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Upgraded my SSD. Installed Ubuntu 18.04 LTS. Need help in finding or creating Windows 10 bootloader/efi info.

This was my previous config:

My Laptop had both SSD and HDD.

On SSD (250GB):
|__Ubuntu 16.04 +
|__Bootloader (GRUB?) - shows both Ubuntu and Windows

On HDD (1TB):
|__Windows 10 (separate partition) +
|__all my files/code/projects (on a separate partition).

Grub menu showed option to boot from either Ubuntu or Windows.

My Current config:

  • I now upgraded my SSD. Replaced the old one with a new 1TB SSD.
  • I installed Ubuntu 18.04 on the new SSD. No issues here.
  • Grub menu shows only Ubuntu, as expected.
  • Windows 10 OS is still on HDD.
  • Now, I just need to either find the existing Windows 10 bootloader or create a new one.
On SSD (1TB): (new one)
|__Ubuntu 18.04 +
|__Bootloader (GRUB?) - shows only Ubuntu

On HDD (1TB): (no change)
|__Windows 10 (separate partition) +
|__all my files/code/projects (on a separate partition).

I tried boot-repair on Ubuntu, and got the suggestions shown on this pastebin link.

I am worried about my files/code/projects which are on HDD. Dont want to loose them at any cost.

How do I safely enable booting into Windows 10 along with Ubuntu?

Few Queries:

I have few doubts:

1. This is the part of the output from pastebin efibootmgr -v cmd:

Boot0000* Windows Boot Manager  HD(1,GPT,878eab28-346d-48ff-bcfb-75f03235beee,0x800,0xfa000)/File(\EFI\Microsoft\Boot\bootmgfw.efi)WINDOWS.........x...B.C.D.O.B.J.E.C.T.=.{.9.d.e.a.8.6.2.c.-.5.c.d.d.-.4.e.7.0.-.a.c.c.1.-.f.3.2.b.3.4.4.d.4.7.9.5.}....................
Boot0001* ubuntu    HD(1,GPT,d7ec3e6a-5b15-4e8e-9019-d424bb0cabe7,0x800,0x76800)/File(\EFI\ubuntu\shimx64.efi)

Looks like it seems to have found Windows boot manager and that it is in EFI mode (not Legacy).

But under Drive/Partition Info section, it shows that sda is notGPT. Seem to contradict the above info. What am I missing?

nvme0n1 : is-GPT,   no-BIOSboot,    has---ESP,  not-usb,    not-mmc, has-os,    2048 sectors * 512 bytes
sda : notGPT,   no-BIOSboot,    has-noESP,  not-usb,    not-mmc, has-os,    2048 sectors * 512 bytes

It also seems to have found OSs in nvme0n1p3 (Ubuntu) and sda1 (Win).

nvme0n1p3   : is-os,    64, apt-get,    signed grub-pc grub-efi ,   grub2,  grub-install,   grubenv-ok, update-grub,    farbios
sda1    : is-os,    32, nopakmgr,   no-docgrub, nogrub, nogrubinstall,  no-grubenv, noupdategrub,   farbios

Under Suggested Repair I see:

The default repair of the Boot-Repair utility would purge (in order to remove grub-efi) and reinstall the grub2 of
nvme0n1p3 into the MBRs of all disks (except live-disks and removable disks without OS).

Can I go with this recommeded defaults?

3. It also says: "Grub-efi would not be selected by default because: legacy-win no-win-efi".

  • Does this mean Windows 10 was loaded in Legacy mode and not UEFI mode?
  • Or is it just that it didn't find the Windows EFI?

It also suggests "Please enable BIOS-compatibility/CSM/Legacy mode in your UEFI firmware". Instead can I just convert Windows 10 to UEFI model from Legacy using mbr2gtp? But will I risk loosing all my files on HDD by doing this?

5. Didnt quite understand, what happens if I select this option: "Alternatively, you can retry after activating the [Separate /boot/efi partition:] option"

I guess most of the other info can be found on this link. Please let me know if you need any other info.

I would like to emphasize that not loosing my files on HDD is of higher importance than getting back my Win 10 install.

Also, would a fresh install of Windows make things easier instead of repairing my boot?

Additional Notes:

  • I tried startup repair using Windows Recovery USB, but didnt work.
  • os-prober on Ubuntu didnt return anything.
  • update-grub didnt fix it.
  • I got to know that I cannot mix Legacy boot option and EFI boot (https://help.ubuntu.com/community/UEFI). But I dont know if my Windows is on Legacy(MBR) or GPT.
  • Rechecked my BIOS - it is on UEFI and Legacy is not enabled. It was like this from before and I didnt change it now.
  • Secure boot is disabled.

Appreciate any help.

nikhil.tiru
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  • As long as Windows and Ubuntu are installed in the same BIOS/UEFI mode, you should be able to boot Ubuntu and run sudo update-grub to add Windows to the Ubuntu boot menu. – C.S.Cameron Dec 05 '20 at 10:33
  • I tried even this, But didnt fix the issue. My best guess is that there is no Windows Bootloader either in SSD or HDD. And how do I find if Windows is in UEFI or BIOS mode? Does the boot-repair pastebin log help in finding out? – nikhil.tiru Dec 05 '20 at 11:21
  • Checking UEFI or BIOS in Windows. Check “System Information” in Start panel and under BIOS Mode, If it says Legacy, your system has BIOS. If it says UEFI, it’s UEFI. Rufus settings for UEFI only install:.https://askubuntu.com/questions/1278772/unable-to-access-ubuntu-from-uefi/1278841#1278841 – C.S.Cameron Dec 05 '20 at 11:34
  • My BIOS-System Information shows UEFI and not Legacy. Legacy is not enabled. And I cant boot into Windows to use Rufus. – nikhil.tiru Dec 05 '20 at 11:54
  • If Legacy is not enabled, no problem. In Ubuntu use Startup Disk Creator, (that comes with Ubuntu), UNetbootin, Ventoy, dd, Gnome-Disks, Etcher or mkusb to make the installer USB. all will make an installer that will boot in your computers UEFI mode. If the installer boots in UEFI mode it will install for UEFI mode. – C.S.Cameron Dec 05 '20 at 12:04
  • I already did that and installed Ubuntu 18.04. The problem is that Windows OS is detected by boot-repair tool but doesnt show in GRUB menu. – nikhil.tiru Dec 05 '20 at 12:16
  • Did you run sudo update-grub while booted from Ubuntu? Have you looked at /boot/grub/grub.cfg to see if there is a Windows menuentry? – C.S.Cameron Dec 05 '20 at 13:08
  • Windows looks more like a BIOS install, but you have a Windows UEFI boot loader entry using a partUUID that does not exist. Did you manually create that entry before? Windows only installs in UEFI boot mode to gpt partitioned drives and only to MBR drives for BIOS/Legacy boot. Your sda is MBR. Was old SSD UEFI/gpt with another Windows? Best solution is full backup of all your Windows data & reinstall in UEFI mode. Or you can boot from UEFI, but not grub when systems are not in same boot mode. But boot a drive/legacy entry for Windows drive, not UEFI entry. – oldfred Dec 05 '20 at 15:05
  • @oldfred,

    Did you manually create that entry before?

    Dont remember since I had setup the system 3 years back.

    Your sda is MBR.

    OK, at least I am clear about this. So may be Windows was in fact in MBR/Legacy mode previously.

    "Best solution is full backup of all your Windows data & reinstall in UEFI mode."

    I guess, I will try this option and report back. BTW, for reinstalling, will the entire HDD be converted to UEFI? Or only the partition for Windows?

     – nikhil.tiru Dec 05 '20 at 15:44
  • If you reinstall Windows in UEFI mode, its conversion to gpt from MBR will erase the entire drive. There is a Windows MBR to gpt tool, but it really is only for data drives. Also a Linux tool, that may not erase data, but Windows wants multiple partitions that are different with UEFI. ESP, system reserved, recovery as well as main install. https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/manufacture/desktop/configure-uefigpt-based-hard-drive-partitions#RecommendedPartitionConfigurations How you boot install media, UEFI or BIOS is then how it installs. Have good backups of everything. – oldfred Dec 05 '20 at 17:11
  • @oldfred, OK, now I understood. Will take backups first. Then install Windows in UEFI mode. Thank you for all your clarifications !! – nikhil.tiru Dec 05 '20 at 17:28

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