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mogmog 03-16-2017 12:57 PM
Multiboot system was fine, suddenly get NTLDR missing-no Linux
 
I have Linux Mint 17.2 as my main system, with boot options for W7 and my earlier (17.0?) Mint.

Due to a key application being inadvertently removed from my system (previously posted about this), I have been booting between the two Mint versions for the last 24 hours.

Suddenly on a routine restart I get NTLDR is missing. I haven't touched Windows recently, so not sure what has happened here.

If I F10 into my boot menu & select the hard disk, I get the GRUB menu OK & can choose the OS.

Any ideas please?
Much obliged.

JackDinn 03-16-2017 02:42 PM
what does grub-customizer say regarding your visible boot options if you run it and let it scan for entries ?

try using the customizer to re-install the multi-boot grub (Install to MBR).

might want the ppa:-

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:danielrichter2007/grub-customizer.

mogmog 03-16-2017 03:03 PM
[QUOTE=JackDinn;5684348]what does grub-customizer say regarding your visible boot options if you run it and let it scan for entries ?

try using the customizer to re-install the multi-boot grub (Install to MBR).

Thanks Jack,
I installed it and the options are those which I'd normally see:
LM 17.2 then
2 Advanced options for LM 17.2,
2 x memtest, 2 x W7 ,
then LM17 plus
2 x advanced options for LM17

I put the default entry from "first in list" to LM 17.2 & saved to MBR.
Hopefully that will do the trick. I'll reboot to see....

JackDinn 03-16-2017 03:14 PM
hmm, did you not get your windows boot option show up for grub ?

I have much the same as you (mint 18 kde, mint 18.1 cinnamon, windows 10 UEFI) but my grub-cutomizer picks up my windows uefi boot option along with the linux ones:-

Quote:
savedefault
insmod part_gpt
insmod fat
set root='hd0,gpt1'
if [ x$feature_platform_search_hint = xy ]; then
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root --hint-bios=hd0,gpt1 --hint-efi=hd0,gpt1 --hint-baremetal=ahci0,gpt1 541E-BD1F
else
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 541E-BD1F
fi
chainloader /EFI/Microsoft/Boot/bootmgfw.efi

mogmog 03-16-2017 03:15 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by mogmog (Post 5684366)

Hopefully that will do the trick. I'll reboot to see....
Nope. Will re-run the customiser.

mogmog 03-16-2017 03:44 PM
1 Attachment(s)
I have 2 W7 entries (I missed tabulating them properly in my list). This is what I have (attached pic).

Quote:
savedefault
insmod part_gpt
insmod fat
set root='hd0,gpt1'
if [ x$feature_platform_search_hint = xy ]; then
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root --hint-bios=hd0,gpt1 --hint-efi=hd0,gpt1 --hint-baremetal=ahci0,gpt1 541E-BD1F
else
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 541E-BD1F
fi
chainloader /EFI/Microsoft/Boot/bootmgfw.efi

..what's this? Is it a command or a report? Anything I should do?
Cheers

JackDinn 03-16-2017 03:55 PM
no not meant for you to use per-say , its just the "edit" of my "Windows Boot Manager (on /dev/sda1)" but you might want to check yours looks about right (right click it and edit) of course yours will be different to mine.

I also see your windows is picked up, but im wondering why its listed twice (sda1 & sdb1) ? is it supposed to have 2 separate win7 installed ?

Finally when you reboot you do get the windows boot option but you still get the ntldr error message when you choose windows ? (is that both of the windows choices it errors on?)

mogmog 03-16-2017 04:19 PM
I may have 2 x W7 installed or partly installed? I'm a bit woolly with boot stuff & this was all a while ago. I think I was concerned about deleting stuff as I wasn't sure what I wanted to lose & keep.


I haven't tried booting into Windows. Will try that in a mo.

Your "Windows Boot Manager" is what? The Windows entries in your Grub, or some other application (on WIndows?)

My LM 17 entry is
Quote:
recordfail
load_video
gfxmode $linux_gfx_mode
insmod gzio
insmod part_msdos
insmod ext2
set root='hd0,msdos3'
if [ x$feature_platform_search_hint = xy ]; then
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root --hint-bios=hd0,msdos3 --hint-efi=hd0,msdos3 --hint-baremetal=ahci0,msdos3 6a3647a6-29a2-4285-892a-858ca3587f24
else
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 6a3647a6-29a2-4285-892a-858ca3587f24
fi
linux /boot/vmlinuz-3.16.0-38-generic root=UUID=6a3647a6-29a2-4285-892a-858ca3587f24 ro vga=775 splash quiet splash $vt_handoff
initrd /boot/initrd.img-3.16.0-38-generic
is the line in red significant, pointing to DOS? for HD0

JackDinn 03-16-2017 04:34 PM
that script is from my grub-customizer (after its finished its scan for boot entries right click on Windows Boot Manager (on /dev/sda1) entry and hit "edit". It shows the script for that entry).

yea it looks like your going to have a lot of fun with this one, try a google search for "grub ntldr missing" and you'll see what i mean. I was just hoping that if you could get the grub re-ordered and re-installed using the customizer you would be done but it looks like its gone over my head now. Its possibly to do with UEFI/EFI and/or windows needing to be installed on the first partition ONLY (else will loose ntldr) but other people have mentioned other things too.

G luck.

p.s. you might try and disable the windows option temporarily with the grub-customizer just to see if your linux works, as it should do.

mogmog 03-16-2017 04:50 PM
FWIW, Windows (at least the one I would use) booted fine.
Thanks for your help anyway, the boot customiser is a useful tool.
I had spent some time searching, but all my results were about screwed up fresh installations & not being able to start Windows. Adding GRUB to the search helps.
Cheers

mogmog 03-17-2017 04:35 AM
On searching GRUB NTLDR missing I came across a thread referring to Boot Info Script & I installed this to see if that would shed more light. Among the results were:

Code:
=> Grub2 (v1.99) is installed in the MBR of /dev/sda and looks at sector 1 of
    the same hard drive for core.img. core.img is at this location and looks
    in partition 112 for .
 => Grub2 (v1.99) is installed in the MBR of /dev/sdb and looks at sector 1 of
    the same hard drive for core.img. core.img is at this location and looks
    in partition 112 for .
 => Windows is installed in the MBR of /dev/sdc.
 => No boot loader is installed in the MBR of /dev/sdd.
and

Code:
Partition  Boot  Start Sector    End Sector  # of Sectors  Id System

/dev/sda1    *          2,048      206,847      204,800  7 NTFS / exFAT / HPFS
/dev/sda2            206,848  160,147,455  159,940,608  7 NTFS / exFAT / HPFS
/dev/sda3        160,147,456  257,803,705    97,656,250  83 Linux
/dev/sda4        257,804,288  500,117,503  242,313,216  83 Linux

sda1: __________________________________________________________________________

    File system:      ntfs
    Boot sector type:  Windows Vista/7: NTFS
    Boot sector info:  No errors found in the Boot Parameter Block.
    Operating System: 
    Boot files:        /bootmgr /Boot/BCD

sda2: __________________________________________________________________________

    File system:      ntfs
    Boot sector type:  Windows Vista/7: NTFS
    Boot sector info:  No errors found in the Boot Parameter Block.
    Operating System:  Windows 7
    Boot files:        /Windows/System32/winload.exe

sda3: __________________________________________________________________________

    File system:      ext4
    Boot sector type:  -
    Boot sector info:
    Operating System:  Linux Mint 17.2 Rafaela
    Boot files:        /boot/grub/grub.cfg /etc/fstab
Now JackDinn's report shows
Code:
set root='hd0,gpt1'
while mine shows
Code:
set root='hd0,msdos3'
Is this significant?

I had a search for gpt but couldn't get a definitive conclusion - is it a partition (number 1)?
How do I tell which partition LM 17.2 boots from?
If I reinstall GRUB2, will it just sort itself out?
Cheers

JackDinn 03-17-2017 04:46 AM
Hi, I can help with your wondering about the gpt1, its because im using UEFI boot for my win10.

Are you booting with UEFI, secure boot and/or legacy mode set on in your bios ? try tinkering with them settings if they are on try turning them off (on for legacy mode).

hydrurga 03-17-2017 07:38 AM
Have you thought about using Boot Repair Disk? https://sourceforge.net/projects/boot-repair-cd/

It has got me out of a few pickles.

mogmog 03-18-2017 01:36 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by JackDinn (Post 5684661)
Are you booting with UEFI, secure boot and/or legacy mode set on in your bios ? try tinkering with them settings if they are on try turning them off (on for legacy mode).
I avoided UEFI as at the time I first moved lo Linux on my then new pc, there was a lot of talk of motherboards being bricked by installing non-Windows OS's (or something along those lines), so I stayed well clear.

Quote:
Hi, I can help with your wondering about the gpt1, its because im using UEFI boot for my win10.
Not using UEFI boot, so is gpt1 a Windows thing, and your equivalent to mine pointing to MSDOS3? So that a Windows reference is correct?

Have you thought about using Boot Repair Disk? https://sourceforge.net/projects/boot-repair-cd/

It has got me out of a few pickles.

Hydrurga
Quote:
Have you thought about using Boot Repair Disk? https://sourceforge.net/projects/boot-repair-cd/

It has got me out of a few pickles.
I have come across a repair utility, not sure if it is this one - I had to do some work as I had clients hopping up & down, so this got sidelined. I'm also swapping between OS's & it's hard to keep track of which tabs/resources are in which OS.

I'll try your suggestion as that gives it more credibility than something I just came across on the web.
Thank you.

JackDinn 03-18-2017 01:59 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by mogmog (Post 5685234)
I avoided UEFI as at the time I first moved lo Linux on my then new pc, there was a lot of talk of motherboards being bricked by installing non-Windows OS's (or something along those lines), so I stayed well clear.


Not using UEFI boot, so is gpt1 a Windows thing, and your equivalent to mine pointing to MSDOS3? So that a Windows reference is correct?
yea gpt is a file system format that UEFI boot OS's use as the boot drive so if you are sure you did not use uefi/secure boot then you would not have any gpt part's I can not say for sure what file-system you should have though i would assume if your's was working then its prob correct because its unlikely you have had a change in file-sys without noticing or accidentally.

you'll prob end up re-installing at least one OS (if not all of them) :(

yancek 03-18-2017 03:23 PM
The information you cut and posted from the bootinfoscript shows that you have an MBR system with Grub installed to the MBR of two drives (sda and sdb) while you have windows code in the MBR of sdc. What happens when you set sdc to first boot priority in the BIOS? The set root='hd0,msdos3' you posted from your machine confirms that it is MBR.

I'm not sure why you are geting an ntldr is missing error since ntldr has not been used on windows since xp. Vista and later versions of windows use BCD and the necessary boot file are: winload.exe which is on the system partition in C:\Windows\System32\Boot folder.
BCD is in the Boot folder of the boot partition or the system partition if you do not have a separate boot partition. bootmgr is also needed and is in the root of the system partition or the boot partition.

Quote:
so is gpt1 a Windows thing
No. Detailed info on GPT at the link below. FreeBSD and most Linux systems can use GPT with MBR systems. Macs and windows can not.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GUID_Partition_Table

If you are still having problems, I think your next best step is to get boot repair, either by downloading it and burning it to a CD or running after insalling it on Mint. See the link below. Make sure you select the option to Create BootInfo Summary and just post a link to it here.

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Boot-Repair

mogmog 03-18-2017 06:39 PM
Jack, Hydrurga & Yancek,
Thanks for your help here - Boot repair disk worked & I've rebooted to GRUB choices several toimes to check.

In case it's of interest, the Boot info is here: https://paste.ubuntu.com/24204792/
My disks are in a right mess, I think, with old OS's but I'm not sure which ones to get rid of & which to keep - SDA was a new SSD with a W7 then LM17.2 install and the other disk still has the old W7 & LM 17.0 on it. I think. It worked & I moved on - I kept the old LM as a backup (glad I did as it's been very useful with my ongoing uninstalled QGIS problem)
Cheers
J

PS Jack, get boot repair disk just in case - it's good.

hydrurga 03-18-2017 06:42 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by mogmog (Post 5685348)
Jack, Hydrurga & Yancek,
Thanks for your help here - Boot repair disk worked & I've rebooted to GRUB choices several toimes to check.

In case it's of interest, the Boot info is here: https://paste.ubuntu.com/24204792/
My disks are in a right mess, I think, with old OS's but I'm not sure which ones to get rid of & which to keep - SDA was a new SSD with a W7 then LM17.2 install and the other disk still has the old W7 & LM 17.0 on it. I think. It worked & I moved on - I kept the old LM as a backup (glad I did as it's been very useful with my ongoing uninstalled QGIS problem)
Cheers
J

PS Jack, get boot repair disk just in case - it's good.
I'm glad it worked. Onwards and upwards! :)

yancek 03-18-2017 10:24 PM
If you have sda (256GB drive) set to first boot priority, you should be able to boot windows on that drive as well as Mint 17.2 which is also on that drive and Mint 17 Quiana which is on the sdc drive (74GB) as there are correct entries for all in the grub.cfg file of Mint 17.2 on sda3. There is also an entry for windows 7 on sdb1 (320GB drive so they should all boot.

Your grub.cfg for Mint 17 Mate only has entries for itself and the windows on sda1 so if you have the small (74GB) drive set to first boot priority, you will only be able to boot Mate and the windows on sda unless you run: sudo update-grub from Mate.

JackDinn 03-19-2017 02:01 AM
@mogmog, glad you did get it figured in the end without to much hassle. Iv kept a note of the repair disk just in case, thx.

Keep at it :)

mogmog 03-20-2017 03:42 AM
Not sorted!
Just booted this morning - NTLDR is missing...
After running the boot repair disk, I rebooted several times & it worked, booting to the options menu.
Will try again with boot repair disk...

Back in 17.2 at present - this is the GRUB tool I found Rescatux:
http://www.supergrubdisk.org/wizard-...er-grub2-disk/

EDIT
Just re-run Boot Disk Repair & rebooted - now works. Will it stay fixed?

yancek 03-20-2017 07:43 AM
It should have worked with the SSD as first boot priority, at least from the info posted earlier. As long as you don't move drives, it should work. That grub.cfg shows all the correct entries.

Which selection are you making when you get the ntldr error? One of the windows entries, any menuentry? Your boot repair output usually shows the various boot files for Linux and/or windows and yours doesn't show ntldr but rather the correct bcd boot files for windows 7. Did this system originally have xp on it?


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