Arch Linux

OctaVive

Member

Registered: 2017-01-03

Posts: 26

Does the Windows 10 Creators Update break the GRUB bootloader?

Hi guys,

So I am using Arch for almost a year now, and the anniversary update came out last year. I installed Arch a bit after that.

Now a similar big update came out for Windows 10, and I still have to use that mess for other stuff. I'm actually scared that Windows 10 will start fucking up Arch Linux or fucking up the bootloader.

Has anyone succeeded installing Windows 10 Creators Update without problems with Arch Linux or the GRUB bootloader?

dude42

Member

Registered: 2014-11-09

Posts: 13

Re: Does the Windows 10 Creators Update break the GRUB bootloader?

I run Windows 10 Creators Update in dual boot with Arch Linux with UEFI booting on a machine. I ran into this issue before the Creators update which caused me to have to have to repair the EFI system partition from an Arch USB:

https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Du … t_Start-Up

Note that I use systemd-boot:

https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Systemd-boot

That being said I have not experienced any issues thus far.

phw

Member

Registered: 2013-05-27

Posts: 318

Re: Does the Windows 10 Creators Update break the GRUB bootloader?

I installed it, but yes, it breaks the boot loader. For some reason MS considers it a good idea to just add another partition to an existing system without warning (and I have no idea what it uses this new 512 MB NTFS partition for). Be prepared to boot using the grub rescue mode and reinstall grub. See http://www.legendiary.at/2016/01/04/win … eaks-grub/

Head_on_a_Stick

Member

From: The Wirral

Registered: 2014-02-20

Posts: 9,003

Website

Re: Does the Windows 10 Creators Update break the GRUB bootloader?

I'm actually scared that Windows 10 will start fucking up Arch Linux or fucking up the bootloader.

I think Windows will just reset the UEFI bootorder and make the Windows bootmanager first in the list.

If you use the Arch bootmanager then you can reset the bootorder from the live ISO image with the `efibootmgr` command.

I currently use the Windows NVRAM entry to boot my systemd-boot .efi loader by using this method:

https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Un … boot_order

I find that Windows will reset this modification and will also re-enable fast restart after every major update so I have to use the Task Scheduler to create a custom service to run the commands needed to reset the bootorder and disable fast restart every time the system boots up.

More detail here: https://forums.bunsenlabs.org/viewtopic.php?id=3624

---

Jin, Jîyan, Azadî

phw

Member

Registered: 2013-05-27

Posts: 318

Re: Does the Windows 10 Creators Update break the GRUB bootloader?

@OctaVive Looking at the answers above it all depends whether whether you boot on an EFI system or not

episyron

Member

Registered: 2010-07-21

Posts: 18

Re: Does the Windows 10 Creators Update break the GRUB bootloader?

Windows 10 update before this one, Anniversary update, created a new partition and of course messed up the grub configuration in my BIOS/MBR PC. New partition was 450MB with NTFS. Is Creators update creating still another partition or is it satisfied with the earlier one?

phw

Member

Registered: 2013-05-27

Posts: 318

Re: Does the Windows 10 Creators Update break the GRUB bootloader?

Windows 10 update before this one, Anniversary update, created a new partition and of course messed up the grub configuration in my BIOS/MBR PC. New partition was 450MB with NTFS. Is Creators update creating still another partition or is it satisfied with the earlier one?

I don't think so, but who knows what Windows updates are doing. Anniversary update went for me without issues, didn't touch the partition table and grub kept working.

Annoyingduck

Member

Registered: 2016-08-02

Posts: 179

Re: Does the Windows 10 Creators Update break the GRUB bootloader?

You can always make a usb bootable Refind Bootloader drive and recover any UEFI Linux installation if Windows overwrites the default boot on an update.  I always keep one handy, it happens often.  Your grub/direct boot options will appear in the Refind menu. Then once booted, you can easily restore the default loader within Linux if your Bios doesn't allow you to make the change.

dojero

Member

Registered: 2011-11-26

Posts: 37

Re: Does the Windows 10 Creators Update break the GRUB bootloader?

For those using systemd-boot (as the original poster), the solution is simple. The Creators update does add a partition, causing the Linux partition(s) to be re-designated. So if /dev/sda4 was your root partition, the root now sits on /dev/sda5. If your systemd-boot config entry shows root at the wrong partition, the system won't boot Linux. The solution is to edit the arch.conf (or whatever you're calling the entry in "esp"/boot/loader/entries) to reflect the new root device.

Of course, if you used UUID or another label for identifying the root location, it won't be affected by the Creators update.

tedbell

Member

Registered: 2012-08-04

Posts: 167

Re: Does the Windows 10 Creators Update break the GRUB bootloader?

Any Windows installation on top of an Arch installation will require a

grub-mkconfig -o /boot/grub/grub.cfg