Something Wrong With Boot Loader Windows 10 Mint 17.3
 

When I installed Mint (and any other Linux distro I've used), I unhooked my Windows HD. I installed Mint, then hooked my Windows HD back up. When I booted back up, no problem. Grub Customizer let me chose which OS.

Yesterday I did a clean install of Windows 10, so I unhooked my Linux Drive. When I hooked everything back up, when I chose windows, It has to shut down because of something wrong with the bootup. I can't remember what exactly the message says, but I know it will not boot.

I unhook the other drive because I can keep windows partition unaltered. At least that's what I was told at first. I did it without any problems. Now this. What do I need to do, and why is it different this time?

Thank you,
Chris.

I tried LinuxMint KDE Live CD. When it was loading, it said, "Windows in an unclean state."

Chris.

Is windows 10 installed UEFI? Is Mint UEFI? Which drive are you booting from? Do you have an EFI partition on the windows drive? Did you have one before you re-installed? Actually, the simplest step is to go to the site below and download and run boot repair. Make sure you select to Create BootInfo Summary and do NOT make any changes. Post a link to the output here and hopefully with that detailed information, someone will be able to help.

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

Why re-install windows if both systems were working?
The message about windows being in an unclean state means you either left it hibernated (default with windows 10) or it needs chkdsk neither of which can be done from any Linux. Use the installation medium for windows to run chkdsk.

I had a "Windows" HD. I installed Linux on another HD. Linux is the boot drive. I reinstalled because I had the same Windows setup since Windows 7 came out. I updated to Windows 10. Since I knew I was going to do a clean install because it's been to long, I had to do it then because Windows 10 free ended.

Took 17 hours plus to install 10 this time.

Chris.

Since you didn't answer the other questions or post the link to the boot repair output, does this mean you now have it working?

No, I did another clean install. It's taken two days and counting for the upgrade. Not finished yet. If not done when I wake up, tomorrow will be day 3. Just under 20 hours for the first upgrade, only to have it not work. I upgraded from a DVD this time. First thing it did when I clicked "run" was to say, "Getting updates." That was last night and I tried to finish this evening. Still "getting updates." Several hours so far just to load the DVD.

Sure makes apt-get upgrade seem nice!!!

Chris.

10 days ago I decided I would update both my Win7 installations to 10. Trying to update the 7s prior to upgrade repeatedly hung downloading updates. All the supposed fixes I found on the Internet failed to help, so on both I did fresh 7 installations prior to upgrading to 10 via DVD. Eventually I succeeded to get 10 installed and validated on both, and subsequently both hung indefinitely (left alone overnight resulted in no progress) downloading updates after the first one or two sets of updates completed. Somewhere on the Internet I found reported that certain updates will not install on account of the 30 day period during which the upgrade to 10 can be reverted back to 7. So, I decided to forget about doing anything more with either until the 30 day period has lapsed. If I decide I want 7 back, I'll just reinstall it. I hardly ever used either 7, and don't expect to use 10 any more than I did 7. On both I did 7 updates last in August last year. Overall I spent about 4 days on all that M$ insanity. Updating and upgrading Linux is so much easier. :)

I have to think it likely that the updates problems were likely caused at least in part by the Friday free upgrade deadline. I'll bet the M$ servers were inundated by last minute upgrade volume.

I decided to forget about installing 10, so I just did a clean install of 7, which doesn't upgrade either. I installed SE anti virus and when updating it, it stopped about 1/3 of the way and would not update any farther.

Don't understand what's going on.


Chris.

I remember there was at least one W7 update that would not apply unless the MBR contained generic M$ compatible BIOS code, and/or a Windows primary partition had the bootable flag set. I wonder if M$ has done something similar again lately with either W7 and/or W10? I did try suitably moving the flag, and never put Grub on an MBR in the first place. That didn't help here, so it wouldn't be exactly the same problem, if similar at all, but could be a clue. Maybe installing to a different HD with no non-native partitions would make updates work, and afterward clone from the extra HD back where it needs to be?

I have the Windows drive on SATA2 1. ("1" is actually the 2nd, because Linux is on "0"). I wondered if that could have anything to do with it?

Wonder if I should try it by itself on "0"?

I have 4 things hooked up. "0"-SSD-HD-linux. "1"-SSD-HD-Windows. "2"-DVD. "3"-Extra "media" IDE-HD.

Is there any reason to put them in a different order? BIOS has, Native IDE, RAID, and AHCI. I have it set for AHCI.

Chris.