Arch Linux

el.Quero

Member

Registered: 2014-11-15

Posts: 19

Install Windows or other O.S. after Arch on EFI system

Hi guys,
after making some troubles I decided to reinstall the whole ArchLinux installation. Usually I use only Linux, but for learning purposes, I need to have a partition with Windows.
So I reduced the Linux partition and I've installed Windows. But, after installing Windows, I couldn't boot in grub anymore! And after trying a couple of suggestion I thought that Windows had formatted the boot partition, so I restored the boot partition image I made before installing Windows.
But now I noticed that there is already a Microsoft folder under the EFI/ folder in the restored boot folder. Is that normal?
However now what I can do for restoring the Windows UEFI entry? Now I've two entries that take me to grub, and I think is something related about the messing-up I made after restoring the image.
Is there a way for installing OSes without compromising the Arch grub?

Head_on_a_Stick

Member

From: The Wirral

Registered: 2014-02-20

Posts: 8,778

Website

Re: Install Windows or other O.S. after Arch on EFI system

I restored the boot partition image I made before installing Windows.
But now I noticed that there is already a Microsoft folder under the EFI/ folder in the restored boot folder. Is that normal?

How did you backup the boot partition?

How did you restore the boot folder?

I think you will have to use a Windows rescue disk to recover the Windows bootloader.

Once you have done this, you will "lose" GRUB again.

The correct procedure to recover it is to simply load up the Arch live ISO, mount all your partitions, `arch-chroot` into your system and re-install GRUB.

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Jin, Jîyan, Azadî

el.Quero

Member

Registered: 2014-11-15

Posts: 19

Re: Install Windows or other O.S. after Arch on EFI system

How did you backup the boot partition?

I made a backup by clonezilla.

How did you restore the boot folder?

Isn't that contained in the boot partition?

Once you have done this, you will "lose" GRUB again.

Can you explain me why, after installing Windows, I "lose" GRUB? Does it happen, broadly talking, if I install other linux distros or is only a Windows "bug"?

Head_on_a_Stick

Member

From: The Wirral

Registered: 2014-02-20

Posts: 8,778

Website

Re: Install Windows or other O.S. after Arch on EFI system

Can you explain me why, after installing Windows, I "lose" GRUB? Does it happen, broadly talking, if I install other linux distros or is only a Windows "bug"?

In an EFI system, it will be because Windows creates a new NVRAM entry on your motherboard* and sets it as the default. This would also happen with GNU/Linux boot loaders/managers.

The reason why the restoration of your /boot folder still contains the Windows files is because clonezilla works at the filesystem level and the Windows files are in a different filesystem -- if you had used `dd` to backup and restore the partition they would be eradicated (`dd` operates at the sector level).

* https://www.happyassassin.net/2014/01/2 … work-then/

Last edited by Head_on_a_Stick (2015-02-11 21:11:18)

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Jin, Jîyan, Azadî

el.Quero

Member

Registered: 2014-11-15

Posts: 19

Re: Install Windows or other O.S. after Arch on EFI system

In an EFI system, it will be because Windows creates a new NVRAM entry on your motherboard* and sets it as the default. This would also happen with GNU/Linux boot loaders/managers.

After installing windows I checked if, in the bios boot menu, I could boot grub, but his entry was destroyed. Is that possible or is someway strange?

-- Little OT --

The reason why the restoration of your /boot folder still contains the Windows files is because clonezilla works at the filesystem level and the Windows files are in a different filesystem -- if you had used `dd` to backup and restore the partition they would be eradicated (`dd` operates at the sector level).

So partclone (FAT32 is a well-known filesystem, so clonezilla invoked it) overwrites only the files contained in the image, the inode, and so on?

Head_on_a_Stick

Member

From: The Wirral

Registered: 2014-02-20

Posts: 8,778

Website

Re: Install Windows or other O.S. after Arch on EFI system

After installing windows I checked if, in the bios boot menu, I could boot grub, but his entry was destroyed. Is that possible or is someway strange?

In my experience that is not at all strange -- firmware implementations are decidedly patchy (to put it politely): my firmware "forgets" all the NVRAM entries after the settings are changed...

TBH I'm not really sure about your other query; on reflection maybe my explanation is too glib.

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Jin, Jîyan, Azadî

The Infinity

Member

Registered: 2014-07-05

Posts: 91

Website

Re: Install Windows or other O.S. after Arch on EFI system

But, after installing Windows, I couldn't boot in grub anymore!

It seems to be the normal behavior of the Windows installer to overwrite your bootloader without asking. As far as I know there is no way to prevent the Windows installer from overwriting. At least I had the same issue every time after I had installed Windows. But this is not a big deal, since you can easily recover GRUB. This works exactly like installing GRUB the first time.

Is there a way for installing OSes without compromising the Arch grub?

A decent OS will ask the user before overwriting an existing bootloader. Windows doesn't. To start other operating systems using Arch GRUB use os-prober (see https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/GRUB#Dual-booting).

Last edited by The Infinity (2015-02-14 15:23:35)

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el.Quero

Member

Registered: 2014-11-15

Posts: 19

Re: Install Windows or other O.S. after Arch on EFI system

Thank you Head_on_a_Stick and The Infinity for your help, now I'm in peace with myself

Last edited by el.Quero (2015-02-14 12:38:08)