Booting Windows & Linux

[limegorilla]

My laptop has both Linux & Windows 7 on it and I want to use Window's bootloader, but when I look at the boot entries it just shows Win7, not GRUB, which is the current bootloader I use. I want to move to the Windows Bootloader and install Windows 10 alongside Ubuntu Mint & Win7 - how can I do this?

[Megladon]

24 minutes ago, limegorilla said:

My laptop has both Linux & Windows 7 on it and I want to use Window's bootloader, but when I look at the boot entries it just shows Win7, not GRUB, which is the current bootloader I use. I want to move to the Windows Bootloader and install Windows 10 alongside Ubuntu Mint & Win7 - how can I do this?

 

This would be able to do that if I understand you correctly http://neosmart.net/EasyBCD/.

This page gives you a basic overview of how to use it: 

http://linuxbsdos.com/2012/03/10/restore-the-windows-bootloader-to-mbr-after-dual-booting-with-linux/

 

[Fleetscut]

The windows boot loader does not work with anything other than windows. You wont be able to load into any linux distro with it. If you want to dual boot you have to use grub or a different boot loader. The best method would be to install windows first to one partition, and then linux to another, the linux installation will overwrite the bootloader with the one it wants to use.

 

The other option is to install them to different disks. That way you can keep the windows boot loader and then just switch the main boot disk in your bios.

[Wild Penquin]

1 hour ago, Fleetscut said:

The windows boot loader does not work with anything other than windows. You wont be able to load into any linux distro with it. If you want to dual boot you have to use grub or a different boot loader. The best method would be to install windows first to one partition, and then linux to another, the linux installation will overwrite the bootloader with the one it wants to use.

 

The other option is to install them to different disks. That way you can keep the windows boot loader and then just switch the main boot disk in your bios.

This is true, except only for BIOS (legacy) boot. If OP is using UEFI (which entry labeled "Win7" hints at) then this is not quite true, since booting is handled differently. There are several EFI boot entries stored, out of which a certain one is default. But it is uncertain wether the OP is using UEFI or Legacy boot; most probably it's the former these days, but if that is the case, then why there is no grub entry - possibly because BIOS is set at "Legacy boot" currently. EDIT: More specifically, it does not make much sense to switch to Legacy boot if the HW/BIOS is recent enought to handle UEFI; possibly Legacy boot is not supported at all on more recent Windowses (I'm not sure), and if that is the case, what you suggest is not applicable.

 

A few question for OP: Do you know if your BIOS is set to UEFI boot or Legacy? From where are you exactly trying to install Windows 10, and why do you need to restore the bootloader exactly? I'm a bit lost here, since the installer should "justy work" despite the current bootloader?

 

Installing windows wont overwrite the Linux installation - only the MBR if using Legacy boot, and possibly force the user to switch secure boot on, and possibly change the default boot entry in EFI. It could delete entries from EFI, but that would not be acceptable for any well-behaved software (which is not to mean that the windows installer necessarily is a well behaving software ).

Edited April 4, 2018 by Wild Penquin

[limegorilla]

@Wild Penquin -- In essense I constantly change between Windows 7 (which I use for general and school use) Windows 8.1 (For web development and because I can) and windows 10 for Games. I have a setup on my desktop (UEFI mode) that DOES have Ubuntu listed in the Windows boot options. That was done with some configuratior but I can't remember it. That has Win7, 8.1, 10 & Ubuntu (MATE) all on one SSD in UEFI mode.

 

My laptop does have UEFI, but will not boot Windows with it (Or the Currently supported Windows installers (win7, 8, 10)) so I am forced to use legacy. I have tried debbuging this and managed to point it to the CSM module but even clearing that didn't help - nor did disabling it (yes I know it doesn't work with Linux)

 

So I want a basic similarity to my desktop on my laptop. I have installed all of the OS's now, and they all run fine, other than I have to use the Ubuntu USB to boot into GRUB via Terminal then boot into Linux that way. I would be fine with a Command Line option in windows as I do not use Linux that often and I can just make it a clickable script on the desktop, but having it in my boot loader to boot from would be ideal 

[Wild Penquin]

On 5.4.2018 at 5:00 PM, limegorilla said:

My laptop does have UEFI, but will not boot Windows with it (Or the Currently supported Windows installers (win7, 8, 10)) so I am forced to use legacy. I have tried debbuging this and managed to point it to the CSM module but even clearing that didn't help - nor did disabling it (yes I know it doesn't work with Linux)

Which laptop is that exactly?

 

One possibility is that it has a badly written (non-compliant) UEFI BIOS. I have no experience with those and I'm not sure if this is the case, but I do know they exist. It is certainly possible the manufacturer of the laptop cheaped out on development and made a BIOS which only works with  their recovery (and Legacy boot).

 

Either way you need to manage booting several OSes with something. Using GRUB is the most popular one. Refind is another option, but it might not work on a crippled non-UEFI--compliant BIOS. There certainly are boot managers/loaders which work on windows boot (has been since XP AFAIK), but they are not so popular. In essence a bootloader is just software which runs before the OS.

 

Have you tried to install GRUB on Legacy mode (and let it manage, which os is booted up)?

[limegorilla]

3 hours ago, Wild Penquin said:

Which laptop is that exactly?

 

One possibility is that it has a badly written (non-compliant) UEFI BIOS. I have no experience with those and I'm not sure if this is the case, but I do know they exist. It is certainly possible the manufacturer of the laptop cheaped out on development and made a BIOS which only works with  their recovery (and Legacy boot).

 

Either way you need to manage booting several OSes with something. Using GRUB is the most popular one. Refind is another option, but it might not work on a crippled non-UEFI--compliant BIOS. There certainly are boot managers/loaders which work on windows boot (has been since XP AFAIK), but they are not so popular. In essence a bootloader is just software which runs before the OS.

 

Have you tried to install GRUB on Legacy mode (and let it manage, which os is booted up)?

I have and it works (GRUB that is) but I can only boot to Windows 7, not to Windows 8 or 10, the only way of accessing them is form the Windows bootloader, so I have to select Win7, then win7 / 8 / 10   - the laptop is an old Sony Vaio - haven't had the need to upgrade since 2014  

[Wild Penquin]

So, you do not actually need to install any Windows (you already have) but need to get everything working from a single menu!

 

Also, you have a working grub installation. Then it is up to configuring GRUB so that it is aware of each installation of Windows.

 

It is possible this is just a matter of running "update-grub" from Mint. Does that generate a grub.conf that will work for you, and allow booting every Windows version?

 

Can you post output of 'inxi -Fxzc0' here? More specifically, the partition layout is of importance here. It is possible you have only one Windows installation / partition, and the Windows bootloader is switching between system folders for the different flavors / version of Windows you have installed (I'm guessing here since I don't use Windows).

 

Have you red this page:

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Grub2