BCD for multi-drive systems, each with own MBR

MPCaseJR

Member
How do I set up to boot into a Linux HDD with Grub 2 on its own MBR in EasyBCD from Windows 10 or 7? Whenever I try and add a Linux entry and use it I just get a generic unconfigured GRUB.

I install each OS on a hard-drive as if it is the only machine in the system. I am able to boot the Linux GRUB 2 and start any OS. I can boot a Windows system and start either Win 10 or 7 from either drive. I can't get Linux to start when using either Windows as the initial boot drive.

I have no intention of removing the GRUB 2 from the Linux HDD. I want to keep it so I can remove any HDD and still boot the system.
 
I tried pointing NeoGrub at the vmlinuz file, that just opens a generic text linux.
I tried copying the entry from the Grub config for Ubuntu ---

menuentry 'Ubuntu, with Linux 3.5.0-18-generic' --class ubuntu --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os {
recordfail
savedefault
gfxmode $linux_gfx_mode
insmod gzio
insmod part_msdos
insmod ext2
set root='(hd0,msdos1)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 92b20a5c-40ba-4036-a16c-7dc47e30b690
linux /boot/vmlinuz-3.5.0-18-generic root=UUID=92b20a5c-40ba-4036-a16c-7dc47e30b690 ro quiet splash nomodeset $vt_handoff
initrd /boot/initrd.img-3.5.0-18-generic
}

and that didn't get me to the Linux login screen either.
 
Firstly, is this on a UEFI PC ?
If so MS won't allow booting Linux from bootmgr.
EasyBCD cannot circumvent the restriction.
If it's a BIOS/MBR set-up, then adding a Linux entry to the BCD, selection grub2 from the drop-down and allowing EasyBCD to auto-configure, should create a chain from Windows to your Linux grub.
If Linux is configured as a multi-boot, you will get two boot menus.
Normally, if you want Windows to control the boot, you'd reset the Linux menu to default without presenting the second menu.
 
Not UEFI.
No, simply adding a grub2 selection in easyBCD does not auto configure at all, especially not to another MBR on another HDD.
I wouldn't mind if I could get to the Linux boot menu, but I can't seem to get it to do that.

What I need is a way to tell it to reboot with the MBR on the HDD for Linux or a way to start whatever boots up the linux login screen.
 
It's been many years since I used Linux, and my PC is now UEFI, so I have no recent experience of doing this or expertise greater than already stated, but that feature (auto configuration with grub 2) has certainly worked fine for years.
I would be surprised if it had broken in a recent release (expecting a considerable number of reports stating so), so would guess that some idiosyncrasy of your configuration might not be being dealt with in EasyBCD's hunting down of grub2 across your PC.
Try opening a thread in the "Bugcentral" forum, including a Disk Management screenshot of your configuration and describing your exact inputs to EasyBCD and the unexpected results.
The developer should pick it up from there.
 
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