I have a pc with dual-boot Win7 and linux mint. I used easybcd to allow selection with Win7 as default. I am now changing over to linux as the main OS. On other machines I have deleted Win7 from the easybcd menu with linux as default and a 1-second timeout. Then used the linux GRUB menu for OS selection. This works fine on the other machines. Full of confidence I did the same for the last machine (which is my main work-station) without prior testing. Easy BCD did its job and I now go quickly to the linux GRUB menu. However, the GRUB menu has not detected Win7 properly. It is listed, but does not switch to Win7 but cycles me back to the linux GRUB menu. If I select the linux option it loads linux fine, so at least I've got something to work with. I have tried various tools to reset/replace/refresh the GRUB menu list. None have worked. Also tried the same things with BCD replacement. Any suggestions for getting back to a dual boot would be welcomed. Thanks
caught in a booting loop!
- Thread starter JD182
- Start date
If grub is in control of the boot, when you select Windows from the Linux menu, grub doesn't boot Windows, it chains to the Windows bootmgr which does the actual booting.
You should in that case delete Linux from the W7 boot menu, then bootmgr would default to W7 with no menu, Now it's defaulting back to itself since you've left it with no option to boot W7.
Likewise, or vice versa, when you control the boot with Bootmgr and create a Linux option with EasyBCD, bootmgr doesn't boot linux, it chains to grub which does the actual booting. In that case you should remove W7 from grub's menu, so that grub can default to Linux without the bother and delay of a second menu.
Since you've created an infinite loop, your only option to get back into Windows is to use the W7 installation DVD to repair the Windows boot and recreate a Windows option in bootmgr's menu
Once there, set Linux as default in bootmgr by all means, but never delete a OS from it's own boot manager's menu if you ever intend on seeing it again.
You should in that case delete Linux from the W7 boot menu, then bootmgr would default to W7 with no menu, Now it's defaulting back to itself since you've left it with no option to boot W7.
Likewise, or vice versa, when you control the boot with Bootmgr and create a Linux option with EasyBCD, bootmgr doesn't boot linux, it chains to grub which does the actual booting. In that case you should remove W7 from grub's menu, so that grub can default to Linux without the bother and delay of a second menu.
Since you've created an infinite loop, your only option to get back into Windows is to use the W7 installation DVD to repair the Windows boot and recreate a Windows option in bootmgr's menu
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Once there, set Linux as default in bootmgr by all means, but never delete a OS from it's own boot manager's menu if you ever intend on seeing it again.
Terry, thanks for your comments and suggestions. However, they still leave me with a couple of issues, I created the Win-7 installation several years ago from an install CD which did not have the level of USB support that I needed. I struggled to build a bootable USB stick with more modern USB drivers slipstreamed in and finally got the Win-7 install to work (a very hit and miss affair). I no longer have that USB stick, so if I use a normal Win-7 install CD it gets so far then all USB devices, including mouse and keyboard, cease to work. So unless I go back to building a slipstreamed install disk (which may not be possible anymore as out of date drivers etc may be hard to come by) I can't go for an install disk repair.
However, I have tried several BCD repair tools, both Win and linux based such as Gparted, Rescatux rescue disk and Paragon. All failed to repair either the BCD or grub menu. What strikes me as the simplest solution is to find a way to get a correct Win-7 entry in the grub menu then I would be able to boot either linux or Win-7 from GRUB as I currently do on other machines. the linux os-prober command doesn't return a valid Win-7 bootable either.
Still needing suggestions, but thanks again Terry.
However, I have tried several BCD repair tools, both Win and linux based such as Gparted, Rescatux rescue disk and Paragon. All failed to repair either the BCD or grub menu. What strikes me as the simplest solution is to find a way to get a correct Win-7 entry in the grub menu then I would be able to boot either linux or Win-7 from GRUB as I currently do on other machines. the linux os-prober command doesn't return a valid Win-7 bootable either.
Still needing suggestions, but thanks again Terry.
Putting a W7 entry in grub won't help unless there's one in the BCD
It's always bootmgr that boots Windows, even if you're starting from grub.
It's always grub that boots Linux even if you're starting from bootmgr.
Do you have access to another PC where USB isn't an issue, or an old PS2 mouse/keyboard (or adapter).
You'll have to contrive a way to talk to Windows if you want to fix it.
It's always bootmgr that boots Windows, even if you're starting from grub.
It's always grub that boots Linux even if you're starting from bootmgr.
Do you have access to another PC where USB isn't an issue, or an old PS2 mouse/keyboard (or adapter).
You'll have to contrive a way to talk to Windows if you want to fix it.