Make GRUB boot OS from QEMU Image

Vamp898 · 2024-03-20 06:37:13

Obviously not qcow2 but raw. Is that possible? Has anyone done that with success?

My usecase: Until now i had an Windows installed on an VHDX and GRUB+Windows Boot Manager in the UEFI Partition.

But for reasons nobody can explain, the UEFI on my mainboard only detects the Windows. It ignores the GRUB even though fully functioning. The moment i delete the Windows Boot Manager from the UEFI Partition, the Mainboard finds GRUB and Boots Linux just fine.

So the solution i used until now (Let GRUB boot Windows Boot Manager and this one boot the VHDX) is no longer working.

I thought, it may be possible to install Windows on an RAW Disk File using QEMU and then let GRUB just boot that.

-thc · 2024-03-20 08:31:59

AFAIK that's not possible because the support to boot from a VHDX image is built into the Windows kernel. A RAW image will not work.

Check via "efibootmgr" if your EFI boot manager entries are O.K. Update your firmware (if applicable). Try resetting the firmware to defaults.

Vamp898 · 2024-03-20 09:35:19

I was assuming that :'(

Thanks for the Tip with efibootmgr, i will check again if really all moot manager entries are okay. They boot fine with my other Mainboard and have been created by grub-install though, so i doubt the issue is there but who knows.

I will check again with the mainboard if there is anything useful i can find.

Arch Linux

#1 2024-03-20 06:37:13

Make GRUB boot OS from QEMU Image

#2 2024-03-20 08:31:59

Re: Make GRUB boot OS from QEMU Image

#3 2024-03-20 09:35:19

Re: Make GRUB boot OS from QEMU Image

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