Dual boot - win7/ubuntu windows update failed - how to restore and keep grub setup?

[JimLS]

Windows 7 update crashed and now won't boot. I tried using the windows install CD and it gives me an error that it isn't compatible even though its the install media I used originally. It's been some time since I set this all up so I don't remember all the details. Want to restore this with a minimum of effort. Probably should migrate to win10 at some point - I got the free upgrade ISO. But first I want to restore. I have a windows 7 repair disk. Thinking the windows restore will overwrite grub so grub will need to be re-setup. Should I back up any particular files for grub? I copied the obvious files from windows and ubuntu to a USB harddrive backup.

Here is my boot info script file. sdc is a USB backup drive and not normally part of the system. sdb is a data drive. The os's are on sda.

https://pastebin.com/embed_js/i99t65dL

[oldfred]

Moved to Windows sub-forum since Windows 7 issue.
Note that Windows 7 reaches EoL - End of Life Jan 2020.

Have you tried chkdsk on all your NTFS partitions?

[JimLS]

To run chkdisk I would need to be able to boot windows so that isn't a possibility until I fix booting. Grub seems to work and I can boot ubuntu.

[oldfred]

Years ago I ran chkdsk from my Windows 7 repair flash drive on my XP install. It fixed more than what XP's chkdsk did, but changed PBR - partition boot sector from XP type to 7 type. And then I had to fix that.

You should also be able to use a Windows 7 installer but go into repair mode.
Or download Windows 10 installer with repair/recovery.

[JimLS]

Tried to run the windows 7 repair disk. It sees the windows installation but Boot repair doesn't find a problem. Restore shows the update on Dec 10th that crashed but when trying to restore it crashes.

[JimLS]

Trying to restore using several different restore points gives the same error:

The instruction at 0xfb5d584d referenced memory at 0x00000008. The memory could not be read. Click on ok to terminate the program

I did get one restore of a removal of program to start but in finishing up it said it failed. Command prompt seems to be the only thing that works but I am unsure what to do there.

[oldfred]

Boot-Repair is primarily for Linux booting issue, not file corruption on any Windows or Linux system.
With Windows in BIOS mode it can install a Windows type boot loader to MBR, so you can directly boot Windows. But often better to install Windows boot loader with fixMBR from Windows repair.

Grub only boots working Windows.
If any issue at all, try installing Windows boot loader to MBR and then see if it works.

[JimLS]

Boot repair I mentioned is a part of the Windows 7 repair disk - nothing to do with Linux.

Windows boot loader is now in the windows partition. How do I install in MBR and how do I back up my grub config so I can restore it easily. It's been a while since I messed with it.

[oldfred]

It really is easy to reinstall grub, so we do not normally back it up. Not only is it in MBR, but in sectors after MBR.

You can use Boot-Repair to reinstall grub, using its advanced options. Use Ubuntu live installer in live mode & add Boot-Repair.
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Boot-Repair &
https://sourceforge.net/p/boot-repair/home/Home/

If just reinstalling grub from live installer:


#Comments are anything after the #, enter commands in terminal session
#Install MBR from liveCD/DVD/USB, Ubuntu install on sda5 and want grub2's bootloader in drive sda's MBR:
#Find linux partition, change sda5 in example if not your Linux partition:
sudo fdisk -l
#confirm that linux is sda5
sudo mount /dev/sda5 /mnt
sudo grub-install --root-directory=/mnt/ /dev/sda
# The above command should work but they now suggest this command for grub 1.99 with Natty 11.04 or later - uses boot not root.:
sudo grub-install --boot-directory=/mnt/boot /dev/sda
#If that returns any errors run:
sudo grub-install --recheck --root-directory=/mnt/ /dev/sda
# If no errors on previous commands reboot into working system and run this:
sudo update-grub

If separate /boot you have to also mount that. And if UEFI install with ESP, you need to mount that & probably better to use Boot-Repair or full chroot.


chroot with UEFI, LVM, encryption on NVMe drive
https://ubuntuforums.org/showthread....8#post13602088
UEFI chroot
http://askubuntu.com/questions/53578...er/57380#57380

[JimLS]

I installed Win10 to another partition and have 10 and 7 booting although 7 has some issues with programs that have lost their settings. I am going to move to 10 for windows alongside Ubuntu so am not going to mess with 7 except to get some config files and such. Now I need to resolve some boot loader issues. By default it boots to selection of 7 or 10 with windows bootloader. Through some experimentation I found that sdb, a conventional hard drive used for storage only, has the windows loader - at least thats the default boot device. If I select sda I get the grub boot loader menu. Haven't checked that the windows entries work yet. Would like to just have one menu of Ubuntu, 7 or 10. System is uefi I think. Some boot options show as AHCI.