Win10 and Ubuntu

[Jeeko]

I would like to dual-boot Windows 10 and Ubuntu, but incase I didnt want Ubuntu anymore one day I would you know format the drive Ubuntu is on (Windows 10 is on a diffrent drive). But once before I did dual-boot Windows 10 and Ubuntu and when I formated Ubuntu windows 10 wouldnt boot up! So I would like to know if theres anyway to make Windows 10 and Ubuntu dual-boot without ubuntu interfering with Windows 10?

[laughingtnt]

Does your system have UEFI or BIOS? If it has bios, you cannot dual boot without messing with both since installing ubuntu reinstalls the bootloader from Window's "BOOTMGR" to Linux's "GRUB2" and if you format the drive with Ubuntu, that uninstalls Grub along with the references in the MBR for the computer to be able to boot at all. If you format the ubuntu drive you need a windows 10 bootable media (DVD, USB Drive) to reinstall it's MBR. But if you have UEFI, it may be as simple as switching some settings around in the UEFI settings since In UEFI you can have multiple bootloaders to switch in between because it is based on files.

[Boo Berry]

In simple terms the two OSes bootloaders clash and override each other.

 

I have 4 OSes (all UEFI) on this PC (Windows 10, macOS, Arch Linux and Ubuntu) each installed on its own SSD. How do I keep their bootloaders from clashing with each other? When I install or reinstall OSes I simply unplug all of the SSDs/HDDs (except the SSD I'm installing to) so they can't override each other's bootloaders during installation. Then I use a "main" bootloader to boot all of the other OS' bootloaders (Clover, in this case). Works pretty good.

[laughingtnt]

Just now, Boo Berry said:

In simple terms the two OSes bootloaders clash and override each other.

 

I have 4 OSes (all UEFI) on this PC (Windows 10, macOS, Arch Linux and Ubuntu) each installed on its own SSD. How do I keep their bootloaders from clashing with each other? When I install or reinstall OSes I simply unplug all of the SSDs/HDDs so they can't override each other's bootloaders.

It's hard to say since each os has a different way of handling OS bootloaders. The rest of this post is me speaking about UEFI not BIOS!!  I know that linux will make GRUB2 the default but not override the other EFI-boot files. Windows I'm not sure about but I know it has tried to erase my linux install before for one reason or another. I booted windows 10, used it, rebooted into linux and it had a corrupted filesystem so I nuked Windows 10 from my PC permanently... Really when installing OS'es in multiboot It's hard to say since you need the SSD/HDD plugged in for the OS Prober to find them and add them to its own bootloader.

[Jeeko]

Thank you, I´ll be using Boo Berry´s way of doing it but thank you all.

[Boo Berry]

If I recall correctly, Windows' bootloader will erase/override GRUB2. With my setup, I admit it's kinda a pain and more work if I need to reinstall an OS (especially non-Windows, because I have to remove the M.2 SSD for Windows), but I rather unplug the other OS' SATA cables and be better off safe than sorry than have the bootloaders messing with each other.

 

I keep OS Prober disabled in my Linux installs - no reason to use it with my use case, actually.

 

But for the OP, using GRUB2 for Windows and Ubuntu might be a good idea. Or you *could* use the Windows bootloader and use something like EasyUEFI to add Ubuntu.

[laughingtnt]

Just now, Boo Berry said:

If I recall correctly, Windows' bootloader will erase/override GRUB2. With my setup, I admit it's kinda a pain and more work if I need to reinstall an OS, but I rather unplug the other OSes and be better off safe than sorry than have the bootloaders messing with each other.

 

I keep OS Prober disabled in my Linux installs - no reason to use it, actually.

Oh yeah, linux is very passive but windows is a pain in the ass with multibooting. It wants to be the one and only! 

 

And if you are going to install a bootloader separately, then yeah, no reason for the prober.

[Boo Berry]

5 minutes ago, laughingtnt said:

And if you are going to install a bootloader separately, then yeah, no reason for the prober.

Oh, I still use GRUB2 for my Linux installs - both actually uses its own GRUB2!

 

Basically my setup is Clover being the 'main' bootloader so after POST it boots to Clover giving me a selection of the 4 OSes. I then choose an OS and let the OS' bootloader take over and boot that OS. So let's say with Ubuntu it goes from Clover > Ubuntu's GRUB2 with Ubuntu entries > boot to Ubuntu. Yeah, it's two chained bootloaders doing it this way (except with Mac, since Clover is its bootloader), but I don't have to mess with editing stuff except with Clover.

 

But... I can override that and boot any OS with its own bootloader if I want to during POST. Or I can boot into the UEFI BIOS and change the UEFI boot order if I need to boot another OS (but it's easier to press F11 during POST and choose a bootloader).