Arch Linux

monkeypants

Member

Registered: 2014-08-18

Posts: 64

Failure to boot after switching HDDs

I've installed Windows 7 on one HDD (SSD) and Arch on another HDD.  I don't have both HDDs in the system at the same time; I installed windows on the SSD without the standard HDD plugged in, after it was set up I unplugged the SSD and plugged in the standard HDD for Arch.  Arch installs and boots fine, I installed openbox and rebooted several times without issue.

When I unplug the Arch HDD and go back to windows SSD, then return to Arch, it wont boot.  Instead I get a black screen with a blinking cursor for a few seconds before returning to BIOS, which is the behavior my motherboard exhibits when it can't find anything to boot.

Furthermore, when I return to using the Windows SSD the USB devices stop working for a while.  They are fine at boot but once windows loads they turn off, after repeadly rebooting and waiting they eventually "magically" start working again.  This could be unrelated to the boot issue though.

Any ideas?

graysky

Wiki Maintainer

From: :wq

Registered: 2008-12-01

Posts: 10,600

Website

Re: Failure to boot after switching HDDs

EFI?  Why not leave the SSD installed, place your boot loader on it and chainload windows?

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monkeypants

Member

Registered: 2014-08-18

Posts: 64

Re: Failure to boot after switching HDDs

EFI?  Why not leave the SSD installed, place your boot loader on it and chainload windows?

That's what I'm going to do today, but I am still confused as to why the drive swap would not work.  I've just started my googling for dual boot guides, do you know of any good ones?  Windows 7 already installed on primary drive, wanting dual boot arch from 2nd drive.

P.S. I accidentally reported you, sorry about that.  Coffee hasn't kicked in yet.

mrunion

Member

From: Jonesborough, TN

Registered: 2007-01-26

Posts: 1,938

Website

Re: Failure to boot after switching HDDs

The Arch Wiki is a VERY good place for information. A simple, quick search for "dual boot" provides: https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Wi … _Dual_Boot

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Matt

"It is very difficult to educate the educated."

monkeypants

Member

Registered: 2014-08-18

Posts: 64

Re: Failure to boot after switching HDDs

The Arch Wiki is a VERY good place for information. A simple, quick search for "dual boot" provides: https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Wi … _Dual_Boot

This is the guide I've been using and it's worked all the way up to the last step - booting windows after installing Arch fails.  I think the 40_cusom file is missing some options in the menuentry but I am still investigating.

Removing the 2nd (arch) HDD to boot into windows after following the guide returned me to my original problem; the USB ports stop working until windows decides to re-install them after several reboots.
Plugging the 2nd (arch) HDD back in makes the boot disappear.  Before removing the arch HDD the drive had 2 boot options, after re-inserting the drive it only has a single boot option (which doesn't work).