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Problem after installing LMDE

Posted: Tue Apr 23, 2013 7:33 pm
by dieguit
Hi! I just installed LMDE 201303, everything is OK, but i broke Grub to boot Windows.
The thing is that I accidentally installed Grub on sda1. After that Grub didnt work at all: I wasn't able to boot Mint or Windows. I solved this installing Grub from LiveCD again on sda (without the "1") and now i can boot Mint, but when i choose the Windows start option on Grub, it loads Grub again.. sda1 is a NTFS partition with Windows system files in it)
I was looking for solutions.. I shoud delete the grub installation on sda1 to make it work but i can't find how..
The only thing i found is doing this:

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sudo mkdir /mnt/tmp # or any temporary directory
sudo mount /dev/sda1 /mnt/tmp
sudo for i in /dev /dev/pts /proc /sys; do sudo mount -B $i /mnt/temp$i;  done
sudo chroot /mnt/tmp
root@asd:/#apt-get purge grub grub-pc grub-common
but when i ran the "for" i got an error that /dev/pts /proc /sys folders doesnt exist (why shoud them, its a Windows partition!). After that, i created manually that folders and i coud mount them. Another error came when i tried to chroot, saying "/bin/bash" folder didnt exist, and copying that folder from my Mint didnt solve that =P.

So, how do i delete Grub from sda1? Doing that i will be able to boot Windows again, right?
Thanks in advance.

Re: Problem after installing LMDE

Posted: Wed Apr 24, 2013 7:13 am
by GeneC
Never had that issue, so don't know for sure if this will work for you or not. :?:
First, I would try moving grub from sda1 to sda

From sda1, run

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sudo grub-install /dev/sda

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sudo update-grub
Reboot and try it...

Re: Problem after installing LMDE

Posted: Wed Apr 24, 2013 9:52 am
by dieguit
Thanks for the answer! I cant run it from sda1, when i try to "sudo chroot /sda1/mounted/place" i get the '/bin/bash' not found error.. Maibe i am doing wrong, i'm kinda new on linux =/

Re: Problem after installing LMDE

Posted: Wed Apr 24, 2013 9:55 am
by GeneC
dieguit wrote:Thanks for the answer! I cant run it from sda1, when i try to "sudo chroot /sda1/mounted/place" i get the '/bin/bash' not found error.. Maibe i am doing wrong, i'm kinda new on linux =/
Hi

Not "sudo chroot /sda1/mounted/place"

From SDA1 open a terminal and paste and run the below

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sudo grub-install /dev/sda
then

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sudo update-grub

Re: Problem after installing LMDE

Posted: Wed Apr 24, 2013 10:21 am
by dieguit
Im sorry for my ignorance but, how do i open a terminal from sda1?

Re: Problem after installing LMDE

Posted: Wed Apr 24, 2013 10:25 am
by Zalbor
It sounds to me like writing grub to sda1 overwrote the windows boot record on that partition. I think you should first restore the windows bootloader then reinstall grub to sda.

Re: Problem after installing LMDE

Posted: Wed Apr 24, 2013 10:26 am
by GeneC
That is ok.. :)

What I meant is to boot into the OS (Mint?) on sda1 from there open a terminal and run the commands.
I am asuming that the OS on sda1 still boots?

Re: Problem after installing LMDE

Posted: Wed Apr 24, 2013 10:57 am
by dieguit
Again im sorry, i don't know how to boot into my Mint on sda1 =/

Re: Problem after installing LMDE

Posted: Wed Apr 24, 2013 11:18 am
by GeneC
dieguit wrote:[...] and now i can boot Mint, but when i choose the Windows start option on Grub, it loads Grub again.. sda1 is a NTFS partition with Windows system files in it)
[...]
.
Sorry, my mistake. I now see sda1 is a Windows partition. I thought it was the Mint partition.
What I wanted you to do is to boot into Mint (whatever partition that is on)
and run the commands I posted earlier from a terminal.
That should move grub to sda and pick up the Windows partition on sda1.

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sudo grub-install /dev/sda
then

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sudo update-grub

Re: Problem after installing LMDE

Posted: Wed Apr 24, 2013 11:23 am
by dieguit
Its ok, thanks anyway. Im trying to install again MBR on sda1 now..
Edit: I cant intall MBR on sda1 xD. I have to do it on sda and it doesnt solve my issue..
Edit2: Runing that made the Windows option disappear from Grub

I think ill get an Windows install CD and use the Recovery console to reset everything.. Then ill install grub again