Subj : Re: How to reset dual boot Linux:Win GRUB after "inaccessible boot devi To : Carlos E.R. From : arlen holder Date : Thu Dec 06 2018 22:17:22 On Wed, 5 Dec 2018 23:02:14 +0100, Carlos E.R. wrote: > Or, you can just use "bootinfoscript" script, and it will tell you how > boot is organized. > > Download from here and run - in Linux, of course, but a live may do -: > > I haven't posted much as I haven't any new information as it's clear I'm confused how Grub gets started in the first place, hence the help is instrumental (where I need to read more of the references). Hence this post is just the conclusion from that nice bootinfoscript program. The main thing is, I think, that it cleared up which disk has what: o HDD3: The only working Windows is on sda (WD10EZEX) o HDD2: Grub & Ubuntu (17.10) is on sdb (TOSHIBA_HDWD110) o HDD1: Nothing of use (other than data) is on sdc (WD10EFRX) Here's how I ran that test. I connected all three HDDs & booted to Grub which allowed me to boot to the older Ubuntu (which turns out to be Ubuntu 17.10): $ lsb_release -a Reported Ubuntu 17.10 I had originally thought that you just run the bootinfoscript, so while in Ubuntu, I went to the Windows hierarchy in /media where I had copied that script (I love that Ubuntu reads Windows partitions!) and ran the script in Ubuntu - but that's not the way to run the script apparently. You install the boot-info-script program, and then you run the script. $ sudo apt-get install boot-info-script $ sudo /usr/sbin/bootinfoscript Reported it found sda, sdb, and sdc, putting results in ~/RESULTS.txt The bootinfoscript found Windows on all three HDDs (as expected). ======Boot Info Summary: ===== => Windows 7/8/2012 is installed in the MBR of /dev/sda. => Grub2 (v2.00) is installed in the MBR of /dev/sdb and looks at sector 1 of the same hard drive for core.img. core.img is at this location and looks for (,msdos5)/boot/grub. It also embeds following components: modules ---------------------------------------------- fshelp ext2 part_msdos biosdisk ---------------------------------------------- => Windows 7/8/2012 is installed in the MBR of /dev/sdc. sda1: _____ File system: ntfs Boot sector type: Windows 8/2012: NTFS Boot sector info: No errors found in the Boot Parameter Block. Operating System: Boot files: /bootmgr /Boot/BCD sda2: _____ File system: ntfs Boot sector type: Windows 8/2012: NTFS Boot sector info: No errors found in the Boot Parameter Block. Operating System: Boot files: /Windows/System32/winload.exe sdb1: _____ File system: ntfs Boot sector type: Windows 8/2012: NTFS Boot sector info: No errors found in the Boot Parameter Block. Operating System: Boot files: /bootmgr /Boot/BCD sdb2: _____ File system: ntfs Boot sector type: Windows 8/2012: NTFS Boot sector info: No errors found in the Boot Parameter Block. Operating System: Boot files: /Windows/System32/winload.exe sdb3: _____ File system: Extended Partition Boot sector type: - Boot sector info: sdb5: _____ File system: ext4 Boot sector type: - Boot sector info: Operating System: Ubuntu 17.10 Boot files: /boot/grub/grub.cfg /etc/fstab /boot/grub/i386-pc/core.img sdc1: _____ File system: ntfs Boot sector type: Windows 8/2012: NTFS Boot sector info: No errors found in the Boot Parameter Block. Operating System: Boot files: /bootmgr /Boot/BCD sdc2: _____ File system: ntfs Boot sector type: Windows 7/2008: NTFS Boot sector info: No errors found in the Boot Parameter Block. Operating System: Boot files: /Windows/System32/winload.exe .... ... ... === sdb5: Location of files loaded by Grub: ==== 905.471122742 = 972.242214912 boot/grub/grub.cfg 3 873.617935181 = 938.040115200 boot/grub/i386-pc/core.img 1 808.271976471 = 867.875426304 boot/vmlinuz-4.13.0-46-generic .... ... ... It's clear from the output that Grub is on sdb, but I wasn't sure if that is the Toshiba or Western Digital HDD so I grep'ed the RESULTS.txt for "TOSHIBA", which found this section: === "ls -l /dev/disk/by-id" output: === lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 9 Dec 6 13:21 ata-TOSHIBA_HDWD110_x -> ../../sdb lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 10 Dec 6 13:21 ata-TOSHIBA_HDWD110_x-part1 -> .../../sdb1 lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 10 Dec 6 13:21 ata-TOSHIBA_HDWD110_x-part2 -> .../../sdb2 lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 10 Dec 6 13:21 ata-TOSHIBA_HDWD110_x-part3 -> .../../sdb3 lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 10 Dec 6 13:21 ata-TOSHIBA_HDWD110_x-part5 -> ../../sdb Grepping for WDC, I find in the same section: lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 9 Dec 6 13:21 ata-WDC_WD10EFRX-x -> ../../sdc lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 10 Dec 6 13:21 ata-WDC_WD10EFRX-x-part1 -> ../../sdc1 lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 10 Dec 6 13:21 ata-WDC_WD10EFRX-x-part2 -> ../../sdc2 And... lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 9 Dec 6 13:21 ata-WDC_WD10EZEX-x -> ../../sda lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 10 Dec 6 13:21 ata-WDC_WD10EZEX-x-part1 -> ../../sda1 lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 10 Dec 6 13:21 ata-WDC_WD10EZEX-x-part2 -> ../../sda2 I can conclude, I think, from the script's output... o HDD3: The only working Windows is on sda (WD10EZEX) o HDD2: Grub & Ubuntu (17.10) is on sdb (TOSHIBA_HDWD110) o HDD1: Nothing of use (other than data) is on sdc (WD10EFRX) --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05 * Origin: SpaceSST BBS Usenet Fidonet Gateway (255:255/999) .