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I was working on my Windows PC with Xubuntu 17 running in a virtual machine (VMware Workstation) when there was a very sudden power loss. The Windows host machine booted back up normally, but now the VM just boots to this: 

GNU GRUB version 2.02~beta3-4ubuntu7.1
Minimal BASH-like line editing is supported. For the first word, TAB 
lists possible command completions. Anywhere else TAB lists possible
device or file completions
grub> _

I found this Ubuntu Forums article, but I cannot seem to make the steps work for my VM (perhaps they aren't exactly applicable..?).

When I enter ls at the grub> prompt it shows this: 

(hd0)(hd0,msdos1)

...so I try these commands: 

set root=(hd0,msdos1)
set prefix=(hd0,msdos1)/boot/grub
insmod normal
normal
boot

Boot it just returns:

error: you need to load the kernel first.

Any help greatly appreciated.

Here are the logs from the "Boot Repair" program: http://paste.ubuntu.com/p/s3bdGg47zC/

KidACrimson
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1 Answers1

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What happens when you try to boot to a Xubuntu 17 ISO? I would suggest booting to the ISO and running the live mode and mount the file system and then from there rebuild the grub boot loader. I would suggest this website as guidance for rebuilding the boot loader if you don't know how.

How to Repair GRUB2 When Ubuntu Won't Boot | How To Geek

I Hope this provide some help.

Connor Payne
  • 193
  • Thank you, Connor. I booted to a Xubuntu Live CD and tried the auto-repair from the GUI (via the How-to-Geek article), but it did not work. – KidACrimson Mar 02 '18 at 06:39
  • Hello, what error messages are you seeing if any? when you built you VM did you split the storage into different partitions? If you did you could reinstall the Xubuntu primary partition and the boot loader. Are you more interested in file recovery or a project that is built on the VM? – Connor Payne Mar 02 '18 at 17:17
  • There's no data I need in the VM, I just want to get it working again really. – KidACrimson Mar 02 '18 at 20:53
  • Here are the logs from Boot Repair: http://paste.ubuntu.com/p/s3bdGg47zC/ – KidACrimson Mar 02 '18 at 21:00
  • It shows "successful" but still the VM will not boot: http://paste.ubuntu.com/p/fXRXzcWVZH/ – KidACrimson Mar 02 '18 at 21:05
  • @KidACrimson I can't see anything oblivious in the files. I am afraid my knowledge ends at these links which has provided me help in the past Linux.com, even though this is for centos the process may help tecmint and [this] (https://askubuntu.com/questions/82759/error-you-need-to-load-the-kernel-first-in-grub). Sorry I could not of been anymore help. If you fix it please post back what you did, it may be useful for others. best of luck. – Connor Payne Mar 02 '18 at 21:21