Yesterday I bought a new laptop - HP pavilion 6, AMD quad core, 6gb, 1 TB. I have been a loyal opensuse fan for the last few years, so of course I wanted to install the latest 12.3. Before, I continue, I would like to say that I read about the new UEFI bios systems etc etc, and how this is different from previous versions. But I was not aware of it last night when I was tryign to make a dual boot. So, after a lot of pain, I have managed to get opensuse up and running. But now it does not see the windows partition at all. While reading the threads in forums, I came across the warning that Windows has a separate EFI, and that one must create a separate /boot/efi for the linux partition – in particular not to use the efi for windows and leave it alone. however, I am afraid I might have done just that, though not sure. To be precise, I list below the current partition scheme on my hard disk (along with size, moutn points etc) :
As you will notice, the re is only one /boot/efi, and nothign separate for windows. I am afraid this is what I did, before reading the warnign about keepign the boot for windows and linux separate. Also windows partitions are not mounted. this is because when I miunt the windows partitions in the current scheme, there is a problem after installation – when the system goes into reboot, i get a message "the given image cannot authenticate. please hit enter to return (or somethignon those lines, i dont remember the exact words). When i decided to keep the windows partition unmounted, it goes into installation and post installation after reboot without a glitch. So my guess is this is all about the separate efi business, and that there is some inconsistency with the current configuration when wanting dual boot option.
I would appreciate any help that comes my way, in being able to “see” and looad windows again, preferably with linux as the default boot option.
Also apologies in advance if this question has been raised in other threads. And of course, thanks a bunch in advance for any help!
Please explain what do you mean. What “it” does not see Windows partition, which Windows partition (you have three of them not counting EFI boot), what commands you used to “see” it and what was result.
when the system goes into reboot, i get a message "the given image cannot authenticate. please hit enter to return (or somethignon those lines, i dont remember the exact words).
You need to either disable secure boot in your firmware setup or enable it during openSUSE 12.3 installation (it does not happen automatically, unfortunately).
When i decided to keep the windows partition unmounted
I’m not sure I understand what do you mean. You mean you did not configure openSUSE to mount Windows partition (which one?) on boot during partition setup installation step? Or what?
yes, i left the windows system unmounted. that was how i was able to install linux at least. I think it goes back to the issue of separate EFIs for linux and windows, which i think i managed to screw up during the partionining stage of installation (now i only have one /boot/efi, unlike two efi’s, one each for windows and linux). While reading some other thread about windows 8 + opensuse 12.3 dual boot, i read that during partitioning, the partitioner shows a efi device dedicated to windows, and that one should not tamper with that at all, and rather create a separate /boot/efi for linux. If you look at my partions, yoou will see only one efi (dev/sda 2 – /boot/efi). there is nothign for windows. I think i tampered with the original proposed partiton, but i am not sure.
Do you think mounting all the partitions manually will solve the problem? I highly doubt it, but thats the case, how should i mount them?
You do not log into Windows or Linux at the stage when grub loads; you boot them.
It only shows the option to boot linux.
OK, please boot openSUSE and run command in terminal as root:
os-prober
If it shows you your Windows bootloader, go into YaST bootloader settings and enable “Probe Foreign OS” option.
yes, i left the windows system unmounted. that was how i was able to install linux at least.
I’m sorry, I still do not understand what you mean.
I think it goes back to the issue of separate EFIs for linux and windows
There is no problem to have one EFI boot partition for multiple OS (this is how it is designed); of course you should not format it during installation. Of second and subsequent systems.
Please show output of os-prober and output of “ls -lR /boot/efi”
I suspect you have formatted the EFI partition, deleting the Windows files …
Anyway (if this is not the case) you could also check if the Windows boot loader is still listed in the appropriate section of the UEFI firmware or press the F12 (or equivalent) key to select the boot entries that follow the first.
Yes, you appear to have reformatted the EFI partition.
That seems to be a bug in the installer. If you accept the installer suggested partitioning, it is fine. But if you import partitioning from a previous install (as you probably did for your second install attempt), then it defaults to reformatting “/boot/efi”. I have been warning people to look out for that, and to unselect the reformatting.
If you have a Windows 8 reinstall media or, better, if you made a recovery disk, then use that to fix the windows Booting setup. Or if you made a backup of Windows, then reinstall just what was in “\EFI\Boot” and you can then probably do a recovery boot from that.
You might also be able to download the Windows install iso, make a DVD or USB from it, and then do a recovery boot to repair Windows. I think Microsoft makes the iso available for download. Maybe they have a smaller recovery media you can download.
thats where i am getting stuck at…i assumed that the laptop comes with a installation/rescue media in a physical form…i wasnt aware that one has to make a recovery/installation CD coz its all on the hard disk now-a-days. funnily enough, i dont even see a product key sticker on my computer. they really have changed things drastically. so i am left with no way of being able to recover it as of now. hence i was wondering, if somebody knows an alternate way of fixing it. by the way, i see a media mounted as WINRE (also listed above). It is mounted at /run/media/user/WINRE. I can look at its contents, it seems to be the recovery partition. Now, I wonder if i am right about this. And if I am, do you think i can make an iso out of it and make a bootable live usb from it? if yes, how?
… hmm … this has me asking myself, for users new to ‘secure boot, UEFI and GPT partitioning’, is it worth while to backup the EFI partition (which can be done with ‘dd’ or other methods) prior to attempting any GNU/Linux install ?
My most recent computer is a Dell. And I was not even able to purchase restore media for an extra cost.
I did make a backup, however.
My understanding is that there is something in the hardware that identifies the particular machine, and the Windows license is tied to that. So any Windows 8 install media should recognize your box and work out which key is appropriate. I gather than you can download the install iso from Microsoft (I have not tried that). And if your hardware is one with an associated key, you’ll be able to install. On other hardware, you would have to buy a license before you could install.
Your case should be simpler, though, because you already have Windows installed. You just need to fix the booting. So I’m pretty sure that if you can download or borrow install media from somewhere, you’ll be able to fix booting without requiring a new license.
Admittedly, I could be wrong. I’m a linux person, not a Windows person, so I only know what I described indirectly.
I used the acronis software to completely backup my Windows system (all partitions) before I started. If I had reinstall media, I would not have bothered, but they don’t provide that these days.
To backup just the EFI partition, I would probably use “tar”. That’s because with “tar” it is easy to extract just a subdirectory, should you need to do that.
thanks, thats my last resort…hunting for an installation media…but thanks for the information that its possible to download .iso from microsoft…
and…i am aware that the questions related to windows installation are not appropriate here, but on the otherhand, i just have linux workign on my computer right now, so it is a linux problem for me afterall, albeit ina very twisted way.
I hardly ever use windows, but i figure i would like to keep it at least.
i looked on the windows site, on your recommendation, but apparently they need a product key for download (unless i went somewhere i was not suppsoed to). Would you happen to know how to do this exactly. I dont have anybody around me with an installation/rescue media. This is a logn shot, but would it perhaps be possible for you to upload your .iso of the recovery/installation media soewhere on some file sharing site. aplogies, if this is totally unrelated to sirit of this forum. however i believe it is stretechable, as I only have linux now, and cant seem to do anythign about it
There should be (but, in your case isn’t) a file:
/EFI/Microsoft/Boot/bootmgfw.efi
in the EFI partition (under /boot/efi).
I’m not certain, but I think you can recover Windows access if you can get a copy of that file from Windows 8. If you send me a PM via the forum, indicating where I could upload it, I could try to get a copy to you.
Here is what you would have to do:
Disable secure-boot in your BIOS
Copy the file “bootmgfw.efi” to “/boot/efi/EFI/Boot/” (you may have to create that “Boot” directory).
Rename that file in “/boot/efi/EFI/Boot/” to the name “bootx64.efi”
Reboot your computer, and get the BIOS boot selector. Select booting from your hard drive device
Let me explain a bit. When booting a device (rather than an installed system), the UEFI firmware looks for an EFI partition, and looks for “\EFI\Boot\bootx64.efi” in that partition (I’m using windows notation, since the BIOS probably uses that).
While I haven’t tested that, I’m pretty sure that Windows will boot that way, at least with secure-boot disabled. And, once in Windows, there should be boot repair options.
>
> nrickert;2563288 Wrote:
>> I don’t like that either.
>>
>> My most recent computer is a Dell. And I was not even able to purchase
>> restore media for an extra cost.
>>
>> I did make a backup, however.
>>
>> My understanding is that there is something in the hardware that
>> identifies the particular machine, and the Windows license is tied to
>> that. So any Windows 8 install media should recognize your box and work
>> out which key is appropriate. I gather than you can download the
>> install iso from Microsoft (I have not tried that). And if your
>> hardware is one with an associated key, you’ll be able to install. On
>> other hardware, you would have to buy a license before you could
>> install.
>>
>> .
>
> i looked on the windows site, on your recommendation, but apparently
> they need a product key for download (unless i went somewhere i was not
> suppsoed to). Would you happen to know how to do this exactly. I dont
> have anybody around me with an installation/rescue media. This is a logn
> shot, but would it perhaps be possible for you to upload your .iso of
> the recovery/installation media soewhere on some file sharing site.
> aplogies, if this is totally unrelated to sirit of this forum. however i
> believe it is stretechable, as I only have linux now, and cant seem to
> do anythign about it
>
>
I just went thru this mess with a new HP desktop machine. When I got all
messed up I called HP support and they sent me the factory restore disk set.
They took pity and sent it free but last time I got one of those sets they
only wanted $10 or so for it. It has probably gone up by now but I can tell
you that when they say factory restore, they mean exactly factory restore -
even re-write the EFI partition.
If you go this route, have a 6-pack handy. They weren’t kidding about a 4-
hour process!
