I need to reinstall Win7 on my main drive.
I have Leap 15.4 on two other drives connected to the PC.
How do I reinstall Grub2 after the Windows install is complete?
TIA
Bill_L
Why not disconnect the other drives, install Windows, then reconnect? Grub would not be touched that way, unless the main Grub is on the Windows drive.
Without full details how the non-Windows drives’ Grub(s) were configured, it’s hard to make any other recommendation, lsblk -f at a minimum.
Thanks for your reply.
This is the state of my Leap/Win7 now. GRUB should be on /dev/sdc
I can get a photo of the grub screen if needed.
Image from Gparted showing Windows 7 drive https://susepaste.org/37663288
lsblk -fNAME FSTYPE FSVER LABEL UUID FSAVAIL FSUSE% MOUNTPOINTS
sda
├─sda1 swap 1 PATA-Swap d42d52f6-55e1-4ab5-9c4f-97ed99ff7791
├─sda2 ext4 1.0 PATA-160-root 051b6256-64ea-4349-aa55-4d82e6c74924
└─sda3 ext4 1.0 PATA-160-Home e917ba44-b9ed-41db-9bfc-fcfbd4b6a38d
sdb
├─sdb1 ntfs System Reserved 1A0CB3280CB2FE37
└─sdb2 ntfs Windows 7 64 Home ACB2B4EEB2B4BDE0
sdc
├─sdc1 swap 1 swap cb73def0-af96-4744-a8db-cc9d007ea1c8 [SWAP]
├─sdc2 ext4 1.0 SATA160-Root 2dcb75c5-9bee-45be-9903-5a277fa48d02 32.2G 16% /
└─sdc3 ext4 1.0 SATA160-Home 536e802f-a8ac-4f27-9d71-3c386587e686 65.9G 27% /home
fdisk -lDisk /dev/sdc: 149.01 GiB, 160000000000 bytes, 312500000 sectors
Disk model: ST3160815AS
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disklabel type: dos
Disk identifier: 0xf0528969
Device Boot Start End Sectors Size Id Type
/dev/sdc1 2048 16779263 16777216 8G 82 Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sdc2 * 16779264 104859647 88080384 42G 83 Linux
/dev/sdc3 104859648 312499999 207640352 99G 83 Linux
Disk /dev/sda: 149.05 GiB, 160041885696 bytes, 312581808 sectors
Disk model: WDC WD1600AAJB-0
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disklabel type: dos
Disk identifier: 0xfb30b87c
Device Boot Start End Sectors Size Id Type
/dev/sda1 2048 16779263 16777216 8G 82 Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sda2 * 16779264 100665343 83886080 40G 83 Linux
/dev/sda3 100665344 312581807 211916464 101G 83 Linux
Disk /dev/sdb: 465.76 GiB, 500107862016 bytes, 976773168 sectors
Disk model: ST500NM0011
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disklabel type: dos
Disk identifier: 0x00000001
Device Boot Start End Sectors Size Id Type
/dev/sdb1 * 64 204863 204800 100M 7 HPFS/NTFS/exFAT
/dev/sdb2 205632 445692239 445486608 212.4G 7 HPFS/NTFS/exFAT
Thanks for your reply.
This is the state of my Leap/Win7 now. GRUB should be on /dev/sdc
I was hoping to save Win7, but it looks like not, still investigating using the install disc, or a Repair disc.
Won’t be the 1st time I lost a load of data.
I can get a photo of the grub screen if needed.
Image from Gparted showing Windows 7 drive https://susepaste.org/37663288
lsblk -fNAME FSTYPE FSVER LABEL UUID FSAVAIL FSUSE% MOUNTPOINTS
sda
├─sda1 swap 1 PATA-Swap d42d52f6-55e1-4ab5-9c4f-97ed99ff7791
├─sda2 ext4 1.0 PATA-160-root 051b6256-64ea-4349-aa55-4d82e6c74924
└─sda3 ext4 1.0 PATA-160-Home e917ba44-b9ed-41db-9bfc-fcfbd4b6a38d
sdb
├─sdb1 ntfs System Reserved 1A0CB3280CB2FE37
└─sdb2 ntfs Windows 7 64 Home ACB2B4EEB2B4BDE0
sdc
├─sdc1 swap 1 swap cb73def0-af96-4744-a8db-cc9d007ea1c8 [SWAP]
├─sdc2 ext4 1.0 SATA160-Root 2dcb75c5-9bee-45be-9903-5a277fa48d02 32.2G 16% /
└─sdc3 ext4 1.0 SATA160-Home 536e802f-a8ac-4f27-9d71-3c386587e686 65.9G 27% /home
fdisk -lDisk /dev/sdc: 149.01 GiB, 160000000000 bytes, 312500000 sectors
Disk model: ST3160815AS
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disklabel type: dos
Disk identifier: 0xf0528969
Device Boot Start End Sectors Size Id Type
/dev/sdc1 2048 16779263 16777216 8G 82 Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sdc2 * 16779264 104859647 88080384 42G 83 Linux
/dev/sdc3 104859648 312499999 207640352 99G 83 Linux
Disk /dev/sda: 149.05 GiB, 160041885696 bytes, 312581808 sectors
Disk model: WDC WD1600AAJB-0
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disklabel type: dos
Disk identifier: 0xfb30b87c
Device Boot Start End Sectors Size Id Type
/dev/sda1 2048 16779263 16777216 8G 82 Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sda2 * 16779264 100665343 83886080 40G 83 Linux
/dev/sda3 100665344 312581807 211916464 101G 83 Linux
Disk /dev/sdb: 465.76 GiB, 500107862016 bytes, 976773168 sectors
Disk model: ST500NM0011
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disklabel type: dos
Disk identifier: 0x00000001
Device Boot Start End Sectors Size Id Type
/dev/sdb1 * 64 204863 204800 100M 7 HPFS/NTFS/exFAT
/dev/sdb2 205632 445692239 445486608 212.4G 7 HPFS/NTFS/exFAT
Given the boot fragility of combined PATA/SATA MBR systems on which bootloader is on the last disk, I’m not going to make any further recommendation. As previously recommended, unplug the two Linux disks, then install Windows. Either the power cable, or either end of the control cable, should be sufficient to shield those disks from Windows.
I understand.
I will disconnect both, reinstall Win7. Even considered going back to XP Pro.
My biggest concern is getting grub back without a bunch of problems, and loss of what is on the Leap drives.
I forgot to include in my OP, the current Grub menu has 2 entries for Windows 10, in both /dev/sdb1 & in /dev/sdb2.
i don’t know when that happened. It was always 1 Windows entry the gave me a selection for Win10(wich has been gone for over a year), a Windows 7 item, & a one for a Leap. Probably 42.2 or 43.1. I assume that is because at the time I knew nothing about Grub and started everything from a Windows BCD that had been modified by eastBCD(MISTAKE!)
I can do without the PATA drive. I use it for copying from the other drives.
Have not done the Win7 ‘fixes’ or reinstall, yet.
When I do, if I can get Leap back, we’ll and good, if not then back to being a windows user.
Hate to lose Leap, but there things I do in windows, I can’t do in Leap.
thanks to the forum group members for the help, support & criticism’s the past few years.
I wasted a considerable amount of time trying to install Windows 10 on a machine with three drives. The Windows installer got confused and never worked as advertised. After temporarily removing the other disks installation was easy: https://forums.opensuse.org/showthread.php/546634-How-to-Install-Windows-10-for-Free-Update
Whenever feasible go with uefi and gpt. Disable secure boot. Installation of Windows won’t touch grub2, but will change boot order. Enter uefi and again change boot order.
Host 6700K is triple boot Tumbleweed, Leap and Windows 10 on a small SSD:
**6700K:~ #** fdisk -l /dev/sdb
**Disk /dev/sdb: 232.89 GiB, 250059350016 bytes, 488397168 sectors**
Disk model: CT250MX500SSD1
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 4096 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 4096 bytes / 4096 bytes
Disklabel type: gpt
Disk identifier: 3B04C452-DAD9-45C6-9BD3-AE398288F628
**Device **** Start**** End**** Sectors**** Size****Type**
/dev/sdb1 2048 1026047 1024000 500M EFI System
/dev/sdb2 1026048 283596799 282570752 134.7G Linux filesystem
/dev/sdb3 283596800 385996799 102400000 48.8G Linux filesystem
/dev/sdb4 385996800 386029567 32768 16M Microsoft reserved
/dev/sdb5 386029568 488396799 102367232 48.8G Microsoft basic data
**6700K:~ #**
**6700K:~ #** lsblk -f /dev/sdb
NAME FSTYPE FSVER LABEL UUID FSAVAIL FSUSE% MOUNTPOINTS
sdb
├─sdb1 vfat FAT16 6B6D-1CDE 472.8M 5% /boot/efi
├─sdb2 btrfs tumbleweed 227128c2-8703-4859-a006-30dccf5b299c 89.6G 33% /var
│ /usr/local
│ /srv
│ /root
│ /opt
│ /home
│ /boot/grub2/x86_64-efi
│ /boot/grub2/i386-pc
│ /.snapshots
│ /
├─sdb3 btrfs leap 85d405ec-d559-49a1-b59c-5c5c9f176724
├─sdb4
└─sdb5 ntfs FE06394606390167
**6700K:~ #**
BTW: https://www.howtogeek.com/244678/you-dont-need-a-product-key-to-install-and-use-windows-10/
The machine I am working with is legacy. Thanks for your effort and links.
And I did remove the Leap drives before re-installing Windows 7.