Can't boot into Windows Anymore

free2move · 2014-12-20 18:37:05

Hey Guys!

I'm new to Arch Linux, but have been using Fedora for about 6 months and then Ubuntu on and off before that and thought I'd try out Arch. So far, I'm loving the OS as well as the community. Most of my questions have been answered through the forums and the wiki. However, right now I'm in a bit of a sticky situation. I had dual booted Windows 7 and Fedora before and had no problems switching between Operating Systems. Now, for some reason, it auto-boots me into Arch and I can't even access the Windows side. I'm booting arch in with the UEFI settings so I can keep all of my hardware drivers on point, but I'm pretty sure Windows is installed in BIOS. I don't know if that would make a difference, but if it does, is there any way for me to get to my Windows side while keeping both sides in tact and functioning.

For the record, I've already tried os-prober and it's giving me this output:

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

Generating grub configuration file ...
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-linux
Found initrd image: /boot/initramfs-linux.img
Found fallback initramfs image: /boot/initramfs-linux-fallback.img
done

This clearly doesn't show the Windows side, so I don't know how I can access it anymore. I know it's there because the NTFS file systems (sda1 and sda2) are both showing up in gparted. I have a lot of important programs on there that I really don't feel like re-installing since I'm pretty sure this is an easy fix. Help would be greatly appreciated. Cheers!

Last edited by free2move (2014-12-20 18:37:51)

shulamy · 2014-12-20 19:09:23

did you mount the windows partition before running os-prober?

ezik

Head_on_a_Stick · 2014-12-20 19:31:52

Please post the output of:

# parted -l
lsblk -f
# efibootmgr -v

free2move · 2014-12-20 19:38:52

shulamy: No, but I will try it now. (edit:tried it, but I don't know where I should mount them to)

Head_on_a_Stick:

# parted -l      
Model: ATA WDC WD5000BEKT-8 (scsi)
Disk /dev/sda: 500GB
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/512B
Partition Table: gpt
Disk Flags: 

Number  Start   End     Size    File system     Name                  Flags
 1      1049kB  27.9GB  27.9GB  ntfs            Microsoft basic data  msftdata
 2      27.9GB  331GB   303GB   ntfs            Microsoft basic data  msftdata
 3      331GB   358GB   26.8GB  ext4
 4      358GB   367GB   8590MB  linux-swap(v1)
 5      367GB   369GB   2147MB  fat32                                 boot, esp
 6      369GB   500GB   131GB   ext4


[root]# lsblk -f
NAME   FSTYPE LABEL      UUID                                 MOUNTPOINT
sda                                                           
|-sda1 ntfs   New Volume 583CC6723CC64AA8                     
|-sda2 ntfs   OS         CA36F97D36F96AB9                     
|-sda3 ext4              bb66417f-36aa-4839-b4e2-d0020442c923 /
|-sda4 swap              61165e5e-d715-4fbd-8cc4-0d46649a210b [SWAP]
|-sda5 vfat              C4F5-141B                            /boot
`-sda6 ext4              f4db9202-f1f1-42bb-804e-fb792bf3b782 /home
sr0                                                           
[root]# efibootmgr -v
BootCurrent: 0002
Timeout: 2 seconds
BootOrder: 0002,0003,0000,0001
Boot0000* Hard Drive	BIOS(2,0,00)
Boot0001* CD/DVD Drive	BIOS(3,0,00)
Boot0002* arch_grub	HD(5,2aad05a0,400000,1037d693-297b-4869-8d5e-c7ae7d167075)File(\EFI\arch_grub\grubx64.efi)
Boot0003* Linux Boot Manager	HD(5,2aad05a0,400000,ec97c27b-90c5-471a-aff5-768dddcddbbc)File(\EFI\gummiboot\gummibootx64.efi)

Last edited by free2move (2014-12-20 19:41:03)

Head_on_a_Stick · 2014-12-20 19:53:35

When installing Arch, did you change the type of partition table?

You have a GPT disk booting in EFI-mode using GRUB (and you've also tried gummiboot) -- if Windows was booting in non-EFI mode, it would have needed a BIOS Boot Partition; this is not present.

I think it's likely that Windows was booting in EFI-mode and you overwrote the bootloader on the EFI system partition by formatting it.

I could be wrong though -- my Windows installs are non-EFI, so I can't check what the partition structure should be.

You may have to use a Windows rescue disk to get Windows booting again, check for sure how it's booting and then Arch-chroot into your Arch systeml and re-install the appropriate bootloader/manager.

free2move · 2014-12-20 20:04:05

I originally tried using gummiboot, but for some reason it just wasn't working so I switched over to GRUB which I had used in the past. Windows was installed in BIOS since when I went to install Arch, I had to enable UEFI booting. It forced me to use the GPT since I was booting in UEFI, but I didn't touch the two Windows partitions. It is totally likely though that Windows was an MBR/BIOS boot. If that's the case, would it be possible to access the Windows partitions to save some files and then just fully switch the hard drive to Arch Linux (while running bootcamp or virtual box Windows)?

Head_on_a_Stick · 2014-12-20 20:10:53

free2move wrote:

when I went to install Arch, I had to enable UEFI booting. It forced me to use the GPT since I was booting in UEFI

The Arch .iso will boot in non-EFI mode.

So you changed the partition table type from MBR to GPT then?

free2move · 2014-12-20 20:26:54

Yes, but I chose to switch because it had CPU independent drivers and I was told it was more efficient.

Head_on_a_Stick · 2014-12-20 20:40:12

Head_on_a_Stick wrote:

So you changed the partition table type from MBR to GPT then?

TheSaint · 2014-12-21 01:43:23

We'll know it by

# gdisk -l /dev/sda

Also the BIOS NVRAM has no entry for windows.
You may configure gummiboot, see something here
To make a windows entry you may write $esp/loader/entries/windows

title windows
efi /EFI/Microsoft/Boot/bootmgfw.efi

Make sure the path is correct by

$ find /boot/ -name bootmgfw.efi

Assuming that ESP is mounted on /boot.

Head_on_a_Stick · 2014-12-21 02:02:42

@TheSaint: see post #4 -- the `parted -l` output gives us that information.

I'm pretty sure the OP had an MBR disk with Windows installed in non-EFI mode and they changed the partition type to GPT, overwriting the Windows bootloader in the process.

Hence, there is no /boot/EFI/Microsoft/Boot/...

The only way of getting Windows booting again is by using a rescue disk (see post #5) and even this might not work because of the altered partition table.

I may be completely wrong of course...

TheSaint · 2014-12-21 04:56:07

Partition 5 is the ESP.
Just to know, what is containing now.

free2move · 2014-12-21 21:42:25

Ok so I just grabbed my files from the windows side and I think I'll re install Windows at some point. Thanks for the help though! I think what ended up happening is exactly what Head_on_a_Stick said in #11. Thanks so much!

Arch Linux

#1 2014-12-20 18:37:05

Can't boot into Windows Anymore

#2 2014-12-20 19:09:23

Re: Can't boot into Windows Anymore

#3 2014-12-20 19:31:52

Re: Can't boot into Windows Anymore

#4 2014-12-20 19:38:52

Re: Can't boot into Windows Anymore

#5 2014-12-20 19:53:35

Re: Can't boot into Windows Anymore

#6 2014-12-20 20:04:05

Re: Can't boot into Windows Anymore

#7 2014-12-20 20:10:53

Re: Can't boot into Windows Anymore

#8 2014-12-20 20:26:54

Re: Can't boot into Windows Anymore

#9 2014-12-20 20:40:12

Re: Can't boot into Windows Anymore

#10 2014-12-21 01:43:23

Re: Can't boot into Windows Anymore

#11 2014-12-21 02:02:42

Re: Can't boot into Windows Anymore

#12 2014-12-21 04:56:07

Re: Can't boot into Windows Anymore

#13 2014-12-21 21:42:25

Re: Can't boot into Windows Anymore

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