Booting Windows only if USB flash disk is plugged in.

[oldfred]

Windows only boots in UEFI mode from gpt partitioned drives.
Windows only boots in BIOS mode from MBR partitioned drives.
Microsoft has required vendors to install in UEFI/gpt mode since Windows 8 released in 2012.
The BIOS mode was for large corporations that had BIOS systems and wanted to install newer Windows.

Intel publishes future configuration specs. Several years ago it wanted manufacturers to make systems using UEFI type 3 which has no CSM. Saves the extra chip to implement CSM.
CSM - UEFI Compatibility Support Module (CSM), which emulates a BIOS mode, only available with secure boot off.

Then they suggested elimination of CSM, by 2020, but have not seen any systems yet. I believe they again published future specs but further in future for UEFI type 3, elimintion of BIOS mode.

While Ubuntu ISO can be booted in UEFI or BIOS/CSM/Legacy mode, I believe Rufus only makes the installer one or the other. Most tools to create USB/DVD installer will boot either way from UEFI boot menu, if settings in UEFI allow it. If Secure Boot is on, only UEFI Secure boot is allowed and you normally have to also turn on allow USB boot as that also for security.

[johncooool]

So then according to the last post this is the easy solution.

Install Windows 8.1 on MBR and not GPT (GPT is the default for new systems) and then follow the same solution mentioned that works on BIOS system.

The link for the solution that works and I use on my Windows old system running windows 7 is: https://ubuntuforums.org/showthread....9#post13979139

If some motherboards don't support the requirements then it might not work.

I found the below video of someone booting Windows 10 from SuperGrub. I downloaded the exact same version Rufus only sets it up for UEFI which is good news.

However, I still got the same errors posted before when I tried to boot into it. I tried with a couple of more different settings but no luck yet. I will try a few different versions that are for UEFI. Some of the people who commented on the video seem to have gotten it to work...

Maybe one will work.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JfU2lFucgQ

None of the versions worked.

All gave the same error.

[oldfred]

What versions, what errors?

And what partitioning do you already have on drive?
sudo parted -l

Grub only boots working Windows, I would think then Supergrub would be same way.

If Windows errors you typically have to use your Windows repair flash drive to fix Windows.
With UEFI you may be able to directly boot Windows and f8 as booting, get into the internal repair console.

Windows 10 repair disk
https://askubuntu.com/questions/1156...925839_1156795
https://www.tenforums.com/software-a...scue-disk.html
http://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/4...dows-10-a.html
http://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/3...dows-10-a.html
Repair/backup/restore
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/...recovery-drive &
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/w...covery-options
Rescatux live cd with a grub restore option (through rescueapp) fixed it!
Will now repair Windows BIOS & UEFI
https://askubuntu.com/questions/1058...ther-will-boot

[johncooool]

It seems that you completely forgot my request, maybe because it has been so long.

Forget about windows and other.

I am unable to boot supergrub while in UEFI mode. I found the below video in the below link of someone who got it to work but it does not work for me.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JfU2lFucgQ

I just need it to boot the same way.

It works well in Legacy support mode. but does not work in UEFI mode.

Error are same like in the link: https://www.dropbox.com/s/nzczfkb8kv..._0001.JPG?dl=0

[oldfred]

The unknown file system is often just Windows fast start up on which sets the hibernation flag, preventing the Linux NTFS driver from seeing the NTFS partitions. Or chkdsk required if NTFS or fsck if ext4 formatted.

I used to use to use Supergrub with BIOS for emergency boot, but have used rEFInd with UEFI for emergency boot. I have multiple repair flash drives and still have Supergrub and Rescatux on some of them. I typically boot ISO, so I can have more than one system on one flash drive.
But normally use grub2 for booting my installed systems.

[johncooool]

I don't have fast boot on.

I removed the hard drive to test if it would boot without it, but I got the same error when in UEFI mode.

It only works in Legacy mode.

I don't have a problem using Grub instead of Super Grub.

But I am unable to find a place to download a standalone Grub menu.

Is there a location I can download one for testing?

[oldfred]

I have installed grub to flash drives just for booting ISOs. But always from a working install of Ubuntu.

You can download grub, but have to compile it yourself, then.

[johncooool]

Is it possible for you to create one for me and send me a download link from you cloud?

I am not skilled at such things.

I don't know how to code...

[johncooool]

If not then maybe we can check if the code in supergrub is not the issue. But I don't know how to do that...

Any tips on that?

[oldfred]

I only know a little python, anymore.

Fast boot is a setting in UEFI. Assumes no system change & immediately boots. Can be so quick you do not have time to press a key to get into UEFI or UEFI boot menu. Normally full cold boot/shutdown & total restart then works to be able to press a key.
Fast start up is a setting in Windows. Then Linux NTFS driver then cannot see NTFS partitions and grub will not boot Windows.
Both should be off.
And the Windows setting gets turned back on with Windows updates.

Are you not able to boot Windows from UEFI boot menu?