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I was trying for hours to get Ubuntu to install as a dual boot alongside Windows 10, but kept running into this problem or this problem. I finally tried this solution, not knowing it would destroy my windows partitions. I can't boot to Windows now, but I can still access all of my Windows files through Ubuntu.

I don't have anything on Windows of importance except that it is a valid Windows install, which I'd rather not lose.

Several pictures that can provide some more information can be found here.

I was directed to try this solution, but none of the new boot options worked for me. Here are the logs from the boot-repair operation. One thing that I noticed is that some of the boot options will say:

error: no such device: 7A32-E897.
error: disk `hd1,gpt1' not found.

That device is the hard drive with the Windows files that I can access through Ubuntu's file explorer and disk manager.

If there is any way to make the Windows partition bootable again, how so? Thank you!

Rinzwind
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B. Freeman
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  • there should be a windows authentication sticker on your laptop that has the windows key on it for just this kind of situation so you should be able to reinstall and use the key on the sticker to re-authenticate windows – wraith3690 001 Oct 20 '19 at 16:29
  • It is important to know if Windows install was BIOS with MBR partitioning or UEFI with gpt partitioning. Windows only boots from gpt with UEFI. So if you converted drive, then that may be the reason. Was Windows pre-installed, as Microsoft has required vendors to install in UEFI/gpt since Windows 8 in 2012. May be best to see details, use ppa version with your live installer (2nd option) or any working install, not older Boot-Repair ISO: Please copy & paste link to the Boot-info summary report, the auto fix sometimes can create more issues. https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Boot-Repair – oldfred Oct 20 '19 at 18:08
  • @oldfred Windows was pre-installed after 2012. I think I did install the ppa version of boot-repair. The command I used was sudo add-apt-repository ppa:yannubuntu/boot-repair. The output log is here: http://paste.ubuntu.com/p/s2Bx2jbtqD/ – B. Freeman Oct 20 '19 at 18:15
  • @PaulBenson I recieve the following error: error: no such device: 7A32-E897. error: file `/EFI/Microsoft/Boot/bootmgfw.efi' not found. – B. Freeman Oct 20 '19 at 19:29
  • @B. Freeman In your grub you have the 'Windows Boot Manager' option. What exactly happens when you try that option? You've also got 2 separate ESP partitions - sda1 and sdb1, whereas you should just have one serving both systems. – Paul Benson Oct 20 '19 at 19:31
  • @B. Freeman. Edited comment. You can't have 2 separate ESP partitions with different UUIDs. W10 is trying to use sdb1 to boot from, whereas it should use sda1. For now can you boot into W10 from your UEFI BIOS menu instead of Grub? Do you know how to do this? – Paul Benson Oct 20 '19 at 19:40
  • You can have more than one ESP, just not more than one per drive. But all the NTFS partitions do not want to mount. Is Windows hibernated? http://askubuntu.com/questions/843153/ubuntu-16-showing-windows-10-partitions & https://askubuntu.com/questions/145902/unable-to-mount-windows-ntfs-filesystem-due-to-hibernation Can you directly boot Windows from UEFI boot menu. Grub only boots working Windows and that includes Windows must not be hibernated nor needing chkdsk. – oldfred Oct 20 '19 at 20:03
  • @PaulBenson I cannot boot to Windows through the BIOS. I just found here (https://superuser.com/questions/1280844/finding-a-license-key-on-a-non-booting-pc) that if I do a new install of Windows, the Microsoft servers will validate it because it is on the same hardware. If that is the case, I could just do a fresh install because I don't have any important files or programs installed on Windows. – B. Freeman Oct 20 '19 at 20:11
  • @B. Freeman You may be stoking up more issues if you do re-install W10, as you may well find that you then can't boot Ubuntu or get Grub. This is not quite as straightforward as you think. Can you confirm your BIOS is operating in UEFI mode and that Secure boot is disabled. If you tap F12 as soon as machine powers up do you get a UEFI boot screen with W10 as option? – Paul Benson Oct 20 '19 at 20:59

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If you can boot Ubuntu open a terminal and type:

sudo update-grub

If you cannot boot into Windows via grub menu hold down shift key after MB Post. That will force display menu. There you can see windows boot option. If it does not work try to edit /etc/default/grub. There must be boot delay and show boot menu options. 

sudo gedit /etc/default/grub

If you can see boot menu and windows option but you can not boot try to press e and modify (hd0,msdos1) by changing numbers ieg: (hd3,msdos2)

If nothning improves try to boot into ubuntu and re-install grub via

sudo grub-install /dev/sda
sudo update-grub

change sda to your disk device link it may be sdb or sdc

If nothing changes then try boot recovery of windows install cd or usb and insert ubuntu install cd reinstall grub over it again with 

sudo grub-install /dev/sda
sudo update-grub

If it does not work either there may be something wrong with grub, uninstall it with configurations and reinstall it by 

sudo apt-get purge grub
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install grub
sudo grub-install /dev/sda
sudo update-grub

If it fails try to reinstall both operating systems, windows first ubuntu second, changing disks to gpt instead of mbr (msdos in linux)... Sometimes grub with efi does not work with mbr ... It was a bug dont know current status.

Gediz GÜRSU
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