Can I install the gnu grub menu from windows?

Question

Hi I’m new in Linux and I have a problem. I bought a computer with Windows 8 which was upgraded to 8.1 in the mean time.

Then I installed Ubuntu 14.04.1 and when the set-up finished, I restarted the computer but it starts with Windows and I can’t choose any other OS.

How should I proceed to boot into Ubuntu?

do you have an UEFI firmware or just Legacy BIOS – younes Dec 02 '14 at 18:50 — younes, Dec 02 '14 at 18:50

Mark Williams · Answer 1 · 2014-12-07T08:26:52.940

0

Windows never recognises linux installations; it just overwrites the boot on the disk. You need to go back to the linux install disk, restart using that to boot, and then re-write the grub system; start a terminal, & do this:

sudo -s
mount /dev/sda /mnt
cd /mnt/
mount --bind /proc proc
mount --bind /sys sys
mount --bind /dev dev
mount --bind /usr usr
chroot .
update-grub
grub-install
reboot

It is possible to shorten this but may then not always work; what you are doing is mounting your main drive (I've assumed one drive on the PC) and lying to the system, in effect, to make the grub programs run on your drive not the boot disk, then re-install the bootloader; grub will recognise Windows, and Linux, fix things, and then you reboot (removing the CD or USB you booted from) - et voila. This has been covered a number of times before, you're not alone!

edited Dec 07 '14 at 08:26

answered Dec 02 '14 at 19:42

Mark Williams

2,580

Well, I tried to do that but after I typed the "mount -bind /proc proc" command I get this: – Manuel Dec 05 '14 at 19:22
What's a 'this'? – Mark Williams Dec 06 '14 at 19:00
Sorry, is this message: "mount: invalid option -- 'b'" – Manuel Dec 07 '14 at 04:09
@MarkWilliams it is indeed the way to go for such an issue, but you should also know that new machines which are shipped pre-installed with win8, has a gpt style disk, ann hence this method will fail in the same way the OS installer failed. – younes Dec 07 '14 at 20:24
@Manuel did you install this system in the UEFI mode or BIOS mode, if you've used BIOS mode, then try reinstall in UEFI mode. good luck – younes Dec 07 '14 at 20:26
So something like this, which says 64-bit only - is that still true? – Mark Williams Dec 08 '14 at 07:58

Can I install the gnu grub menu from windows?

1 Answers1