Add Windows Vista entry to GRUB2?

OOT · 2014-01-14 04:53:14

First off total noob here. I have installed Arch twice (once on my own following various tutorials and YouTube videos). Then I opted for the ais/aui scripts. Everything is working well except for my GRUB2 menu. This machine was initially a MS Vista only machine. Then I partitioned using some software to clear up space. I tried installing Ubuntu (before I heard about the information/data sharing). So I deleted Ubuntu but during that distro's install my Windows MBR got corrupted. My fault I know but it is what it is. So I went with Arch and following the scripts all went well with using the 3 partitions I had set up (root/swap/usr).

But now I can not boot into my Windows partition. After the MS MBR was corrupted I was still able to boot into Windows using a Live Linux CD which let me choose the OS. But now using just Arch I can not. My GRUB2 options are Arch and Arch Fallback. I have read the Wiki and followed various "how-to's" but thus far have no luck. Most of which I see suggest editing the /etc/grub.d/40_custom file (or the 41_custom file). Most also suggest running update-grub but I've read here that that is not only not necessary but not possible. No command.

The closest I came was a post on the ArchBang board concerning writing one's own 40_custom file (and thus not needing the os-prober program). Honestly that was way above me.

Anyway, here is the output of my fdisk -l command:

This is what the ArchBang suggestion was (adding to the /etc/grub.d/40_custom file):

But as you can see from my /boot/grub.cfg file, my menu items end after the linux fallback entry.

I'm sorry for such a noob question but the GRUB2 has really confused me. I understand not editing the grub.cfg file itself. Edit the other configuration files and then let it auto-bulid itself. But I've edited (as root) the 40_custom file and then rebooted but still nothing.

Could anyone offer a relatively easy to understand example of how I could possibly get my MS Vista menuitem to appear in the GRUB2 menu listing? Any and all help would be very much appreciated. If all else fails I'm not opposed to re-installing Arch and running the os-prober application before the Arch scripts. But I'm really hoping that is not necessary.

Oh, not sure if this matters but this is an 8 year old laptop with only one hard drive.

Thanks again for any and all help you can give.

Mr.Elendig · 2014-01-14 15:17:03

https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Gr … menu_entry
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Gr … S-MBR_mode

Last edited by Mr.Elendig (2014-01-14 15:17:35)

Arch Linux

#1 2014-01-14 04:53:14

Add Windows Vista entry to GRUB2?

#2 2014-01-14 15:17:03

Re: Add Windows Vista entry to GRUB2?

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