EasyBCD with Linux+ Win7, Win8

ninevoltz

Member
I have a non-UEFI system with two hard drives installed. The first drive has 4 partitions. The first partition contains Windows 7 Pro 32-bit. The second partition contains the /boot (ext3) filesystem for Scientific Linux 6.1. The third partition is the Linux swap, and the fourth is the Linux root (/). The second hard drive has one partition containing Windows 8.1 Enterprise 64-bit. When I attempt to boot Scientific Linux, the computer restarts and boots into Grub4DOS, then stops at the grub prompt. if I enter configfile /grub/menu.lst it will show the Linux boot menu then continue to boot my Scientific Linux. Why doesn't Grub4DOS automatically load the /grub/menu.lst? I can also enter root (hd0,1) then configfile /grub/menu.lst and it will use the boot menu from my /boot partition, which is ideal if I upgrade the kernel I won't have to modify the menu.lst stored on the Windows partition.

Anybody know why Grub4DOS is misbehaving?

Thanks!
 
Which HDD are you booting from ?
Please copy/paste EasyBCD's "view settings" (detailed mode)
 
Code:
Windows Boot Manager
--------------------
identifier              {9dea862c-5cdd-4e70-acc1-f32b344d4795}
device                  partition=C:
description             Windows Boot Manager
locale                  en-US
inherit                 {7ea2e1ac-2e61-4728-aaa3-896d9d0a9f0e}
integrityservices       Enable
default                 {26e59e0f-b409-11e1-83ba-ffe902bd1403}
resumeobject            {26e59e0e-b409-11e1-83ba-ffe902bd1403}
displayorder            {26e59e0f-b409-11e1-83ba-ffe902bd1403}
                        {26e59e0a-b409-11e1-83ba-ffe902bd1403}
                        {26e59e0d-b409-11e1-83ba-ffe902bd1403}
                        {26e59e15-b409-11e1-83ba-ffe902bd1403}
toolsdisplayorder       {b2721d73-1db4-4c62-bf78-c548a880142d}
timeout                 30
displaybootmenu         Yes

Windows Boot Loader
-------------------
identifier              {26e59e0f-b409-11e1-83ba-ffe902bd1403}
device                  partition=F:
path                    \Windows\system32\winload.exe
description             Windows 8.1
locale                  en-US
inherit                 {6efb52bf-1766-41db-a6b3-0ee5eff72bd7}
recoverysequence        {26e59e10-b409-11e1-83ba-ffe902bd1403}
integrityservices       Enable
recoveryenabled         Yes
allowedinmemorysettings 0x15000075
osdevice                partition=F:
systemroot              \Windows
resumeobject            {26e59e0e-b409-11e1-83ba-ffe902bd1403}
nx                      OptIn
bootmenupolicy          Standard
hypervisorlaunchtype    Auto

Windows Boot Loader
-------------------
identifier              {26e59e0a-b409-11e1-83ba-ffe902bd1403}
device                  partition=C:
path                    \Windows\system32\winload.exe
description             Windows 7
locale                  en-US
inherit                 {6efb52bf-1766-41db-a6b3-0ee5eff72bd7}
recoverysequence        {26e59e0b-b409-11e1-83ba-ffe902bd1403}
recoveryenabled         Yes
osdevice                partition=C:
systemroot              \Windows
resumeobject            {26e59e09-b409-11e1-83ba-ffe902bd1403}
nx                      OptIn

Windows Boot Loader
-------------------
identifier              {26e59e0d-b409-11e1-83ba-ffe902bd1403}
device                  partition=C:
path                    \Windows\system32\winloadp.exe
description             Windows 7 PAE Patched
locale                  en-US
inherit                 {6efb52bf-1766-41db-a6b3-0ee5eff72bd7}
recoverysequence        {26e59e0b-b409-11e1-83ba-ffe902bd1403}
recoveryenabled         Yes
nointegritychecks       Yes
osdevice                partition=C:
systemroot              \Windows
kernel                  ntkrnlpx.exe
resumeobject            {26e59e09-b409-11e1-83ba-ffe902bd1403}
nx                      OptIn

Real-mode Boot Sector
---------------------
identifier              {26e59e15-b409-11e1-83ba-ffe902bd1403}
device                  partition=C:
path                    \NST\AutoNeoGrub0.mbr
description             Scientific Linux
 
A couple of things.
a) you say "the computer reboots...."
I can see from the BCD that you installed W8 after W7 and it has replaced the W7 boot files (on W7) with its own, and that W8 is your default OS.
Are you allowing W8 power options to keep "fast boot" in place ?
If so it would probably be a good move to switch that off.
"Fast boot" is fast but it isn't a boot, it's a disguised hibernation/resume and it's really designed to make a single OS PC to look impressive.
It doesn't sit well in a multi-boot even with other MS OSs, and can cause problems which force Vista/7 into lengthy HDD chkdsk repair sequences, and subsequent W8 auto-repairs. I've no idea what additional complications could arise with a "foreign" OS (not being a Linux user for several years)
The effect of "fast boot" when you choose an OS other than the default, is to force the suspended W8 into a real shutdown from its hibernated state instead of the rapid "resume" it was intending to pretend was W8 rebooting. Then of course it really has to reboot, which is why you see the full POST/BIOS/IPL followed by a repeat of the boot menu. That applies to W7 as well as Linux.
b) How did you create the Linux entry in the BCD ?
Since SL6 still appears to use legacy grub, did you remember to specify it in the dropdown menu ?
Only grub2 can be "auto-configured" by EasyBCD. Legacy grub needs you to point it to the correct partition.
Being on the same HDD as the Windows boot files, you do not need to tick the "Use EasyBCD's copy..." box

PS Are you using the latest version of EasyBCD ?
Announcing EasyBCD 2.2: Windows 8 dual-booting and more!
 
Last edited:
I was assuming that Scientific Linux used grub2. I reconfigured everything to use the legacy grub and then I noticed the NeoGrub tab. It works now. Thanks, Terry!
 
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