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I cannot boot back my windows 8 disk after Ubuntu install.

I installed Ubuntu. Probably I selected my main disk (I wanted to used the diskonkey disk). After about 3-4 screens (selecting time zone) I noticed that is using the wrong partition and I powered down the laptop.

Now I don’t have a partition table with windows 8. It cannot boot. I think I have to recover my MBR and partition table.

I used the boot repair - this is what it showed: http://paste.ubuntu.com/9659707/

David Foerster
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Uri Cahila
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    The device you call "my main disk" is, apparently, not present. Is the device connected? – mikewhatever Feb 14 '15 at 09:22
  • Windows 8 preloaded computers come with a GPT disklabel. Reboot using UEFI boot and attach the results of sudo blkid and sudo gdisk -l from a terminal. – Erkin Alp Güney Feb 14 '15 at 15:33
  • Partition table was erased before you stopped process. You may be able to use testdisk to restore gpt partitions. http://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/TestDisk – oldfred Feb 14 '15 at 15:47
  • Thanks Erkin, how should i boot using UEFI boot? Is it with the same linux/ubuntu disk? or some other tool? – Uri Cahila Feb 14 '15 at 19:56
  • UEFI boot uses GRUB on Ubuntu LiveCD. EFI system partition has to be first and FAT16/32 formatted or otherwise Windows 8 GUI bootloader will create a new one on its own. You should do a sudo grub-install --uefi-secure-boot <target> on LiveCD and sudo apt install grub-efi-amd64 on your Ubuntu installation. – Erkin Alp Güney Feb 15 '15 at 20:51

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Powering down in the middle of an installation because you've taken the wrong choice is always the worst decision you can take. That is like powering down your car in the middle of a busy cross-road because you took a wrong turn. (Just believe me: don't try this!)

The easiest way to solve this situation is to:

  1. Enable UEFI in the BIOS and reboot.
  2. If that didn't work, take the recovery DVD that came with your machine and boot with that to get your system back. Warning this will destroy all of your data still remaining on the drive. (You did make a back-up before starting the install didn't you?)

The more difficult way:

  1. Attach your back-up drive to the computer
  2. Boot with the Ubuntu LiveCD

  3. Press Ctrl+Alt+T and type:

    sudo apt-get install testdisk
testdisk

  4. Follow testdisk step-by-step instructions to save as much of your data as possible.

  5. Recover using the Recovery DVD
  6. Follow these instructions on how to efficiently partition a Windows-Ubuntu dual-boot and how to install Ubuntu on a pre-installed Windows 8 machine.
Community
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Fabby
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