Hi, I just installed OpenSuse and I’m trying to reinstall my original Windows 7 OS back on this laptop. Since I couldn’t partition an active hard drive, I tried to put GParted on a USB so I could create a Windows Partition…
Found out that my Boot Menu only has 1 option: Grub. I can also access the Diagnostic Tool but that just tells me my RAM and HD space. My CD/Flash Drive, USB, and Network options are all gone; there is only Grub on my Boot menu. To make matters worse, my BIOS can’t be accessed; I press F2 to enter as usual, it beeps to tell me it’s entering the BIOS as usual, then it loads up Grub. I can’t access anything! I’ve Googled for hours on various things regarding the BIOS and the Boot Menu and nothing’s come up…
If you have anything, please share; thank you in advance for your help.
I had a Windows 7 Partition but I let the installer wipe it since it was a clean install anyway.
You wanted to reinstall windows for a dual boot??
Yes
You have a real Windows disk not some image version
No, an ISO and a usb I can make bootable; left my disk at home when I went up for university
You went through some Install procedure
Essentially, yes.
Long story: I made GParted bootable from my USB so I could unmount my harddrive and partition it to set up for Windows but I couldn’t get it to run from a USB
now you get a grub menu bit can not cannot boot openSUSE
Double negatives are confusing but I can ONLY boot openSUSE (and advance options from openSUSE). And I can only acces the Grub menu.
You have an old style BIOS not EFI
Not entirely sure but it’s always been aclled a BIOS by my computer.
Don’t know what this means please expand
My Boot Menu has 2 tabs, Tools and Boot. On Boot I just have Grub.
On Tools I have Diagonostic Tools which I ran and it just told me my RAM and HD Space.
I also have Diagnostic Screen which just displays the text for the Diagnostic Tools. Weird.
would be nice to know what “this laptop” is. We can’t see over your shoulder
Anyway I’m reasonably sure that this is an EFI BIOS based machine
Installing Windows after installing Linux almost always is a problem
Still not clear if you actually did a Windows install???
Also not clear what this 2 tabs at boot is but I assume it is a BIOS function for this machine
So as I understand you can get a grub screen and can successfully boot to recovery in advanced section. This is to be expected since you have an optimus machine and the basic software does not know how to handle the odd video setup.
Follow the instruction exactly on the bumblebee page I cited above. This should straighten out video for openSUS.
Windows I don’t know. But do not install unless first you back up any important data you have in Linux and then be prepared to reinstall Linux after the Windows install. Or if you can find someone on campus that really knows Linux and Windows that can help you
On 2014-07-12 20:06, bhchoi78 wrote:
>
> gogalthorp;2653562 Wrote:
>> Ok need to know some things
>>
>> 1) I assume openSUSE 13.1 was installed without any Windows
> I had a Windows 7 Partition but I let the installer wipe it since it was
> a clean install anyway.
>
>> 2) You wanted to reinstall windows for a dual boot??
> Yes
That’s a problem.
The general recommendation is to install Windows first, then Linux,
because usually Windows destroys the Linux install.
If you create the partition for Windows in advance, it is easier to tell
Windows to install there, not on the whole disk.
>> 3) You have a real Windows disk not some image version
> No, an ISO and a usb I can make bootable; left my disk at home when I
> went up for university
You can download a new Windows disk, as long as you have a valid license.
>> 5) now you get a grub menu bit can not cannot boot openSUSE
> Double negatives are confusing but I can ONLY boot openSUSE (and advance
> options from openSUSE). And I can only acces the Grub menu.
>
>> 6) You have an old style BIOS not EFI
> Not entirely sure but it’s always been aclled a BIOS by my computer.
It looks like UEFI, because this one is known to “be able” (so to speak)
to block access to the “bios” boot menu, and only boot the operating system.
–
Cheers / Saludos,
Carlos E. R.
(from 13.1 x86_64 “Bottle” at Telcontar)
So, I have the windows 7 ISO and I made a bootable USB drive but I can’t access it nor GParted (againfrom bootable USB) because I can’t access my BIOS nor my full Boot Menu. Basically, still at square 1… Is there anything I could try to begin to undo this mess?
Most EFI use f10 as a hot key at boot to select a OS at boot. You might check the documentation on the BIOS that machine runs to see other keys that might help.
Documentation didn’t mention F10 key (other than save & exit at BIOS Setup screen).
Tried it anyway and no luck.
Also, Fujitsu has a BIOS driver out… Could that be relevant in any way? The website for the company that does my driver didn’t have it but Fujitsu did. Unfortunately, they only come out as windows drivers…
Do you mean a patch or a “driver” Windows need "drivers for some function on some motherboards. Generally Linux does not.
A BIOS patch or update may help but as you see it is often dependent on Windows to install one.
As to keys that is wholly dependent on the manufacturer
Installing Windows after Linux is always a problem because Windows has no respect for any other OS and mess it up more times then not. It can be done if you are an expert. It is always easier to install Linux after Windows since Linux does respect other OS’s
The second problem is optimus (Intel+NVIDIA) video. It is a truly a bad idea to mix brands of video. It can be managed but again it takes some knowledge. Bumblebee is made to help in this but you have to follow the instructions exactly since you can’t use the normal NVIDIA driver and must use the one mentioned on the page I referenced in an earlier post . Unfortunately a lot of laptop makers ae using the optimus configuration which means any that install Linux must understand they must take extra steps to make things work right. Maybe someday the optimus fade will die and make things easier for people to jump away from Windows. Rub Goldberg would be proud rotfl!
It said Driver. But as it’s Windows dependent either way…
I set up BumbleBee as that article stated; I haven’t had any issues with any graphics…
I’ll try installing Windows then reinstalling openSUSE but I’m not sure if I can since my boot menu isn’t recognizing my USB… Or my CD Drive (so I can’t burn the iso either).
Power on and keep tapping the key, not just press once or press and hold. You don’t need to also press the Fn key as you may have the BIOS set to use this for the F keys.
Yeah, I’ve tried that. The Boot Menu (as mentioned in the original post) is empty of options other than openSUSE and F2 isn’t responding. I’ve been tapping the key.
Please show output of “efibootmgr -v” in openSUSE. It could be that other options are still there but inactive. As for BIOS - I’m afraid you need to contact vendor support how to reset settings. There is little that can be done from openSUSE side here.