Can't boot into linux
 

Hi,

I installed Pinguy the other day on a clean hdd, this morning i shrank the partition that pinguy is on using Gparted from the live cd, created a new NTFS partition to install Windows back on to my machine. Now when my pc boots, it goes straight into windows, theres no option to boot into linux.

I searched the forum and other people have had a similar problem but the other way round.

Does anyone know how to fix this?

Thanks

Windows systems simple overwrite the MBR with their own boot manager when it is installed later, reinstalling grub from the live cd should fix it.

Regards

Is there an option to do that somewhere or do i have to use the terminal? If terminal, do you know what i have to type in?

try bcdedit of windows, but not so sure whether it will help.

There is an app boot-repair app do it from the live cd, that is one way, or, from terminal a manual grub reinstall is another way to fix, try the app 1st.

Regards

Bcdedit will not help unless you know how to obtain the ID Windows is using for the Linux partition, which I have never been able to figure out how to do (at least on the two times I've tried).

However, disposablehero, there is a free program for Windows called EasyBCD that will do what you need. It basically just lets you edit the Windows boot loader from a GUI. That's the Windows option.

The Linux option is to install grub or lilo (also boot loaders), either to the Master Boot Record (letting it boot both Windows and Linux and hoping this works), or to the superblock of the Linux partition, leaving the Windows boot loader in place in the MBR.

Personally, I have had more success installing grub to the superblock in dual-boot situations, rather than having grub try to get along with Windows. But if you choose this option, you will still have to use EasyBCD to edit the Windows boot sequence, or the Windows boot loader will not know Grub is even there.

Getting grub to load Windows is not difficult at all in my experience, with either grub legacy or grub2 - so I would advise the OP to install grub to the MBR, and then you can chainload Windows easily without having to use EasyBCD.

Warning: if you forget steps, you will only have your linux install to boot into until you fix it: so make sure your internet is set up correctly in linux, or you have another computer to use.

Thanks all for the help :)

I fixed it using ukiuki's suggestion. The boot fix app worked like a charm :)

Thanks again

In that case, please mark the thread as 'SOLVED' (there's a link at the top of the page) and click 'Yes' next to 'Did you find this post helpful?' on ukiuki's post.

Thanks,

Glad to help!
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Regards