UEFI, systemd-boot, windows 10

Gruntz · 2018-01-27 15:35:44

Hello all,

I have a laptop that supports uefi so I am trying to get it working.

I have installed archlinux. I have these partitions:

sda1 /boot - 512MB - vfat
sda2 / - rest ( ~32GB )
sdb1 /home - 750GB
sdb2 /var - 15GB
free space - ~160GB for windows 10

I install archlinux first. I set sda1 to vfat. EF00 code, for efi boot. I have systemd-boot ( gummyboot ). It works perfectly, i can boot archlinux with no problem.

When I install windows 10, it overrides all my EFI entries ( archlinux and efi shell ), and in boot menu I can see only windows. If I reboot to arch iso, go to /boot/EFI/ and remove Microsoft folder from there, it is back to normal.

I have disabled windows fast boot. I had tried to reinstall systemd-boot with "bootctl --path=/boot install" or "bootctl update".

Why is windows overtaking everything and only its entry is visible ( besides it is evil ) and how can I use dualboot with systemd-boot

Best regards.

Blasphemist · 2018-01-28 22:12:08

Parts of your issue sound like different issues to me. It on one hand sounds like windows is removing your Arch boot entry in UEFI and you already know how to replace that entry. You created that entry when you created the entry for Bootctl (systemd boot) using efibootmgr. However I wouldn't think that is the issue because if it were it still wouldn't boot after you delete the windows boot loader directory. The fact that it does boot after you delete that directory tells me the windows boot loader must just be ahead of the Arch bootctl entry in the UEFI boot order. If that is the case you can boot to an Arch iso, follow the instructions for mounting the partitions and arch-chroot and use efibootmgr to change the boot order. The efibootmgr man page or help shows how this is done.

Annoyingduck · 2018-01-29 01:22:35

Windows 10 no longer formats the efi partition, so your Arch loader is still there after a Windows install. But it does override the boot sequence, and in some UEFI's you cannot fix this from within the bios (some you can, where you can select from any loader installed right in the bios's boot options). Easiest solution, make a bootable Refind usb and boot from that. It'll be able to boot your Windows boot manager or your already installed Linux bootloader...and if that fails you can direct boot the vmlinuz kernel image right from Refind. Once booted, use efibootmgr to adjust your default boot options.

Head_on_a_Stick · 2018-01-29 09:17:17

Gruntz wrote:

If I reboot to arch iso, go to /boot/EFI/ and remove Microsoft folder from there, it is back to normal.

Really? Does that not break Windows?

Gruntz wrote:

how can I use dualboot with systemd-boot

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

Gruntz · 2018-01-29 13:56:44

Hello all,

Thank you for your replays.

Annoyingduck: "Windows 10 no longer formats the efi partition" - Yes, the partition is there. everything is there, and the Microsoft folder is there. But I cannot see any uefi bootable device from the bios boot menu, except the windows EFI boot device,

Head_on_a_Stick - By "remove" I mean move away from my EFI partition. When I move away the Microsoft folder, I can see the Arch EFI boot device in boot menu and bios. But if I copy Microsoft folder back to /boot/EFI/, I no longer see arch EFI boot device, just the windows one. So it breaks Windows, for a while.

I will try first to run Windows on a VM, and work from there. If it is enough, i will not try to fix the dual boot.

If it does not work, i will try to use efibootmgr and change the boot order.

Best regards.

Annoyingduck · 2018-01-29 15:25:10

Gruntz wrote:

Hello all,
Thank you for your replays.
Annoyingduck: "Windows 10 no longer formats the efi partition" - Yes, the partition is there. everything is there, and the Microsoft folder is there. But I cannot see any uefi bootable device from the bios boot menu, except the windows EFI boot device,
Head_on_a_Stick - By "remove" I mean move away from my EFI partition. When I move away the Microsoft folder, I can see the Arch EFI boot device in boot menu and bios. But if I copy Microsoft folder back to /boot/EFI/, I no longer see arch EFI boot device, just the windows one. So it breaks Windows, for a while.
I will try first to run Windows on a VM, and work from there. If it is enough, i will not try to fix the dual boot.
If it does not work, i will try to use efibootmgr and change the boot order.
Best regards.

Don't move anything. Nothing is "gone", just hidden from your UEFI bios. That's what I was saying earlier. Make a Bootable Refind usb and boot from it. It'll see everything that your Bios is not seeing. I use Grub, but I've encountered this a ton of times because I like installing Windows after Linux. Once Windows is installed it takes over booting. Just booting Refind gets you back into Linux, then just adjust the EFI boot from within Linux to set Linux as the default and update your Linux bootloader to include Windows...Done.

Now the fact that you have been moving around Windows boot options leads me to think yo may have some other problems developing that may require a Windows boot repair (which sucks btw), and that "may" actually remove the Linux loader. Not sure on this one.

Gruntz · 2018-01-29 16:53:36

I am booting from archlinux live CD, and when I mount my /boot i can move/remove items in /boot/EFI/. That is what I am doing to get back my systemd-boot bootloader. I will try to rearrange boot devices with efibootmgr, and see if that helps.

Thank you.

Head_on_a_Stick · 2018-01-29 17:14:26

Gruntz wrote:

When I move away the Microsoft folder, I can see the Arch EFI boot device in boot menu and bios. But if I copy Microsoft folder back to /boot/EFI/, I no longer see arch EFI boot device, just the windows one. So it breaks Windows, for a while.

That sounds like your motherboard's UEFI firmware is defective and will only start Microsoft's bootmgfw.efi (if it is on the ESP), I have seen this before.

If re-ordering the NVRAM entries with the `efibootmgr` command (as suggested by Blashphemist) does not work then try using `bcdedit` from a Windows Administrator prompt to set Arch's systemd-boot .efi loader as the default boot entry, as per the ArchWiki link I supplied in my last post.

SHGuy_ · 2018-02-04 21:33:25

Can you list the folders in the ESP partition, pls?

(Before Windows boot and after)

haoliang · 2018-07-25 10:32:03

I have encounter this too, things about mine:

* archlinux
* windows 10
* efi
* systemd-boot

And I wanna give out another way to fix the problem, and I have tested it in my lenovo 15isk.

```
mv /boot/EFI/Microsoft /boot/myvendor/
echo -e "title win10\nefi /boot/myvendor/Microsoft/Boot/bootmgfw.efi" > /boot/loader/entities/win.conf
```

then, uefi firmware will launch systemd-boot rather than windows boot program, and we can launch windows via systemd-boot.

some cites:

> Each vendor can store its files under <EFI SYSTEM PARTITION>/EFI/<VENDOR NAME>/ folder and can use the firmware or its shell (UEFI shell) to launch the boot program.
> https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Ar … ocess#UEFI

Last edited by haoliang (2018-07-25 10:57:52)

Arch Linux

#1 2018-01-27 15:35:44

UEFI, systemd-boot, windows 10

#2 2018-01-28 22:12:08

Re: UEFI, systemd-boot, windows 10

#3 2018-01-29 01:22:35

Re: UEFI, systemd-boot, windows 10

#4 2018-01-29 09:17:17

Re: UEFI, systemd-boot, windows 10

#5 2018-01-29 13:56:44

Re: UEFI, systemd-boot, windows 10

#6 2018-01-29 15:25:10

Re: UEFI, systemd-boot, windows 10

#7 2018-01-29 16:53:36

Re: UEFI, systemd-boot, windows 10

#8 2018-01-29 17:14:26

Re: UEFI, systemd-boot, windows 10

#9 2018-02-04 21:33:25

Re: UEFI, systemd-boot, windows 10

#10 2018-07-25 10:32:03

Re: UEFI, systemd-boot, windows 10

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