[SOLVED] "No Windows Bootloader Found" In Dual Boot

vw98008 · 03-22-2021, 11:55 PM

I try to install MX Linux on an existing partition for Linux (ext4) in a dual boot box. The installation stops around 95% when installing GRUB. A message says "can't get GRUB installed" and to reboot and go to the grub rescue menu. After reboot the live MX, I select bootloader and find the menu. Under the menu, I select "find window bootloader" and get a message, "no windows bootloader found".

At the moment, Windows couldn't get booted from the HD. The Windows repairing process didn't help. After I reinstalled the Windows, it can get booted from HD.

Now, I go back to MX Linux live from USB. I still get the error message. How to fix it?

colorpurple21859 · 03-23-2021, 08:32 AM

from mx linux live open a terminal and post the output of the following,

Code:

sudo parted -l
cat /sys/firmwware/efi

vw98008 · 03-23-2021, 11:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by colorpurple21859

from mx linux live open a terminal and post the output of the following,

Code:

sudo parted -l
cat /sys/firmwware/efi

Thanks very much for your help.

The followings are the output of the first command

Code:

Model: ATA WDC WD1200JD-75G (scsi)
Disk /dev/sda: 120GB
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/512B
Partition Table: msdos
Disk Flags: 

Number  Start   End     Size    Type     File system     Flags
 1      32.3kB  41.1MB  41.1MB  primary  fat16           diag
 2      41.1MB  42.0GB  41.9GB  primary  ntfs            boot
 3      42.0GB  44.1GB  2147MB  primary  linux-swap(v1)
 4      44.1GB  120GB   75.9GB  primary  ext4


Model: General UDisk (scsi)
Disk /dev/sdb: 4027MB
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/512B
Partition Table: msdos
Disk Flags: 

Number  Start   End     Size    Type     File system  Flags
 1      1049kB  4027MB  4025MB  primary  fat32        boot, lba

Under the /sys/firmware, there are three directories: acpi dmi memap, but not any files.

syg00 · 03-23-2021, 03:36 PM

Can you re-install MX and run those same commands again ?. From the installed system rather than the liveCD.

vw98008 · 03-23-2021, 04:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by syg00

Can you re-install MX and run those same commands again ?. From the installed system rather than the liveCD.

I get the same error after reinstalling MX. I can't see how to get to the hard drive to find out that Linux information from the MX live.

The error message is "GRUB installation failed. You can reboot to the live medium and use the GRUB Rescue menu to repair the installation". After playing the "switch to GRUB bootloader", I can't see how to fix the problem. Any advice?

Emerson · 03-23-2021, 05:53 PM

For EFI install you may need to use GPT partition table, some firmawares are choosy and may not want to boot in EFI mode from MSDOS partitioned drive.
OTOH, for legacy boot you need a small 2 MB empty non-formatted so-called Grub-BIOS partition, Grub needs it for its stage 1.5 files, methinks. If this partition is missing Grub will fail, like it does on you. If you want to use current partition table use some other bootloader, SysLinux, Lilo, whatnot.

syg00 · 03-23-2021, 05:54 PM

Let's see those commands again from the liveCD just to see if MX did change things.

vw98008 · 03-23-2021, 06:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Emerson

For EFI install you may need to use GPT partition table, some firmawares are choosy and may not want to boot in EFI mode from MSDOS partitioned drive.
OTOH, for legacy boot you need a small 2 MB empty non-formatted so-called Grub-BIOS partition, Grub needs it for its stage 1.5 files, methinks. If this partition is missing Grub will fail, like it does on you. If you want to use current partition table use some other bootloader, SysLinux, Lilo, whatnot.

During the installation procedure, there isn't a requirement on grub-bios partition if my memory is correct.

vw98008 · 03-23-2021, 06:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by syg00

Let's see those commands again from the liveCD just to see if MX did change things.

Nothing changed. Also, after I select "find GRUB bootloader", I get

Code:

found GRUB bootloader at (hd0, msdos1)
found GRUB bootloader at (hd1, msdos4)

I guess something shall be done in the hd1.

colorpurple21859 · 03-23-2021, 08:59 PM

Follow these instructions here https://howtoubuntu.org/how-to-repai...ubuntu-live-cd
The partition you mount at /mnt will be /dev/sda4
The grub-install will be

Code:

sudo grub-install /dev/sda

syg00 · 03-23-2021, 09:12 PM

So I guess we can assume BIOS rather than [U]EFI complications. I'd be looking in the BIOS menus for a "anti-virus" type setting that may be stopping grub updating. colorpurple21859' suggestion should test that tho'.

colorpurple21859 · 03-23-2021, 09:25 PM

Quote:

So I guess we can assume BIOS rather than [U]EFI complications.

The drive is msdos and the first partition is diag not esp, and no /sys/firmware/efi. With the usb plugged in, grub has the usb as the first drive. See post 3 and 9.

Quote:

Under the /sys/firmware, there are three directories: acpi dmi memap, but not any files.

I was checking for the existence or not of a /sys/firmware/efi directory. If this had been a uefi system the partition table would have been gpt. The cat command would have returned "/sys/firmware/efi is a directory" if booted in uefi mode, versus legacy/csm mode.

vw98008 · 03-25-2021, 09:29 PM

This problem has been resolved with some help from a member of MX team.