Grub broke Windows bootloader?

[suburbandisposal]

Decided to reinstall LL on a 30gb partition I set aside for it after my previous installation lead me to a wallpaper with no desktop, leaving me to resorting to using the application launcher exclusively. This was shortly after messing around with different emerald+compiz configurations after getting rid of Kwin. Probably a different issue for a different thread but any thoughts on that would be appreciated.

I was attempting to use the Easy BCD method I discovered on Matthew Moore's youtube channel which worked like a charm the first time
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dwwSSg-kJM

after the installation was finished, I selected restart as prompted (mistake?) and the LL loading screen came up and took an unusually long time. I think at this point in time I did a manual reboot and learned my windows bootloader would not work and was giving an error for a neogrub0 mbr file or something similar. "status: 0xc000000f"

went into LL live usb. Used Gparted to delete the LL partition I had made and did ANOTHER fresh install this time making sure to use grub as the bootloader for my only hdd assuming I had no other options to boot into windows at the time. No luck.
(LL loading bar came up again and took an unusually long time again, pulled USB stick out prematurely and rebooted)
HP recovery disks allow me to "restore to a previous time", it's successful. Not sure if it's before or after this current install, either way it was ineffective in allowing me to boot into windows. Even went as far as to /FixMbr + /FixBoot in command prompt.
All that did was rid me of the neogrub0 error.

currently stuck with a LL install that wont download new software and has the same issue not operating properly after waking up from suspension as my first install :'(

HP Compaq Presario CQ61z-300 3gbRAM, dual booted win7/LL

[gold_finger]

I was attempting to use the Easy BCD method I discovered on Matthew Moore's youtube channel which worked like a charm the first time
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dwwSSg-kJM

after the installation was finished, I selected restart as prompted (mistake?) and the LL loading screen came up and took an unusually long time. I think at this point in time I did a manual reboot and learned my windows bootloader would not work and was giving an error for a neogrub0 mbr file or something similar. "status: 0xc000000f"

I didn't look at the video, but basics if using EasyBCD from Windows would be:
*  Install LL and point grub boot loader install to the linux root partition instead of MBR.
*  Reboot computer -- it should boot directly to Windows without any Linux choice.
*  Install EasyBCD to Windows (can be done before installing LL if you want); then follow its directions to add the LL install to boot loader.

HP recovery disks allow me to "restore to a previous time", it's successful. Not sure if it's before or after this current install, either way it was ineffective in allowing me to boot into windows. Even went as far as to /FixMbr + /FixBoot in command prompt.
All that did was rid me of the neogrub0 error.

If computer still boots into LL, open a terminal and run this command to update grub and (hopefully) add Windows to the grub menu:

Code:

sudo update-grub

Reboot to see if it worked.

[suburbandisposal]

Thanks for such a quick reply, I suppose I should have been a bit more specific in my diagnoses

You are correct in your breakdown of the easy BCD method of dualbooting and the first time around I followed the instructions to a T. I thought I had memorized and replicated these instructions but I guess I was either faulty in execution or some unknown circumstance was in play during my next installation.

Even though (I thought) I applied the boot loader installation to the root partition, it directed me to the windows bootloader upon reboot but with an error saying it could not boot into windows due to a recent hardware or software change.
During the next reinstallation I just left the area for the bootloader as the entire toshiba harddrive hoping maybe i could recover access. All of my partitions and drives are still listed in grub but standard access to my Windows7 partition is stopped at the bootloader error screen.
Access to the recovery partition still works but I do not want a clean wipe and have not seen an option for repairing only the OS or anything similar. The status error for windows remains the same and research on it leads to a lot of confusion on my end since hyper-noob

[rokytnji]

Having just gone through something kinda sorta similar.
The title of this thread should be.

Windows bootloader with my help broke Windows

How I fixed a broken Windows MBR

http://www.howtogeek.com/114884/how-to-r...wont-boot/

I've repaired 2 Windows computers with that cd so far.

You can also download a dedicated Boot Repair live CD.

Then you can start over with Easybsd or grub4dos or lilo or whatever.

[gold_finger]

suburbandisposal,

I'm assuming you can still boot into your installed Linux Lite with instructions below.

Going to describe a method that might work to restore Windows booting.  If it does work to boot Windows, you will lose ability to boot LL, but should be able to use EasyBCD again to add back ability to boot LL.  If it doesn't work, you won't be able to boot into either of them and you'll need to repair booting to LL.  You can install Boot-Repair to your live LL installation CD/USB and use that to repair booting if that happens.

*  Make sure you still have a bootable LL installation disk handy in case ability to boot into both Windows and LL is lost.

*  Make backups of any important data on both LL and Windows partitions before proceeding, just in case something really gets messed up.  Should be able to copy off whatever you want from Windows partitions when using LL.  (If need help with that first, post back before proceeding.)

*  Boot into installed LL, open a terminal and enter following command to attempt fixing Windows boot:

Code:

sudo dd if=/usr/lib/syslinux/mbr.bin of=/dev/sda

*  Close terminal and reboot computer.

*  If lucky, Windows will boot and you can use EasyBCD to add LL back to boot menu.

*  If lose ability to boot either OS, use your live CD/USB to boot computer again.

*  Follow instructions (for Ubuntu 14.04) shown here to install Boot-Repair to the live environment and run the "Recommended Repair".  That should get LL system booting again.

*  Try looking on Windows 7 forum for other solution to repair Windows booting -- I don't know enough to advise further on that.

[suburbandisposal]

thanks for the replies folks, sorry I haven't responded with an update sooner. I've been pretty apprehensive to attempt to remedy the situation since I assumed booting into either OS would be a risk.

I do indeed keep my handy LL live USB at my desk at all times in case anything happens, and indeed I do not have a spare external hard drive or a USB stick that can hold all of my media at hand. I'm a bit of a music junkie

once I look over these methods and get the courage to perform them I can certainly post back with the results, and if I don't report back well..I'm sure you can guess my demise

[gold_finger]

Can you still boot into the installed Linux Lite, or do you have to use the live CD?

Are you seeing a grub menu that offers choice of LL and Windows, but the Windows choice doesn't work?

Did you try running sudo update-grub once up and running in installed LL?

The only thing that sounds like it's messed up is the boot loader, so as long as you don't start deleting partitions, nothing bad should happen by you just booting into LL.  That won't affect the Windows partitions, assuming that they really are still on the drive and didn't get accidentally deleted during one of the install attempts.

Boot installed LL (or live CD if necessary), open a terminal and enter these commands:

Code:

sudo os-prober
sudo parted -l

(Last command ends with a lowercase letter "L".)

Copy entire output from terminal.  Hit the "Insert Code" button on the forum reply interface (top right, 3rd button in), then paste the output within the code box that appears.

[rokytnji]

@goldfinger.

My take on this thread was that when Windows was selected. Grub would point to Windows grub bootloader and Windows bootloader would take over from there. But. Windows would stop booting. Due to a malformed boot loader situation inside of Windows.

That was what I ran into on 2 laptops. The repair live iso I recommended will put Windows Bootloader on the MBR of the hardrive.
Replacing grub. It won't touch /etc/default/grub or any other internals on Linux Lite.

Then reboot. It should boot into Windows only. That will fix the Windows Issue. Then a bootloader like was mentioned previously can be
tried again. Kinda like starting from scratch. I perceive The Windows install is what is priority here. Make sure it works.
Then move on from there. I did a FIXMBR in the recovery of Windows and ended up in the same situation with Windows not booting
afterwards. The live grub-repair iso fixed that.

At least that is my take in this thread. Now off to the off topic section to post about how I just played musical hard drives (swapping)
between my Linux Lite Compaq CQ57 Laptop and My newly arrived Dell E5500 laptop.

[gold_finger]

@goldfinger.

My take on this thread was that when Windows was selected. Grub would point to Windows grub bootloader and Windows bootloader would take over from there. But. Windows would stop booting. Due to a malformed boot loader situation inside of Windows.

That's exactly what I was thinking too, but when OP sets the Win8 drive to boot from BIOS (instead of Mint drive) then it does boot correctly.  That's why I'm confused.  I would think that if the Win8 boot code was messed-up causing boot to fail when grub passes on to it, that it would also fail when BIOS set to the Win8 drive with that same code.  Am I wrong about that?  Doesn't make much sense to me to work one way and not the other, but I haven't messed around much with Windows in last 5 years -- so I could be wrong.

Edit:  Scratch everything I wrote above.  Got my posts mixed up.  Above applies to another post on a different forum.  Sorry.


@rokytnji,

Regarding Boot-Repair utility -- is there an option on it to fix a Windows boot loader, or to replace grub with Windows boot loader?  I've never used it myself, so not familiar with the options.  Like you said, the Windows boot code is messed up; so reinstalling grub won't fix that.  If OP has a Windows recovery DVD or something, that could be used.  Otherwise, I think running the
[pre]

Code:

sudo dd if=/usr/lib/syslinux/mbr.bin of=/dev/sda

command will work.  Not 100% sure of that, but pretty sure.[/pre]

[rokytnji]

is there an option on it to fix a Windows boot loader,

Yes. That is how I used it. I got rid of Grub on MBR and restored Windows  on front of MBR on Hard drive.




If you shoot yourself in the foot anyways. Here is Windows 7 recovery disc download
http://neosmart.net/blog/2009/windows-7-...air-discs/
Here is Vista recovery disc download
https://neosmart.net/blog/2008/windows-v...-download/
Here is XP recovery disk download
http://www.vista-xp.fr/forum/topic240.html >>>>>>requires google translate for the page if not knowing the french language.

And if still lost in the woods.  

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1014708

scroll down to

How to restore the Windows Vista or 7 bootloader

There. I hoped I covered all the bases. I'd fix Windows 1st. Then move on to fixing Dual boot after that.