[SOLVED] EFI on MSI B550M Bazooka m/b

business_kid · 10-28-2023, 02:30 PM

I need to sort out the boot order on this box. Pride is at stake, because I'm going to be visited by a Windows nerd who wants to view a proof of concept on This solution provided here and I don't need this booting Windows by default. My current boot order is

Code:

dec@Ebony:~$sudo efibootmgr
BootCurrent: 0001
Timeout: 1 seconds
BootOrder: 0000,0001,0002,0003
Boot0000* Windows Boot Manager	HD(1,GPT,5e0a4df4-b065-41f1-b1a5-8ce98d4fbe2e,0x800,0x32000)/File(\EFI\MICROSOFT\BOOT\BOOTMGFW.EFI)WINDOWS.........x...B.C.D.O.B.J.E.C.T.=.{.9.d.e.a.8.6.2.c.-.5.c.d.d.-.4.e.7.0.-.a.c.c.1.-.f.3.2.b.3.4.4.d.4.7.9.5.}...M................
Boot0001* Slackware	HD(1,GPT,5e0a4df4-b065-41f1-b1a5-8ce98d4fbe2e,0x800,0x32000)/File(\EFI\SLACKWARE\ELILO.EFI)
Boot0002* UEFI OS	HD(1,GPT,0f0f4e8c-bcac-40c6-a106-f0a7b7d55707,0x800,0x64000)/File(\EFI\BOOT\BOOTX64.EFI)..BO
Boot0003* Windows Boot Manager	HD(1,GPT,0f0f4e8c-bcac-40c6-a106-f0a7b7d55707,0x800,0x64000)/File(\EFI\MICROSOFT\BOOT\BOOTMGFW.EFI)..BO

Boot entries 0 & 1 work, which are on my nvme. There is a sata disk with a slackware backup, but it's picking up the windows bits

I was trying to get a copy of the windows nvme entry but it picked the wrong disk.

Experience has taught me that regardless of any selected boot order, it boots 'Boot0000' unless I hit F11 and choose. I have to delete or renumber the windows entry, and get Slackware to be entry 0000. I did it before (somehow) but it screwed itself over and I can't get it again.

0XBF · 10-28-2023, 02:52 PM

Did you check in the EFI firmware settings for a boot order? These settings might be something like the F2 key at boot to access, or another key called 'setup' on a boot screen, or its on the grub boot list as "UEFI Firmware Settings" if you use grub.

I ask because on my laptop I have to change the EFI boot order through the manufacturer's (dell, so not quite the same) UEFI settings menu to change the default boot selection. 'efibootmgr' appears to work and you can re-arrange the boot order with commands, but it gets overridden at boot by manufacturer's settings. When doing a fresh install I set up an EFI partition, install grub, then I have to reboot, enter that UEFI settings menu, and make a new entry to add the grubx64.efi bootloader from that end. The priority order of the boot options can be changed there as well.

jayjwa · 10-28-2023, 02:55 PM

Did you try

Code:

efibootmgr --bootorder 0001,0000,0002

Looks like you have dups with Windows, too. Maybe change BootCurrent and/or BootNext?

colorpurple21859 · 10-28-2023, 03:14 PM

If it is an hp it maybe under configuration>boot order>os-boot-manager.
This in /etc/rc.d/local.rc would be a dirty hack

Code:

efibootmgr -n 0001

yancek · 10-28-2023, 04:44 PM

The link below is to an MSI BIOS manual. I don't know if this is what you see on your machine. It's a bit difficult for me to read it but scrolling down the page to Boot, it only seems to show options for drives to select. I would expect it to show something like OS Boot Manager?

If efibootmgr doesn't make the change, I'm not sure what else to try. I can't use efibootmgr to make these changes on my HP laptops but it is a simple change in the BIOS boot options.

rkelsen · 10-28-2023, 08:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yancek

The link below is to an MSI BIOS manual.

Yeah surely it's easiest to change this in the BIOS?

Failing that, boot the machine before the said Windows nerd shows up...

business_kid · 10-29-2023, 05:16 AM

Thanks guys. I tried to explain, but I'll try again.

In the BIOS boot order, I can't even see the NVME. So there's not much chance of setting the boot order there.
There's no duplicates in the boot order. Windows and Linux on the NVME and Sata drive - 2x2=4. The sata doesn't have windows, but it's a nvme backup. Entries 1&2 have a different partuuid from 3&4.
efibootmgr -o to set boot order is ignored. It sets as directed, but that setting is ignored.
I actually have the MSI Manual, although the pdf might be handier.
I think I found some way to renumber the boot entries last time. How I did that I don't know.
I haven't found any boot order setting in the BIOS. F11 while starting lets you select boot order or enter setup

I may have to go at installing grub, because that's read first, isn't it? I'm on elilo atm.

colorpurple21859 · 10-29-2023, 08:14 AM

does

Code:

efibootmgr -n 0001

change anything?

business_kid · 10-29-2023, 10:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by colorpurple21859

does

Code:

efibootmgr -n 0001

change anything?

Yes, it booted into Slackware next time, but then is back in windows. Except Windows has stopped booting, and throws me up a notice (below) and reboots every few minutes and does the same thing.

Code:

Windows failed to start., A recent hardware or software change might be the
cause. To fix this problem:Insert your Windows installation disk and restart your computer
Choose your language settings, then click "Next."
Click "Repair your computer."
If you do not have this disc, contact your system administrator or computer manufacturer for assistance.

     File: \EFI\Microsoft\Boot\BCD

     Status: 0xc000000f

     Info: The Boot configuration Data for your PC is missing or contains errors.

I have no install dvd, but a 15G torrent of windows versions 7-11 all pre-activated and wrapped with a common setup framework. It's a professional looking piece of kit. I've got to detour into that if I want windows back. There is a fair bit of updating to do on that one. I've another one with just win10 & win11 but the activator is separate. If there's typos in the notice, guess. I copied it on my elderly laptop.

What's irritating is that I tried to avoid touching anything M$, but the BIOS (I think) started randomly rebooting after a couple of minutes, followed by this. It makes no sense. But I can still boot linux on that box. I'll have to have an up-to-date backup before touching windows. It's just such a waste of time. What's "Status 0xc000000f" about anyway?

yancek · 10-29-2023, 10:25 AM

[QUOTE]What's "Status 0xc000000f" about anyway?
The BCD file for windows is missing or corrupted. The link below to microsoft site explains it. There are quite a few files/folders in that directory, or at least should be. I see I failed to post the link in my earlier post but doubt it would have been much help.

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/...f-2f0ec14b0e6c

business_kid · 10-29-2023, 11:29 AM

Thanks, yancek & all others. This has been solved as follows:

I actually found a backup of the EFI directory and rsync'ed it across. It only updated one .DAT file, and contained no \EFI\Microsoft\Boot\BCD file or directory. So I went with the next option

Code:

efibootmgr -b 0000 -A

to make option 0000 inactive. But that complained because it wasn't a valid boot entry. So I deleted entry 0000, and linux boots by default

Then I found an older backup, which had a populated /boot/efi/EFI/Microsoft/Recovery directory, with the aforementioned "BCD" file, which is registry stuff according to file. I haven't tested it.

I actually have nothing in windows 11 - no data, a minor amount of config. There just a number of stray 'Recovery' partitions which don't recover anything.

Code:

dec@Ebony:~$sudo gdisk -l /dev/nvme0n1
GPT fdisk (gdisk) version 1.0.8

Number  Start (sector)    End (sector)  Size       Code  Name
   1            2048          206847   100.0 MiB   EF00  EFI system partition
   2          206848          239615   16.0 MiB    0C01  Microsoft reserved ...
   3          239616       531958412   253.5 GiB   0700  Basic data partition
   4       531959808       533118975   566.0 MiB   2700  
   5       533121024       534145023   500.0 MiB   8300  boot
   6       534145024       659974143   60.0 GiB    8300  root
   7       659974144       999170047   161.7 GiB   8300  home
   8       999170048      1000212479   509.0 MiB   2700

Only 5-7 are linux, the rest are detritis. So Linux will move to lower partitions next time. Or I might get Windows on spinning rust. I'll think it over...slowly.

business_kid · 10-30-2023, 05:34 AM

In an added sophistication, I had a backup of the EFI partition, and modified it to read the nvme instead of my sata disk. So now my linux bots by default, and I have windows relegated to a low place in the boot order. That's exactly where I want it.