Multiboot system was fine, suddenly get NTLDR missing-no Linux

mogmog · 03-16-2017, 12:57 PM

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

Hopefully that will do the trick. I'll reboot to see....

Nope. Will re-run the customiser.

mogmog · 03-16-2017, 03:44 PM

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

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

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)