@Terry60 windows 8 basic problem considerations

Hi Terry60,

your text is not very helpful ...

It seeems that a lot of computers has different Windows 8.1 versions on it. By example I can not find the fast boot option on the energy control pannel in Windows 8.1 on two notebooks (from Samsung and from Acer).

easyB7 hours to CD seems to be fine ... but has the some problems like all Linux distributions ... very fine on the outside and full of "tournarrounds" in the inner side.

I am a Windows expert ... but I am still seeking for clean instructions in easyBCD ... by example WHERE write the MBR.

I have now a Linuxmint installation on a partition of a HDD on a Samsung ultra Notebook. I had for more then 7 hours to find out a way to make working a USB-bootable disk installer (the most are full of bugs!). Only one was able to made that I can install linuxmint on a hdd partition .. and there the system stays and it is not possible to verify if it exists (windows does not read EXT4-Partitions). And it is not possible to START the new system from the HDD! For this raison I have seek for easyBCD ... And with easyBCD it was possible to get a boot menu with 2 entrys .. Windows 8.1 AND linuxmint ... but only the Windows system will start.

I feel that there is a problem with the MBR ... easyBCD does not explain WHERE the user must store the new MBR ... and every time when I will store the MBR on a disk he ask me for a active primary partition ... when I add a new System this works fine ... name linuxmint ... Grub2 ... seek automatical ... and the entry is in the boot menu ... but does nothing ...

Linuxmint is a very fine computer system but the developpers do not have enough practice to know that it is a stupid way to handle when a software producer create multiple "tournarounds" ... a system like linuxmint must install witout any "tournaround" learned by the users after multiple crashs.

I wold also that the developpers of easyBCD learn that such programs must work in a simple way ... still the selection between Grub and Grub2 is for the most users a big problem.

I would to have a easyBCD version "for dummies" ... simple to use and with a simple help fonction when the user must made a choice. By example a button beside of the choice "grub" who open a Internet page where the user can learn what he does use.

thanks,
brainstuff
 
You don't "write MBR" when adding entries to the BCD.
Just "add new entry". That's all.
The write MBR function is on one of the advanced options pages and is used to repair a broken PC (for example when a careless installation of Linux or XP has overwritten the Vista/7/8/10 boot process)
EasyBCD Basics
If your notebooks are UEFI, you cannot boot Linux from the BCD (nothing to do with EasyBCD, just a Microsoft restriction). You can however boot Windows from grub.
If they are legacy BIOS, just add a Linux entry to the BCD (DO NOT Write MBR)
It is extremely unlikely that any Linux distribution uses anything except grub2 unless it's more than 5 years old.
 
Hi Terry60,

I am a IT professional ... and I am verry worried by the fact that the LINUX communauty will not understand that the "ordinary" computer User is not a freak for stupid words (grub2, mount drive, ...) and technology who works only with a lot of "tournarrounds".

The normal user who expect all the hints who I have seen in the last week (while I seek to made working LINUXmint on a notebook) will close the try of LINUXmint and goes back to Windows.

You say by example that the MBR fonction in easyBCD is not to use in the normal situation ... I am very happy that this fonction des not destroy the MBR ... (on my computer she have not any result) ... but the developper of easyBCD must inform the user that this is a "repair-fonction".

I would to fix all the issues first on my SAMSUNG ultra-Notebook (i5 processor and ... in this moment ... only 4gb RAM). The Notebook has a UEFI Bios. I have installed easyBCD and since this the notebook starts ... with 2 different boot menus ... very crazy...

The notebook has a hdd drive 0 ... with a 499M partition (restore W 8.1) a 100mb EFI systeme partition the drive c (242 GB) principale partition
after this a not visible partition (very little) then a 195 Gb Partition (with Linuxmint on it also declarde partition principale. then a 3 Gb partition a 22 gb partition (recuperation) and again a 1 gb partition also for restoring.

It seems that the notebook has also a very little SSD drive with 2 partitions on it.

The first boot menu is on a simple screen (grey and no grafics). The first entry is windows 8.§1 and the other entries are the entries who I have created in easyBCD When I do nothing Windows 8.1 starts after about 30 seconds with a simple screen (blue nothing on it) ... when I wait some time, the time display occours and the day and the date. I have also on the right side the language and the shut-down button. When I click on it, I have the username and the password windows. If I enter the password ... Windows 8.1 starts normally.

When I start the easyBCD 2.2 I have my entrys :

Voreinstellung Windows 8.1
Wartezeit 30 sekunden
easyBCD Start Gerät: c:\

Eintrag #1
Name Windows Boot Manager
BCD ID; (8do7cd09-bf31-11e2-be68-806e6f6e6963)
Gerät unbekannt(e)
Bootloader Pfad

Eintrag #2
Name: Windows 8.1
BCD ID (courrent)
Laufwerk c:\
bootloader Pfad: \windows\system32\winload.efi

Eintrag #3
Name LinuxMint
BCD ID (courrent)
Gerät: boot
Bootloader Pfad: \NST\AutoNeo\Grub0.mbr

I have then the same entry with different grub versions .. grub 0, grub1 ... In all these entrysI have given (if possible) the option seek and find automatically the drive.

(in the grey boot menu only the windpws 8.1 entry work ... the setting in the BIOS is CSM and UEFI OS secure boot is OFF

Some time I have the boot menu in a color (blue) version (like the Windows 8.1 style) .. I do not find out when I will have this creen ..but the fonction is the same as the grey boot screen.

If I click on one of the LINUXmint entries I get a black screen and nothing happens. (the mouse cursor works). I have wait for more then five minutes .. but nothing comes up. some time I have also a screen who says that the system was not fund.

I think (but I can not verify) that LINUX mint was correctely installed on the 195 GB partition.

What is the reason that Linuxmint will not start? What can I do?

thanks,
John
 
See line 6 of my previous reply.
Your BCD shows that you have a UEFI PC (winload.efi not winload.exe)
Microsoft won't allow it to boot Linux from the BCD (EasyBCD cannot circumvent that restriction)
The only way you can multi-boot a UEFI WIndows PC with Linux is by directing the BIOS to the Linux boot partition as the initial boot device.
You then need to add entries to grub2 boot.cfg to chain from grub to Windows.
You should not change the .cfg file directly (the changes will not persist). There's a user override file provided.
Grub 2 Basics
You'll probably get more helpful advice from a Linux forum.
I haven't used Linux for many years (since before grub2), so my knowledge is sketchy and out of date.
 
Terry, Thank you for this .... I have tried to find someone in the linuxmint forum ... but no result . I think they use all older computers ... And when you says "You can however boot Windows from grub." .. I hope I have understand correctly that this will mean to start first Linux mint from the hdd .... and this will mean that I must first delete the windows 8.1 installation ... then install Linux and then again windows 8.1 I am also trying with the other notebook (an ACER aspire V5) ... who has a legacy Bios ... for the moment I had not any result ... he will still not install any LINUX version ... there the problem is also that this is a computer with an AMD CPU, not very fast ... the only thing who was interesting for me, is that he have a "touch"-Screen ... but the touch screen is only "useful" (or better can only be used by Windows 8.1), not by LINUX ... (I think the touch-screen is also for Windows a not very useful item) ... If I make run this computer with Linux mint ... he will run much more faster ... perhaps the best idea for this computer is to save the windows System, to delete all partitions ... to install Linux-Mint as principal system and then to install at new Windows 8.1 as second system .. Do you think this would work?? Thanks, brainstuff
 
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You don't need to reinstall Windows.Just set your PC BIOS to boot into Linux directly, then add a boot entry for Windows to the grub menu.
 
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