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mosquitogang201

Member

Registered: 2012-06-19

Posts: 37

Problem using GPT/syslinux on Dell XPS15z

I upgraded my XPS15z with a SSD drive this weekend but I can't get it to boot correctly. I partitioned this drive with GPT (last one was with MBR) and am again using syslinux. The bootloader works if I start with the livecd and choose "boot from hard drive" so my syslinux config is correct. But I get "operation system not found" when I try booting without the cd. From what I've read elsewhere there is a BIOS bug on several Dell laptops that doesn't allow the computer to read the bootloader from a GPT disk. Has anyone else dealt with this with any solutions? Already looked at switching back to MBR but I would have to repartition and rsync all my data back over.

Last edited by mosquitogang201 (2014-10-13 15:50:58)

olive

Member

From: Belgium

Registered: 2008-06-22

Posts: 1,490

Re: Problem using GPT/syslinux on Dell XPS15z

Are you using UEFI or Bios? Syslinux can work with GPT and BIOS (provided your bios is not buggy) but have you installed the correct bootloader? I don't think syslinux-install_update works with GPT and you will have to proceed by hand. You have to mark the boot partition "legacy bootable" (be carefull some partition tool call a partition bootable if it is  of type ef00, it has nothing to do with that).

gdisk /dev/sda -> x (extra functionality (experts only)) -> a (set attribute) -> 2

Then

dd if=/usr/lib/syslinux/bios/gptmbr.bin of=/dev/sda bs=440 count=1

and then

extlinux -i /boot/syslinux # If /boot/exlinux is on a ext<2,2,3,4> partition

As a last resort, you can normally convert the GPT partition back to MBR with gdisk without reformatting:

gdisk -> x (extra functionality (experts only)) -> r (recovery and transformation options (experts only)) -> g (convert GPT into MBR and exit)

Last edited by olive (2014-10-13 20:42:34)

anatolik

Developer

Registered: 2012-09-27

Posts: 458

Re: Problem using GPT/syslinux on Dell XPS15z

Syslinux install script works fine with BIOS+GPT.

I remember some people had problems hybrid GPT partitions. Hybrid partitions those that look like MBR and GPT. [1] Syslinux might be confused because of it.

Mosquito, could you please show your partition table information?

[1] http://www.rodsbooks.com/gdisk/hybrid.html

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mosquitogang201

Member

Registered: 2012-06-19

Posts: 37

Re: Problem using GPT/syslinux on Dell XPS15z

I believe this computer uses a BIOS (not really sure how to tell). I originally had a plain GPT setup on the SSD, not hybrid. After you mentioned it I tried converting to a hybrid but that didn't work. So I wiped the drive clean and repartitioned with MBR but for some reason I still can't get syslinux to work! It was working just fine on the old hard drive. So I installed syslinux onto a usb drive and choose boot from usb, doing it that way I can boot from the hard drive. Guess I'm going to have to play around with it a while, I'm not sure what's going on.

Last edited by mosquitogang201 (2014-10-14 21:15:29)