I have just installed Leap 42.2 (replacing, not updating, 13.2). All went well and I rebooted into Leap 42.2 several times. Then I booted Windows 10 (successfully) but now if I restart I can only boot Windows. I get no menu to choose openSUSE and also cannot boot from the openSUSE installation USB. I just always go directly into Windows.
Any suggestions, please, on what’s gone wrong and how to get back a menu to choose what to boot?
I am using UEFI (I believe).
Some UEFI/BIOS insist on Windows. You should be able to use the UEFI boot menu to boot too openSUSE
Once there run as root
efibootmgr
Show us the output. Please use use code tags for all machine output. # in the tool bar
Alas, things have got much worse. Before seeing your reply I tried booting from the installation USB again and just got the GRUB> command and that’s all I get now, with the USB inserted or not. So I can’t get into openSUSE or Windows now, I just get GRUB>
For info, all use to be perfectly OK with a UEFI installation of 13.2 dual booted with Windows 10 on the machine. The problems only emerged after I installed Leap 42.2. I suspect that I have somehow done the (UEFI) installation wrong and completely messed up GRUB.
I still have the 13.2 installation DVD. Would trying to boot from that help (if it’s even possible)? If I could, then maybe I could repair GRUB from that even thogh it’s the ‘old’ version of openSUSE on it?
Help much appreciated.
On 2017-01-10, PingooseCovert <PingooseCovert@no-mx.forums.microfocus.com> wrote:
> Help much appreciated.
Your situation sounds dire. It might help other forum contributors if you provide more information concerning your
system, specifically:
- Laptop vs desktop.
- Single vs multiple hard-drive.
- What you need more urgently now - Windows or openSUSE Leap.
Personally if I was in your position I would do this:
- Backup any data you have (if you’re system isn’t bootable then that’s the first thing you do once it is).
- Repair Windows 10 using your Windows CD/repair disk.
- Once you can boot into Windows, download openSUSE Leap 42.2, perform a sha256/md5 checksum check on the download,
burn the image onto DVD and install Leap 42.2 from scratch over your previous one. (IMO installing OSs from USB-devices
is a bad idea - optical drives are much more robust for this kind of thing). - After booting into your newly installed openSUSE Leap 42.2, perform a zypper up.
- After booting into Windows, make sure you have fast-boot Windows disabled.
- Cross your fingers hoping that your UEFI will let you boot back into openSUSE Leap - if you not, then we will have
to resort to efibootmgr strategies but at least you will now a bootable DVD from which this can be done.
This might be overkill, but is probably the fastest strategy in your case.
Dire indeed.
For info, my system is a desktop with a single hard drive (+ a removable USB hard drive for data backup). Really don’t mind which of Windows or openSUSE I have most urgently.
I don’t have a Windows rescue disc. I realise I should have made one from the rescue partition which came with the machine (a lesson to be learned here). So can’t do 2. in your list.
I have my data backed up both on a removable USB hard drive and on Dropbox.
I have always used DVDs for installing Linux before. I wish I had stuck with this tried and tested method. Another lesson - avoid installations via a USB if at all possible!
I will try booting from my old oS 13.2 installation DVD and if that’s possible see if I can get from there into Windows or Leap 42.2 (I’m assuming they are still there, just not accessible?).
I always had fastboot disabled in Windows when the system was dual-bootable with oS 13.2 - can it get switched back on just by making changes to the Linux and EFI partitions? I doubt it.
To repeat, I had a working and fully updated Leap 42.2 (which rebooted several times) but only when I rebooted via the grub menu into Windows and then rebooted again did the problems start. Probably not a question for a Linux expert, but can Windows somehow change the EFI partitions and/or the bios settings and if so why/how?
Any extra info or help welcome. Thanks.
in opensuse.org.help.install-boot-login, you wrote:
> i don’t have a windows rescue disc. i realise i should have made one
> from the rescue partition which came with the machine (a lesson to be
> learned here). so can’t do 2. in your list.
OK at least your data is intact. Your Windows is potentially unbootable until you get yourself a Windows rescue disk.
This is not a favourable state. In the meantime, you’re at the mercy of openSUSE’s GRUB-EFI + os-prober to rescue your
Windows UEFI boot manager if you can’t access it from within the BIOS. I don’t know what you’ve done since your original
post but now it seems your GRUB now only boots in rescue mode and somehow it can no longer see a valid boot
configuration file. So the way I see it, you’re left with (at least) 4 choices on what to do next (in order of
increasing pain):
- learn to rescue GNU/Linux bootloading yourself (e.g. see
https://www.linux.com/learn/how-rescue-non-booting-grub-2-linux ) and try booting the kernel and fixing the bootloader
(e.g. within YaST). - make yourself a Windows rescue disk using another machine (the versions don’t necessarily have to match - but I’m not
100% sure) and persist with fixing Windows first. - make yourself a openSUSE Leap 42.2 DVD using another machine, install it and hope the bootloader installation `fixes
everything.’ - reinstall openSUSE 13.2 DVD (since it appears to be the only media you have), download Leap 42.2 then install it on
top.
Which of these strategies you decide should depend on whether you have another computer available and your relative
confidence/experience on rescuing openSUSE vs Windows. If at any stage you can boot into Windows, make a recovery disk,
and if after installing Leap 42.2, you’re stuck within Windows, then come back to us before wrecking your GRUB
configuration!
This is all very helpful. Thanks.
I now have a Windows rescue DVD disk from another similar system and a DVD oS installation disc. But neither of them will boot - I get the grub> command whatever I do when the machine is switched on (after a brief HP splash screen).
I haven’t generated the courage to go with the #1. of your suggestions yet. But the fact that I can’t boot from even a bootable DVD suggests to me that I have a bios problem. Could this be the case? If so, I could look in the bios settings and possibly change them. But I don’t know which key to press when switching on to get into the bios. I know it varies from machine to machine. Mine is an HP Pavillion - any idea which is the bios entry key for these machines?
On 2017-01-12, PingooseCovert <PingooseCovert@no-mx.forums.microfocus.com> wrote:
> This is all very helpful. Thanks.
> I now have a Windows rescue DVD disk from another similar system and a
> DVD oS installation disc. But neither of them will boot - I get the
> grub> command whatever I do when the machine is switched on (after a
> brief HP splash screen).
> I haven’t generated the courage to go with the #1. of your suggestions
> yet. But the fact that I can’t boot from even a bootable DVD suggests to
> me that I have a bios problem. Could this be the case? If so, I could
> look in the bios settings and possibly change them. But I don’t know
> which key to press when switching on to get into the bios. I know it
> varies from machine to machine. Mine is an HP Pavillion - any idea which
> is the bios entry key for these machines?
>
AFAIK there are three possibilities (in increasing likelihood):
- All your DVD and USB bootable media are corrupted (most unlikely).
- Your DVD drive and/or connectors are faulty.
- Your UEFI BIOS is somehow misconfigured (most likely).
Unfortunately I’m not familiar with HP Pavillion systems so someone else who is will be in a much better position to
help you.
Probably in your position I would load the BIOS options, execute the `change all values to defaults’ command, and try
again to reboot from DVD. Failing that, I would connect an external DVD player to the laptop and see if I can boot from
that. Failing that, then you potentially have a broken BIOS - in which case you have little choice but the learn how to
bootload from GRUB2 rescue mode so that you can fix your bootloader so that you can boot into Windows and flash your
BIOS.
Hi
For HP systems it’s generally F9 to get to the boot menu (here you can select the efi boot) and F10 for BIOS… If not, then try the esc key.
You should be able to change the boot order in the BIOS, else can do it later with the efibootmgr command.
Thanks for all additional helpful info.
I can boot into Windows via the F9 boot menu - Windows is working just fine with no data loss. I assume that this means that the Windows boot manager is also OK, and also that no use needs to made of any Windows rescue DVD.
However, if I try to boot openSUSE from the F9 boot menu I just get to the grub> prompt. Am I correct to deduce that this means that the openSUSE boot manager is not installed correctly or is corrupt? I have been able to boot openSUSE Leap 42.2 from the grub command line. I have run as root efibootmgr and get the output
BootCurrent: 0004
Timeout: 2 seconds
BootOrder: 0004,0003,0001,0002,0005,0006,0000,0007,0008,0009
Boot0000* opensuse-secureboot
Boot0001* USB Floppy/CD
Boot0002* USB Hard Drive
Boot0003* Windows Boot Manager
Boot0004* opensuse-secureboot
Boot0005* UEFI: IPv4 Realtek PCIe GBE Family Controller
Boot0006* UEFI: IPv6 Realtek PCIe GBE Family Controller
Boot0007* UEFI:CD/DVD Drive
Boot0008* UEFI:Removable Device
Boot0009* UEFI:Network Device
This output was asked for by one of the early replies in this thread. I’m not sure it tells me what the problem with the openSUSE booting process is.
Can I repair the openSUSE booting from within the system? Perhaps by running the Boot Loader in YAST??
If not, I guess I’ll have to reinstall Leap 42.2 from DVD and see if that sets everything up correctly.
Hi
Need to see the output with the -v option…
efibootmgr -v
In your system BIOS (F10 key) is the UEFI boot set to secure boot?
If you go to YaST -> System -> Boot Loader, is the ‘enable secure boot support’ option checked? On the Bootloader Options tab is ‘Probe Foreign OS’ checked?
Yes. Please show output of “efibootmgr -v” which displays more information.
Output from efibootmgr -v
BootCurrent: 0004
Timeout: 2 seconds
BootOrder: 0000,0003,0001,0002,0005,0006,0007,0008,0009
Boot0000* opensuse-secureboot HD(2,200000,b4000,1a6d9cd3-6601-4ee3-bf63-f77f4c479e38)File(\EFI\opensuse\shim.efi)
Boot0001* USB Floppy/CD Vendor(b6fef66f-1495-4584-a836-3492d1984a8d,0500000001)..BO
Boot0002* USB Hard Drive Vendor(b6fef66f-1495-4584-a836-3492d1984a8d,0200000001)..BO
Boot0003* Windows Boot Manager HD(2,200000,b4000,1a6d9cd3-6601-4ee3-bf63-f77f4c479e38)File(\EFI\Microsoft\Boot\bootmgfw.efi)WINDOWS.........x...B.C.D.O.B.J.E.C.T.=.{.9.d.e.a.8.6.2.c.-.5.c.d.d.-.4.e.7.0.-.a.c.c.1.-.f.3.2.b.3.4.4.d.4.7.9.5.}...S................
Boot0005* UEFI: IPv4 Realtek PCIe GBE Family Controller ACPI(a0341d0,0)PCI(1c,6)PCI(0,0)MAC(202564d65e68,0)IPv4(0.0.0.0:0<->0.0.0.0:0,0, 0..BO
Boot0006* UEFI: IPv6 Realtek PCIe GBE Family Controller ACPI(a0341d0,0)PCI(1c,6)PCI(0,0)MAC(202564d65e68,0)030d3c000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000004000000000000000000000000000000000..BO
Boot0007* UEFI:CD/DVD Drive BIOS(81,0,00)
Boot0008* UEFI:Removable Device BIOS(82,0,00)
Boot0009* UEFI:Network Device BIOS(83,0,00)
I have not looked at the BIOS F10 yet (don’t want to switch off just yet since it’s complicated getting back in!)
In the YAST Boot Loader settings both ‘enable secure boot’ and ‘probe foreign OS’ are checked.
Hi
See how the output has changed since you ran YaST Bootloader, cleaned things up and the order
OK, lets just add a non-secure boot entry for safety…
efibootmgr -c -L "opensuse" -l "\\EFI\\opensuse\\grubx64.efi"
That should then give you and additional option when you press the F9 key, but lets make sure secure boot is still default with;
efibootmgr -o 0 3 4
That’s assuming you see 0004 when you create in the previous command, else change the 4 for the corresponding number.
Please show content of /boot/efi/EFI/opensuse/grub.cfg.
Alas I can’t - I’ve lost access to openSUSE again. Having been into the YAST Boot Loader I found that when the machine was restarted I got back the normal boot menu. I could boot into Leap 42.2 (although with a messed-up desktop, but that’s probably for another thread). Then I restart and boot into Windows 10 successfully. Then . . . restart and I go directly to Windows 10, no boot menu. This is a return to the state of affairs when I started this thread . . . I’m writing this now in Windows. I not sure how to boot openSUSE when I don’t get a normal boot menu or a grub> command line.
All this seems totally bizarre. I’ve never had these problems installing openSUSE before. Why does booting into Windows disable/corrupt the openSUSE booting?
If I could boot from my new Leap 42.2 installation DVD in the appropriate mode (UEFI?) I’d try to reinstall Leap 42.2 but UEFI DVD isn’t in the F9 boot menu.
Go back into Windows and make absolutely certain that you have fastboot disabled. Also, check for such an option in the BIOS, and if it exists, disable it.
Just to report that my system BIOS (F10 key) shows:
UEFI Boot Sources
opensuse-secureboot
USB Floppy/CD
USB Hard Drive
UEFI: IPv4 Realtek PCI GBE Family Controller
UEFI: IPv6 Realtek PCI GBE Family Controller
Legacy Boot Sources: Disabled
That’s all I appear to have available.
If someone could remind me where I check for Windows fastboot, I’d be grateful. It’s a long time since I switched it off and I’ve forgotten where/how I did it.
Control Panel -> Power Options -> Choose what the power buttons do
Change settings that are currently unavailable
Shutdown Settings
Uncheck the box for Turn on fast startup
Click Save changes button.
OK, I been to ‘Choose what the power buttons do’ in Windows but in my setup I have no fast-boot option (not even ‘greyed-out’) because, now I remember, about a year ago (because of some booting problem I had back then) I ran
powercfg /h off
in a Windows command line which prevents Windows hibernation and fast-boot completely. I read on an Ask Ubuntu thread that this provides extra safety - it stops Windows or any user switching on fast-boot.
So I can fairly confidently say that fast-boot is not enabled in Windows. However, maybe this just applies to the Windows C: drive. Maybe Windows is accessing the efi partition(s), in particular the one created by the openSUSE installation (they are vfat I think and so accessible by Windows). Then maybe Windows is not letting go of them on exit and leaving the Linux efi partition in a ‘dirty’ state. Is this a fanciful suggestion from an ignoramus? If so feel free to shoot it down. But, if it’s true it would account for the ‘corruption’ and consequent non-usability of the Linux boot loader after, and only after, Windows has been booted. Why Windows would be doing this I have no idea, nor how to stop it. Any further ideas?
Thanks again for all you various helpers on this forum. I hope we get to a solution in the end.