Calendar

[BkS]

Hi/Hello.

Old face here.

I've been trying to use my LiveUSB as my Windows boot partition seems to have just disappear/deactivated for whatever reason (that, it in itself, is a whole other topic). I was going to recover it using the LiveUSB, however I'm having great difficulty.

When booting the LiveUSB, lightdm will start Unity, however it'll then restart and I have no Unity. I'm able to right click and enter whatever folders are on the desktop, however I have no window manager. Shucks.

I'm on the Wily distro atm, and was looking to know if this was a driver issue? I believe it's just the noveau drivers, but I honestly cannot remember.

The USB is setup to have an allocated space for saving apps and things. (Can't remember the technical name, sorry.)

I'm currently launching programs from terminal because I remember a few commands from the old days. (These days I've sadly been forced to update to Windows 10).

Please help, thanks.

[Mark Greaves (PCNetSpec)]

So what happens if you run:

Code Select Expand

sudo service lightdm restart
?

[BkS]

Already tried that, as well as:

Code Select Expand

sudo service gdm restart

I gave up and just installed Ubuntu to a spare HDD that I had in the PC but didn't use.

Everything went well, had everything Linux side of things work, till about 10 mins ago when my PC just randomly shut down. Thought this may have been due to overheating, so I checked the BIOS and CPU was only at 65°C.

Then when I booted up, I was presented with this: 😞



Having to send this from my phone.

[BkS]

Ok, I'm currently booted up into the LiveUSB again.

Here's the output from:

Code Select Expand

sudo fdisk -l

[spoiler]Disk /dev/ram0: 64 MiB, 67108864 bytes, 131072 sectors
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 4096 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 4096 bytes / 4096 bytes


Disk /dev/ram1: 64 MiB, 67108864 bytes, 131072 sectors
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 4096 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 4096 bytes / 4096 bytes


Disk /dev/ram2: 64 MiB, 67108864 bytes, 131072 sectors
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 4096 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 4096 bytes / 4096 bytes


Disk /dev/ram3: 64 MiB, 67108864 bytes, 131072 sectors
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 4096 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 4096 bytes / 4096 bytes


Disk /dev/ram4: 64 MiB, 67108864 bytes, 131072 sectors
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 4096 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 4096 bytes / 4096 bytes


Disk /dev/ram5: 64 MiB, 67108864 bytes, 131072 sectors
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 4096 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 4096 bytes / 4096 bytes


Disk /dev/ram6: 64 MiB, 67108864 bytes, 131072 sectors
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 4096 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 4096 bytes / 4096 bytes


Disk /dev/ram7: 64 MiB, 67108864 bytes, 131072 sectors
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 4096 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 4096 bytes / 4096 bytes


Disk /dev/ram8: 64 MiB, 67108864 bytes, 131072 sectors
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 4096 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 4096 bytes / 4096 bytes


Disk /dev/ram9: 64 MiB, 67108864 bytes, 131072 sectors
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 4096 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 4096 bytes / 4096 bytes


Disk /dev/ram10: 64 MiB, 67108864 bytes, 131072 sectors
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 4096 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 4096 bytes / 4096 bytes


Disk /dev/ram11: 64 MiB, 67108864 bytes, 131072 sectors
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 4096 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 4096 bytes / 4096 bytes


Disk /dev/ram12: 64 MiB, 67108864 bytes, 131072 sectors
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 4096 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 4096 bytes / 4096 bytes


Disk /dev/ram13: 64 MiB, 67108864 bytes, 131072 sectors
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 4096 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 4096 bytes / 4096 bytes


Disk /dev/ram14: 64 MiB, 67108864 bytes, 131072 sectors
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 4096 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 4096 bytes / 4096 bytes


Disk /dev/ram15: 64 MiB, 67108864 bytes, 131072 sectors
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 4096 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 4096 bytes / 4096 bytes


Disk /dev/loop0: 1 GiB, 1119879168 bytes, 2187264 sectors
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes


Disk /dev/loop1: 1.1 GiB, 1130688512 bytes, 2208376 sectors
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes


Disk /dev/sda: 3.8 GiB, 4057989120 bytes, 7925760 sectors
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disklabel type: dos
Disk identifier: 0x00000000

Device     Boot Start     End Sectors  Size Id Type
/dev/sda1  *       32 7925759 7925728  3.8G  c W95 FAT32 (LBA)


Disk /dev/sdb: 465.8 GiB, 500107862016 bytes, 976773168 sectors
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disklabel type: dos
Disk identifier: 0x2b7e7ae6

Device     Boot     Start       End   Sectors   Size Id Type
/dev/sdb1       962891774 976771071  13879298   6.6G  5 Extended
/dev/sdb2  *           64 962890688 962890625 459.1G 83 Linux
/dev/sdb5       962891776 976771071  13879296   6.6G 82 Linux swap / Solaris

Partition table entries are not in disk order.


Disk /dev/sdc: 465.8 GiB, 500107862016 bytes, 976773168 sectors
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disklabel type: dos
Disk identifier: 0x39c692b5

Device     Boot Start       End   Sectors   Size Id Type
/dev/sdc1  *       63 976771119 976771057 465.8G  7 HPFS/NTFS/exFAT


Disk /dev/sdd: 465.8 GiB, 500107862016 bytes, 976773168 sectors
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disklabel type: dos
Disk identifier: 0xac949b28

Device     Boot     Start       End   Sectors   Size Id Type
/dev/sdd1  *         2048 975847423 975845376 465.3G  7 HPFS/NTFS/exFAT
/dev/sdd2       975847424 976769023    921600   450M 27 Hidden NTFS WinRE


Disk /dev/sde: 1.8 TiB, 2000398934016 bytes, 3907029168 sectors
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 4096 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 4096 bytes / 4096 bytes
Disklabel type: dos
Disk identifier: 0xac949b2b

Device     Boot Start        End    Sectors  Size Id Type
/dev/sde1        2048 3907026943 3907024896  1.8T  7 HPFS/NTFS/exFAT[/spoiler]


/dev/sda = Spare 500GB HDD
/dev/sdb = Ubuntu Install (Mount point is root, with 8GB swap partition)
/dev/sdc = Another spare 500GB HDD
/dev/sdd = My SDD (contains the bootloader for GRUB, and Win10 installation)
/dev/sde = My 2TB Back-up drive

Currently I'm not able to mount any of the NTFS drives. I'm able to mount my Ubuntu install however.

Seems like if I can fix the MBR then I should be able to boot right?

******

EDIT: So I've been trying to fix the MBR myself. I remembered that from last nights attempts I had installed LILO to try and fix the Windows bootloader, of course this failed. Nevertheless, I found a thread on the Ubuntu forums with someone suggesting to run:

Code Select Expand

sudo lilo -M /dev/sdXX mbr

where XX is my Windows install, in this case, /dev/sdd.

So I ran it, however this has overwritten grub.

In an attempt to fix this, I tried to reinstall grub from the LiveUSB. So I ran the follow commands:

Code Select Expand

sudo mount /dev/sdb2 /mnt

Code Select Expand

sudo mount --bind /dev /mnt/dev

Code Select Expand

sudo mount --bind /proc /mnt/proc

Code Select Expand

sudo mount --bind /sys /mnt/sys

Code Select Expand

sudo chroot /mnt

Code Select Expand

grub-install /dev/sdb

I then pressed CTRL+D to exit the root terminal. Then unmounted all the drives, using:

Code Select Expand

sudo umount /mnt/dev

Code Select Expand

sudo umount /mnt/proc

Code Select Expand

sudo umount /mnt/sys

Code Select Expand

sudo umount /mnt

I then restarted, and was still prompted with the Windows broken bootloader. So I guess I've installed grub to the wrong drive? 

[BkS]

So at this point, I seem to have made the LiveUSB read-only??

It will not start up at all. I can only drop to the console using ctrl+alt+f1, etc.

I'm not entirely sure how I've done this as I've not done anything since my last edit.

Here's some photos of the error I get. I have no way of knowing if I'm going to be able to recover the LiveUSB. I may just need to use a computer at work and reinstall the LiveUSB ISO.

[Mark Greaves (PCNetSpec)]

a) Which drive is set as the primary boot device in the BIOS

b) What's the output from:

Code Select Expand

sudo fdisk -l

c) what's the output from:

Code Select Expand

sudo blkid

d) are you able to boot Ubuntu on the HDD .. or are you getting that "no such device" grub error ?

e) am I right in assuming the goal here is to get GRUB from the Ubuntu install to also chainload Win10 ?

[BkS]

Hey man,

First command returns the same output I've listed before.

Running the second gives the output below. I've also attached a video for what happens during boot.



Video here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/xbks/27270377590/in/dateposted/ (https://www.flickr.com/photos/xbks/27270377590/in/dateposted/)

[Mark Greaves (PCNetSpec)]

If you sit at the GRUB menu for about 1 minute before hitting "Enter" to boot, do you still get that error about the missing UUID ?

BTW, I can't see that video .. the link just takes me to a Yahoo login page.

[BkS]

No I dont, as I said, I installed LILO which replaced GRUB. So all I have when I boot from my SSD is the windows bootloader.

The problem I'm having is my Live USB is read-only.

[Mark Greaves (PCNetSpec)]

Sorry mate I know sod all about LILO.

What's stopping you recreating the LiveUSB and reinstalling GRUB ?

[BkS]

I tried reinstalling GRUB several times from LiveUSB. Eventually I got my disc drive to work, and found a Peppermint 2 LiveCD, as my USB was playing up.

I installed GRUB to the Windows drive, but GRUB just wouldn't recognise the disc.

I gave up, and found my Win7 disc. Reinstalled Windows 7 now. Will do a fresh wipe of the other drive, and reinstall Lubuntu at some point. For now I'll get by.

Thanks anyway!