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I've had a Windows 10 and Ubuntu 18.04 dual boot for a year. Both OSs work fine. My computer loads Windows by default on start-up, but I'd prefer on start-up to select either OS from the GRUB boot menu option or start Ubuntu at least. I went into the boot menu where Ubuntu is listed and then into the boot order setup, but in the boot order Ubuntu was not listed (see images).

Did I install Ubuntu wrong or is it because I have both Windows and Ubuntu on SSDPEKKW512GB (see images). I don't understand sysadmin and hardware stuff.

Is there a workaround that lets me have on start-up the boot screen or that loads straight into Ubuntu?

Sometimes I need multiple restarts followed by pressing Fn+F7 to get into the boot screen. Somehow they get ignored and Windows starts straightaway. Is this connected to the previous issues?

This thread doesn't solve my issue, I have already tried GRUB_DEFAULT=0 and Ubuntu in the /etc/default/grub file without success.

Just in case I attached my grub screen too.

Please select boot device

BIOS boot options

GRUB

NeStack
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    Does this answer your question? How do I change the GRUB boot order? – K7AAY Mar 10 '20 at 18:18
  • https://askubuntu.com/a/110738/197910 explains how you can edit GRUB from the command line – K7AAY Mar 10 '20 at 18:19
  • @K7AAY This doesn't help. I have already GRUB_DEFAULT="Ubuntu" in the /etc/default/grub file and still the Windows gets loaded on start menu. I have the feeling this is somehow related with Ubuntu not being in the boot order menu – NeStack Mar 10 '20 at 19:10
  • I can see from the second screenshot that your computer has UEFI firmware. That means that the Ubuntu installer would normally make a 100-500MB EFI System Partition (ESP) which allows Ubuntu to boot from grub without needing to overwrite the existing Windows Boot Manager. In your case it seems that the Ubuntu installer did not create an ESP, so you're booting Windows from Windows Boot Manager. – karel Mar 10 '20 at 20:45
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    If you manually create a 500MB FAT ESP at the beginning of the hard drive and run Boot-Repair, maybe Boot-Repair will be good enough to install grub on the ESP and allow you to boot directly to grub. Or maybe it will just make a bigger mess depending mostly on whether you installed both Windows and Ubuntu in UEFI mode or in BIOS mode. – karel Mar 10 '20 at 20:45
  • @karel Thanks for the info, I will show it to a friend that understands more than me, I will probably "make a bigger mess" if I continue solving this on my own. I will update you then. Do you know why this command doesn't solve it: bcdedit /set {bootmgr} path \EFI\ubuntu\grubx64.efi ? And Any ideas why fn+F7 brings up the bios only in some cases, even if I press is from the switch-on moment? – NeStack Mar 10 '20 at 20:46

3 Answers3

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Running this in Windows points the PC to boot into GRUB instead:

bcdedit /set {bootmgr} path \EFI\ubuntu\grubx64.efi
K7AAY
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  • thanks, do you mean I should type this literal quote into the windows cmd? – NeStack Mar 10 '20 at 20:22
  • Yes, type this literal quote into the windows cmd? – K7AAY Mar 10 '20 at 20:27
  • I receive the message "The operation completed successfully", but on start-up the computer still loads Windows instead of Ubuntu, no GRUB menu dispalyed either. Any other ideas? – NeStack Mar 10 '20 at 20:37
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On startup, enter Ubuntu. When Ubuntu starts up, enter either the terminal. Enter the following commands:

gksudo gedit /etc/default/grub

When that command opens, chnage GRUB_DEFAULT=0 to GRUB_DEFAULT=saved and then enter. Update GRUB with the command

sudo update-grub

Finally, set default OS with sudo grub-set-default NUMBER. NUMBER is the number of the OS that you want to set to default.

OR

install GRUB-customizer with the following commands:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:danielrichter2007/grub-customizer

sudo apt-get update

sudo apt-get install grub-customizer

Cited from: https://tipsonubuntu.com/2016/07/20/grub2-boot-order-ubuntu-16-04/

This may provide more detailed information on what you are looking for. I hope this helps.

Logan
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    thanks, I have tried both of them, but it seems like the computer loads Windows before reaching GRUB. Any other ideas? – NeStack Mar 10 '20 at 20:39
  • Try adjusting the boot options from the "Advanced Boot Options" shown on the GRUB2 startup for Ubuntu. – Logan Mar 10 '20 at 20:45
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I found the problem and a workaround. The comment by @karel is insightful, but I don't have the knowledge to try it out. Instead, I found another way to choose the OS on start-up.

The problem: In the UEFI [Boot-Options] tab, as you see in the screenshot in the question, the setup prompt timeout was by default 1 sec.

The fix: I set it to a slightly larger value, 3 sec! I guess the 1 sec was too short so that on start it wouldn't get me every time into the UEFI boot screen by pressing Fn+F7. Now, on every start without pressing Fn+F7, I get straight into the GRUB menu, where I have set Ubuntu as the default booting OS (here how to set the default OS)

To be fair, I tried a few other things on the way to solving this problem, that might have also contributed to solving it, like the advice above by @K7AAY

Community
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NeStack
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