Windows 8.1 fixing boot issue after Mint Linux update

roytom2

I’ve been quite happily using Windows and mint Linux on a dual boot computer.

However Linux insisted on doing an update and now the grub boot loader has become defective. In an attempt to correct this I’ve now got to the point where Linux is inaccessible and windows will only run if I type “Exit” at the Grub rescue prompt.

I've tried all of the following without success:-

1. Booting Mint using the Live usb bootable version and using Grub Repair or terminal commands fails - it seems the EFI (sda1) partition is locked and can’t be written to
2. So, Abandoning Linux for now I wanted to just have Windows 8.1 booting without any multiboot choices but the Windows Startup repair can’t fix it nor can using the standard command prompt commands:-
bootrec /fixmbr
bootrec /fixboot
bootrec /scanos
bootrec /rebuildbcd

because neither bootrec /scanos nor /rebuidbcd can find any operating systems on the hard disc. These always worked in the past.

From all the updates windows has done over the years (it tried updating to Windows 10 at one point but I reversed this) I now have multiple system recovery partitions that Windows has installed. I’m beginning to think that the only answer to this is to totally reformat the whole hard disk and to re-install Windows 8.1. This would need a total tear down of all the partitions - can the bootable recovery usb I made do this?

Any suggestions? Thanks in advance.

a

even when windows was one partition it was slightly temperamental. Now it is 3 partition. Next time virtualise it by using something like VirtualBox as it is a lot more reliable

I'd be looking at SuperGrub2, but not touched v1 in years, as it still was not perfect. Virtualization, or virtualize windows and run it on linux

Neil_Jones

If this was an OEM copy of Windows (ie that machine came with Windows) those tend to become arrogant and assume they're the only operating system on the disk.  If you then decide to be clever and do a dual-boot, it's fine until something goes wrong.  At that point OEM Windows then decides its having nothing to do with it.

The easiest solution would be just to trash the lot and start again (ideally with 10 if you upgraded successfully and it was granted a digital licence).  The installer should let you rip everything out and then if you want to go back down the dual boot route Mint should be able to do it for you.

[Deleted User]

Given that mainstream support has ended for Windows 8.1, I'd take this as a good opportunity to upgrade to Windows 10 with a clean install which will allow you to delete all the current partitions and start from scratch.

In terms of dual booting, I've had similar problems in the past with the like of grub and other dual-boot loaders and gave up and instead install my Linux OS on a second SSD and just press a hotkey to switch the boot disk on start-up - that way each OS stays independent with no shared bootloaders.

Neil_Jones

[Deleted User] said:

Given that mainstream support has ended for Windows 8.1, I'd take this as a good opportunity to upgrade to Windows 10 with a clean install which will allow you to delete all the current partitions and start from scratch.

It's in extended support mode until July 2023.  This is just code for security updates, but nothing major or new.

The original Windows 8 fell out of all support mode quite quickly, only about four years... 8.1 was the attempt to "fix" it without looking like a furious back-pedalling operation.

OnlyTheBestWillDo

Neil_Jones said:

[Deleted User] said:

Given that mainstream support has ended for Windows 8.1, I'd take this as a good opportunity to upgrade to Windows 10 with a clean install which will allow you to delete all the current partitions and start from scratch.

It's in extended support mode until July 2023.  This is just code for security updates, but nothing major or new.

The original Windows 8 fell out of all support mode quite quickly, only about four years... 8.1 was the attempt to "fix" it without looking like a furious back-pedalling operation.

Thought it was the 10 th of January.

OnlyTheBestWillDo

roytom2 said:

I’ve been quite happily using Windows and mint Linux on a dual boot computer.

However Linux insisted on doing an update and now the grub boot loader has become defective. In an attempt to correct this I’ve now got to the point where Linux is inaccessible and windows will only run if I type “Exit” at the Grub rescue prompt.

I've tried all of the following without success:-

1. Booting Mint using the Live usb bootable version and using Grub Repair or terminal commands fails - it seems the EFI (sda1) partition is locked and can’t be written to
2. So, Abandoning Linux for now I wanted to just have Windows 8.1 booting without any multiboot choices but the Windows Startup repair can’t fix it nor can using the standard command prompt commands:-
bootrec /fixmbr
bootrec /fixboot
bootrec /scanos
bootrec /rebuildbcd

because neither bootrec /scanos nor /rebuidbcd can find any operating systems on the hard disc. These always worked in the past.

From all the updates windows has done over the years (it tried updating to Windows 10 at one point but I reversed this) I now have multiple system recovery partitions that Windows has installed. I’m beginning to think that the only answer to this is to totally reformat the whole hard disk and to re-install Windows 8.1. This would need a total tear down of all the partitions - can the bootable recovery usb I made do this?

Any suggestions? Thanks in advance.

If your reinstallation media of the latest build? 

https://software-download.microsoft.com/db/Win8.1_EnglishInternational_x64.iso?t=e09c8875-0383-47dc-a2ad-98a88ce428c0&e=1629761158&h=22390f4e3da53a3f113992ef0e6ce522

or

https://software-download.microsoft.com/sg/Win8.1_EnglishInternational_x64.iso?t=e727d819-5497-4b56-b1e7-da1a31903ece&e=1629787284&h=ad14a2ba12116ec0e56128a93f7c37c4

Alternatively: https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/software-download/windows8ISO


Windows 10: https://software-download.microsoft.com/db/Win10_21H1_EnglishInternational_x64.iso?t=510142f9-270e-4820-8a7b-f4c55d5f2beb&e=1629759644&h=1c1c92f3784dd44c88c98093d8bdf1ba






Delete every single partition until there is only unallocated space.




Long version: https://www.lifewire.com/how-to-clean-install-windows-8-or-8-1-2626254

Neil_Jones

OnlyTheBestWillDo said:

Neil_Jones said:

Deleted_User said:

Given that mainstream support has ended for Windows 8.1, I'd take this as a good opportunity to upgrade to Windows 10 with a clean install which will allow you to delete all the current partitions and start from scratch.

It's in extended support mode until July 2023.  This is just code for security updates, but nothing major or new.

The original Windows 8 fell out of all support mode quite quickly, only about four years... 8.1 was the attempt to "fix" it without looking like a furious back-pedalling operation.

Thought it was the 10 th of January.

My bad, it is the 10th of January for consumer versions, the July date was for the Windows Embedded Industry series for 8 and 8.1.

CoastingHatbox

I gave up running Linux and Windows dual boot some time ago.

However, I think the first step is to see what partitions you have on the machine. And then look at what is on those partitions.

Boot into a Linux live CD Open a terminal Run lsblk and look for the `/` mount point, in this case vda - vda1

$ lsblk<br>NAME MAJ:MIN RM SIZE RO TYPE MOUNTPOINT<br>sr0 11:0 1 1024M 0 rom vda 254:0 0 128G 0 disk<br> └─vda1 254:1 0 128G 0 part /

vda is the device and vda1 is the root ('/') partition. Chances are your EFI partition is on the same disk. So run:

sudo parted /dev/vda print

(Your device won't be vda, it might be sda or something else completely, so change as necessary)

$ sudo parted /dev/vda print<br><br>

Model: Virtio Block Device (virtblk)<br>Disk /dev/vda: 137GB<br> Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/512B<br>Partition Table: msdos Disk

Flags:

Number Start End Size Type File system Flags

1 1049kB 137GB 137GB primary ext4 boot

I will expect you will get more partitions in your output. If you can run the above commands and then share that information, I should be able to help you further investigate what is going on with your EFI/boot partition.

Edit: Changed 'code' blocks to 'quotes' as the 'code' paragraph format looks to be totall broken (checked in two different browsers)

Edit again: Attempt to fix formatting failed. Please bear with me whilst I edit the HTML into the right shape...

roytom2

many thanks for all the excellent advice.
I fear updating to Windows 10 will soon be my only option - I did this in the distant past and had to do a reinstall of Windows 8 (as supplied originally with it in 2016) as Windows 10 got stuck in a startup repair loop when an obscure driver couldn’t be located. 

Therefore due to my earlier attempt at installing Windows 10 on this laptop am I entitled to install it again?
kind regards

Jenni_D

roytom2 said:

many thanks for all the excellent advice.
I fear updating to Windows 10 will soon be my only option - I did this in the distant past and had to do a reinstall of Windows 8 (as supplied originally with it in 2016) as Windows 10 got stuck in a startup repair loop when an obscure driver couldn’t be located. 

Therefore due to my earlier attempt at installing Windows 10 on this laptop am I entitled to install it again?
kind regards

Yes

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