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Recently the GRUB boot loader disappeared on my Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Carbon. I normally dual boot Windows 10 and Ubuntu, but now it goes directly to Windows. I attempted to fix it by restarting into a Ubuntu live-USB and launching boot-repair from Terminal. Boot-repair gave the following error message: "Please create a ESP partition (FAT32, 100MB~250MB, start of the disk, boot flag). This can be performed via tools such as Gparted. Then try again."

Here is the log from boot-repair: https://paste.ubuntu.com/p/yShmygxP4r/

I attempted the solution from Unable to repair boot with Windows 8 and Ubuntu 13.04 with gparted. However, gparted shows that I have a 260 MiB EFI system partition on /dev/nvme0n1p1 whose system is fat32 and that has a boot flag. Boot-repair seemingly does not recognize this partition. I tried to make a new EFI partition as suggested in the linked thread. But this required freeing space from the front of a nearby Windows partition to make room. I wasn't able to do this in gparted (wouldn't let me free up space), so I then restarted back into Windows. But on Windows, I was unable to free up space in the front of the Windows partition from three different partition managers (Windows 10 Disk Management, Mini Tool Partition Wizard, EaseUS Partition Master Free).

What can I do to fix the GRUB menu and regain the ability to boot into my Ubuntu partition?

user514014
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  • BitLocker & SecureBoot enabled are settings that restrict what can be done. Bitlocker probably is preventing anything else from modifying system for security reasons. If you are going to dual boot turn off BitLocker in Windows. And Ubuntu will work with UEFI Secure Boot on, but if you need proprietary drivers, its a bit easier with it off. AHCI enable - May have to unlock bitlocker if used https://superuser.com/questions/1280141/switch-raid-to-ahci-without-reinstalling-windows-10 & https://discourse.ubuntu.com/t/ubuntu-installation-on-computers-running-windows-and-bitlocker-turned-on/15338 – oldfred Nov 03 '20 at 03:47
  • When I open BitLocker Drive Encryption in Windows, I actually find a message saying "Windows (C:) BitLocker waiting for activation", so it looks like it's not enabled. – user514014 Nov 03 '20 at 07:16
  • Is Windows fast start up off? 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 – oldfred Nov 03 '20 at 14:27
  • Yes, it's turned off. – user514014 Nov 10 '20 at 21:31
  • Report says bitlocker, and I have not seen that in many Boot-Repair reports. Double check if on or not. Do not know details of how bitlocker works. – oldfred Nov 10 '20 at 22:31
  • Here is what I see when I open Bitlocker: https://imgur.com/4kz3IlJ – user514014 Nov 11 '20 at 04:19
  • Yellow Triangle with exclamation point indicates some issue. Do not know Windows so cannot really help. Another and his solution: https://askubuntu.com/questions/1291258/dualboot-not-working-anymore-with-windows-10-20h2 – oldfred Nov 11 '20 at 14:41

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Following the suggestions in the comments, I disabled Secure Boot. Upon restarting, the grub rescue menu showed up. By following the instructions in https://askubuntu.com/a/372698/1144145 I was able to access Ubuntu once again.

user514014
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