Grub - Error: no such partition & rescue mode

Hardware · 2017-10-21 08:33:39

Hi,

I use a multi-boot environment since 2011 with ArchLinux and Windows, I built a new gaming computer in 2014 with same multi-boot and i updated to windows 10 mid-2015, everything working well during all these years, ArchLinux works like a charm. But since 2016, 1 or 2 times a month, grub don't load and show "Error: no such partition". When it happens, I used windows before and I wanted to restart the computer to go to Archlinux, but it does not happen every time, it's totally random. but if i only use archlinux for weeks, the problem does not occur anymore.

Grub loading.
Welcome to GRUB!

error:no such partition.
Entering rescue mode...
grub rescue>

I tried everything : reinstalling windows, motherboard firmware update, ssd drive firmware update, check S.M.A.R.T. table, MemTest, Kaspersky Rescue Disk analysis, new RAM memory, ASUS UEFI utility... Since 1 month, the problem happens more and more often (1-2 times per week). I have to restore grub each time with an archlinux live usb (/dev/sdax mounting + chroot + grub-install).

Before grub restoration (JetFlashTranscend 8GB is my live USB) :

efibootmgr -v

BootCurrent: 0003
Timeout: 1 seconds
BootOrder: 0000,0003,0001
Boot0000* Windows Boot Manager	HD(2,96800,32000,a91e8f89-36fa-4f7e-b248-34a622f494b7)File(\EFI\MICROSOFT\BOOT\BOOTMGFW.EFI)WINDOWS.........x...B.C.D.O.B.J.E.C.T.=.{.9.d.e.a.8.6.2.c.-.5.c.d.d.-.4.e.7.0.-.a.c.c.1.-.f.3.2.b.3.4.4.d.4.7.9.5.}...3................
Boot0001  Hard Drive 	BIOS(2,0,00)..GO..NO........O.S.T.1.0.0.0.D.M.0.0.3.-.1.E.R.1.6.2.................>..Gd-.;.A..MQ..L. . . . . . . . . . . . .4.Z.0.Y.S.N.6.K........BO..NO........O.C.r.u.c.i.a.l._.C.T.2.5.6.M.X.1.0.0.S.S.D.1.................>..Gd-.;.A..MQ..L. . . . . . . . .4.1.4.3.D.0.7.0.7.C.3.A........BO..NOy.......;.J.e.t.F.l.a.s.h.T.r.a.n.s.c.e.n.d. .8.G.B.................*..Gd-.;.A..MQ..L.2.6.8.5.1.6.9.1.5.3........BO
Boot0003* UEFI: (FAT) JetFlashTranscend 8GB	ACPI(a0341d0,0)PCI(14,0)USB(10,0)HD(1,800,eb77df,3761f93f-83b7-4424-b107-cd2d497ce688)..BO

After grub restoration :

efibootmgr -v

BootCurrent: 0003
Timeout: 1 seconds
BootOrder: 0002,0004,0000,0003,0001
Boot0000* Windows Boot Manager	HD(2,96800,32000,a91e8f89-36fa-4f7e-b248-34a622f494b7)File(\EFI\MICROSOFT\BOOT\BOOTMGFW.EFI)WINDOWS.........x...B.C.D.O.B.J.E.C.T.=.{.9.d.e.a.8.6.2.c.-.5.c.d.d.-.4.e.7.0.-.a.c.c.1.-.f.3.2.b.3.4.4.d.4.7.9.5.}...3................
Boot0001  Hard Drive 	BIOS(2,0,00)..GO..NO........O.S.T.1.0.0.0.D.M.0.0.3.-.1.E.R.1.6.2.................>..Gd-.;.A..MQ..L. . . . . . . . . . . . .4.Z.0.Y.S.N.6.K........BO..NO........O.C.r.u.c.i.a.l._.C.T.2.5.6.M.X.1.0.0.S.S.D.1.................>..Gd-.;.A..MQ..L. . . . . . . . .4.1.4.3.D.0.7.0.7.C.3.A........BO..NOy.......;.J.e.t.F.l.a.s.h.T.r.a.n.s.c.e.n.d. .8.G.B.................*..Gd-.;.A..MQ..L.2.6.8.5.1.6.9.1.5.3........BO
Boot0002* grub	HD(2,96800,32000,a91e8f89-36fa-4f7e-b248-34a622f494b7)File(\EFI\GRUB\GRUBX64.EFI)
Boot0003* UEFI: (FAT) JetFlashTranscend 8GB	ACPI(a0341d0,0)PCI(14,0)USB(10,0)HD(1,800,eb77df,3761f93f-83b7-4424-b107-cd2d497ce688)..BO
Boot0004* CD/DVD Drive 	BIOS(3,0,00)..GO..NO........O.T.S.S.T.c.o.r.p. .C.D.D.V.D.W. .S.H.-.S.2.2.3.C.................>..Gd-.;.A..MQ..L.4.R.3.1.G.6.Z.B.9.9.2.7.2.6. . . . . . ........BO

parted /dev/sda print

Model: ATA Crucial_CT256MX1 (scsi)
Disk /dev/sda: 256GB
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/4096B
Partition Table: gpt
Disk Flags: 

Number  Start   End    Size    File system     Name                          Flags
 1      1049kB  316MB  315MB   ntfs            Basic data partition          hidden, diag
 2      316MB   420MB  105MB   fat32           EFI system partition          boot, esp
 3      420MB   555MB  134MB                   Microsoft reserved partition  msftres
 4      555MB   136GB  136GB   ntfs            Basic data partition          msftdata
 5      136GB   189GB  52.9GB  ext4            ArchLinux Root
 6      189GB   254GB  64.4GB  ext4            ArchLinux Home
 7      254GB   256GB  2388MB  linux-swap(v1)  Swap

Motherboard : ASUS Z97-A

Any ideas ?

Last edited by Hardware (2017-10-21 08:42:49)

cfr · 2017-10-22 03:01:55

Sounds like buggy firmware.

But it boots GRUB even though Windows Boot Manager is the default boot option? That doesn't make sense. Why doesn't it boot Windows Boot Manager in that case?

Note that your EFI partition should be 550M for safety. However, I don't know that it would cause these symptoms if that was the problem. I had fussy firmware and it just didn't recognise a smaller EFI partition as legitimate at all.

Have you tried copying the grub EFI to one of the 'fallback' names? For example, EFI/boot/bootx64.efi . However, I'd assume the default entry in the list is going to take precedence.

Last edited by cfr (2017-10-22 03:02:38)

Ahmed Abdo · 2017-10-22 06:16:13

maybe this can be the solution
. Just download Windows 8 or 10 from another PC. Burn the iso into the USB with Rufus. Boot from USB, click Troubleshooting, then Command Prompt, and type

Bootrec /fixmbr

Hardware · 2017-10-22 08:26:35

Ahmed Abdo wrote:

maybe this can be the solution
. Just download Windows 8 or 10 from another PC. Burn the iso into the USB with Rufus. Boot from USB, click Troubleshooting, then Command Prompt, and type
Bootrec /fixmbr 

I tried both "FixMbr" and "FixBoot" arguments with windows recovery option > windows prompt. But just after running these two commands, grub don't load again at boot (error:no such partition). But from my knowledge, bootrec.exe is only useful in BIOS-MBR mode, not UEFI-GPT mode.

cfr wrote:

Sounds like buggy firmware.
But it boots GRUB even though Windows Boot Manager is the default boot option? That doesn't make sense. Why doesn't it boot Windows Boot Manager in that case?

I don't know, that doesn't make sense at all.

I just turned off UEFI FastBoot and CSM (Compatibility Support Module) in my motherboard UEFI settings, I will see if it changes something.

cfr wrote:

Have you tried copying the grub EFI to one of the 'fallback' names? For example, EFI/boot/bootx64.efi .

'fallback' names ?

Some screenshots from UEFI settings :

https://i.imgur.com/M80hpyP.png

https://i.imgur.com/k9w7S43.png

https://i.imgur.com/oKer8sd.png

Mod note: replaced oversized images with URLs. Please see the Code of Conduct regarding acceptable image sizes. -- WorMzy

Last edited by WorMzy (2017-10-22 14:04:15)

cfr · 2017-10-22 13:25:42

Fast boot should definitely be disabled as it is not suitable for a dual-boot system. Is secure boot disabled or enabled?

UEFI firmware may (but need not) support 'falling back' to a hard-coded default EFI executable. I would think this would only be used if no entries in the boot list were usable, but you might want to try it anyway as it shouldn'r do any harm. Worst case, it just won't help.

However, I don't think a fall-back name is likely to help here since it seems to be loading grub anyway, which, as I say, doesn't make any sense to me.

Can you point grub to your root partition and boot from the rescue prompt?

Arch Linux

#1 2017-10-21 08:33:39

Grub - Error: no such partition & rescue mode

#2 2017-10-22 03:01:55

Re: Grub - Error: no such partition & rescue mode

#3 2017-10-22 06:16:13

Re: Grub - Error: no such partition & rescue mode

#4 2017-10-22 08:26:35

Re: Grub - Error: no such partition & rescue mode

#5 2017-10-22 13:25:42

Re: Grub - Error: no such partition & rescue mode

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