1: ST9750420AS: same as the P2 error
ubuntu (P0: ST9750...) - goes to Grub menu

Again, the Boot-Repair link is http://paste.ubuntu.com/5776162

Thanks in advance!

[oldfred]

Were you able to boot Windows from grub or just from UEFI/BIOS?

It is my understanding that UEFI & BIOS write hardware info differently so you cannot boot one system in BIOS and chainload to boot anther in UEFI as hardware data is not then correct. Or were you booting with UEFI and still able to run Ubuntu from a MBR partition on the other drive? I normally suggest Ubuntu be installed to a gpt partitioned drive with UEFI if Windows is UEFI.

You have a UEFI Windows install in sda with gpt partitioning, but now do not show from BootInfo report any Windows efi files.
You have Ubuntu in sdb with BIOS and MBR(msdos) partitioning. With BIOS grub has to be in the MBR, but with UEFI grub (& Windows) have to have efi files in the efi partition.

Boot-Repair says this as Windows 8 is always hibernated unless you specifically turn it off:
Windows is hibernated, refused to mount.


Fast Startup off/hibernation
http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials...ndows-8-a.html

WARNING for Windows 8 Dual-Booters
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1953674
It defaults shutdown to a hybrid hibernation/off state for fast boot
http://www.kapilarya.com/how-to-enab...p-in-windows-8

[Scryer]

Were you able to boot Windows from grub or just from UEFI/BIOS?

Under 12.04 I was able to boot Windows 8 from grub. I'd never heard of UEFI until I started trying to get 13.04 up, but my BIOS says UEFI is enabled now. I haven't changed it; I assume nothing in the installation or 12.04 update failure could have changed the BIOS setting.

The next part you wrote is beyond me so far. I'll reread it and the links until something makes sense. However, the user files are still on my /dev/sdb6 where 12.04 was installed and running, with both 12.04 and Win8 accessible through grub. Does that have any bearing on the gpt / UEFI issue?

Also, the Windows 8 system files are still on the /dev/sda disk and mountable (ro) from 13.04.

So next level of questions:

Do I need to scrape the current 13.04, repartition with gpt and do a clean install on /dev/sdb6?
Do I need to use a Win8 installation disk to get my Windows boot goop (is that something to do with UEFI) restored?

Thanks for your answer.

It is my understanding that UEFI & BIOS write hardware info differently so you cannot boot one system in BIOS and chainload to boot anther in UEFI as hardware data is not then correct. Or were you booting with UEFI and still able to run Ubuntu from a MBR partition on the other drive? I normally suggest Ubuntu be installed to a gpt partitioned drive with UEFI if Windows is UEFI.

You have a UEFI Windows install in sda with gpt partitioning, but now do not show from BootInfo report any Windows efi files.
You have Ubuntu in sdb with BIOS and MBR(msdos) partitioning. With BIOS grub has to be in the MBR, but with UEFI grub (& Windows) have to have efi files in the efi partition.

Boot-Repair says this as Windows 8 is always hibernated unless you specifically turn it off:
Windows is hibernated, refused to mount.


Fast Startup off/hibernation
http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials...ndows-8-a.html

WARNING for Windows 8 Dual-Booters
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1953674
It defaults shutdown to a hybrid hibernation/off state for fast boot
http://www.kapilarya.com/how-to-enab...p-in-windows-8

[oldfred]

You can convert a MBR drive to gpt. But if a second drive I suggest an efi partition as the first partition even if grub will install into the first drive's efi partition. (I would then install grub to the second drive also, so drive can be separately booted).

Converting to or from GPT
http://www.rodsbooks.com/gdisk/mbr2gpt.html
You then need to use gdisk to convert from gpt to MBR
http://www.rodsbooks.com/gdisk/mbr2gpt.html#gpt2mbr

Boot-Repair's listing of your efi partition showed it saw efi files, but the top part of the BootInfo repair did not when it usually does. But it may just not been able to mount partition for some reason?


For the Total space you want for Ubuntu:
Ubuntu's standard install is just / (root) & swap, but it is better to add another partition for /home if allocating over 30GB.:
Only if gpt - all partitions in gpt are primary:
gpt: 250 MB efi FAT32 (for UEFI boot or future use for UEFI, you only can have one per drive, so if already existing do not attempt another)
gpt: 1 MB bios_grub no format (for BIOS boot not required for UEFI)
gpt or MBR(msdos)
Ubuntu partitions - smaller root only where hard drive space is limited.
If total space less than about 30GB just use / not separate /home or standard install.
1. 10-25 GB Mountpoint / primary or logical beginning ext4(or ext3)
2. all but 2 GB Mountpoint /home logical beginning ext4(or ext3)
3. 2 GB Mountpoint swap logical

Depending on how much memory you have you may not absolutely need swap but having some is still recommended. I do not hibernate (boots fast enough for me) but if hibernating then you need swap equal to RAM in GiB not GB. And if dual booting with windows a shared NTFS partition is also recommended. But you usually cannot create that as part of the install, just leave some space. Or partition in advance (recommended).
One advantage of partitioning in advance is that the installer will use the swap space to speed up the install. Thanks Herman for the tip.
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/DiskSpace


Two Drive UEFI installs
Samsung Series 7 laptop - Ubuntu UEFI install to sdc (ignore CSM sidetrack)
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2135459
Installing Ubuntu 12.10 alongside Windows 8 on Asus K95V laptop HD/SSD (EFI) Two drives. Details in post #6
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2116610
UEFI dual boot two drives - HP
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2072950
UEFI dual boot two drives see #14 on how edit UUID to Windows efi partiton
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2031836

[Scryer]

Thanks again for the help. Your analysis led me to something that works, starting with the lack of an MBR on /dev/sda. I found an old Win7 installation disc with "Repair your computer" on it, which for some reason my Win8 installation disc is missing (one of the many useful things they took out!), launched a command prompt window, then did:
bootrec.exe /fixmbr

No joy from that, but I changed around the HD boot order and did it again, and Win8 booted automatically.
Then back to the Ubuntu 13.04 live disc, did:
% sudo mount /dev/sdb6 /mnt
% sudo grub-install --root-directory=/mnt /dev/sdb

Success! "Ubuntu" runs 13.04, and "Windows 8" runs Win8.

I'll go read how to label this thread Solved.

[oldfred]

If you are booting from UEFI/BIOS not from grub, I think you may have UEFI set to auto and it boots in the mode required either UEFI or BIOS.

You can make a Windows 8 UEFI repair flash drive.
Windows 8 UEFI repair USB must be FAT32
http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials...ndows-8-a.html
http://social.msdn.microsoft.com/For...-166dddf32205/
http://www.ghacks.net/2012/11/01/how...m-repair-disc/

And best to backup efi partition and main Windows partition. Some references if you need them in the link in my signature on UEFI.

[Scryer]

If you are booting from UEFI/BIOS not from grub, I think you may have UEFI set to auto and it boots in the mode required either UEFI or BIOS.

I'm booting both Win8 and 13.04 from grub, which gives me the menu automatically on boot-up -- I don't need to dink the BIOS boot order, if that's what you mean.

Thanks again.