UEFI Boot issue

[wicked_sticky]

Last time I ran Mint was dual booting 17.1 and windows 10 (the free upgrade from windows 7) on a new asus Z97-E mobo.

I kept getting issues with accessing bios if the HD was plugged into the board, or windows not being able to start (like once a month was running start up repair), forgetting time zones in mint and windows every time i booted.

After trying all the fixes I knew of, I wiped the drive and installed a clean new copy of windows 10 pro (leaving 100gb free for linux).

Will I be able to install mint 18.1 on the 100gb partition without getting issues or will I have to do a bunch of extra steps to get the two OS's to play nice?

If not whats the fastest way to get a dual/tripple boot working with windows 10, UEFI machine. (I dont care about reinstalling windows, I just dont want to spend hours typing in command lines or watching gparted move a partition all day, etc)

[kukamuumuka]

If your linux-installation is alive, you need only reinstall grub-bootloader. You can also install rEFInd bootloder, which maybe the easiest way to get UEFI-systems bootable.

An eample about efi-grub installation via liveDVD/USB

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sudo blkid  ### tells the partitions
sudo mount /dev/sda7 /mnt  ## if your linux is on /dev/sda7
sudo mount /dev/sda2 /mnt/boot   ## if the EFI-partition is /dev/sda2
sudo mount --bind /dev /mnt/dev
sudo mount --bind /sys /mnt/sys
sudo mount --bind /proc /mnt/proc
sudo chroot /mnt
nano /etc/resolv.conf
... the contents
nameserver 8.8.8.8

.... save and quit
Ctrl o
Ctrl x

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apt-get update
apt-get install grub-efi-amd64
mount /dev/sda2 /boot/efi ### if the efi partition is /dev/sda2
apt-get install --reinstall grub-efi
update-grub

exit
sudo umount /mnt/dev
sudo umount /mnt/sys
sudo umount /mnt/proc
sudo umount /mnt/boot
sudo umount /mnt

An example about rEFInd bootloader installation via liveDVD/USB.
1. Download and install deb-package from
http://www.rodsbooks.com/refind/getting.html
2. Mount your efi-partition under /boot/efi

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sudo mount /dev/sda2 /boot/efi  ## assuming that your efi-partition is /dev/sda2

3. Install rEFInd using gdebi.
4. Shutdown and boot the computer.

[wicked_sticky]

Im a linux novice, it looks like those instruction are to load /boot in an efi parition? Im assuming this is the efi partition created by windows?

I dont have an efi partition, I did a standard windows install (legacy) and MBR (not GPT)

Is there any distro that works out of the box with uefi bios?

[kukamuumuka]

Im a linux novice, it looks like those instruction are to load /boot in an efi parition? Im assuming this is the efi partition created by windows?

I dont have an efi partition, I did a standard windows install (legacy) and MBR (not GPT)

Is there any distro that works out of the box with uefi bios?

If you have msdos-partition table, (command sudo parted -l tells), you can re-install grub via liveDVD/USB the next way:

Code: Select all

sudo blkid  ## tells the drives and partitions

For example if your mint locates on /dev /sda5 , run

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sudo mount /dev/sda5 /mnt
sudo grub-install --boot-directory=/mnt/boot /dev/sda
sudo sync
sudo umount /mnt

PS. Ignore the /cow message.

[gold_finger]

... I wiped the drive and installed a clean new copy of windows 10 pro (leaving 100gb free for linux).

So drive now only has Win10 on it and there is 100GB space left to install Mint 18.1, (Mint 17 was wiped out already) -- correct?

I dont have an efi partition, I did a standard windows install (legacy) and MBR (not GPT)

That's fine as long as the Windows install is using 3 or less "primary" partitions.

Will I be able to install mint 18.1 on the 100gb partition without getting issues or will I have to do a bunch of extra steps to get the two OS's to play nice?

Should not be a problem. Only thing you need to do is make sure your Mint install USB/DVD gets booted in Legacy mode, not UEFI mode. Once booted in right mode install will be relatively simple.

Boot computer with Mint USB/DVD, open a terminal and run this command:

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ls /sys/firmware

If you do not see "efi" listed in the output, you are booted correctly in Legacy mode and can proceed with the installation. Choose "Alongside Windows" if you want installer to make necessary partitions (root and swap) automatically for you in the unpartitioned, free space you left on the drive. Choose "Something Else" install method if you want to manually make a different partition arrangement (eg. add one more partition for /home).

If you see "efi" in the output, you are booted in UEFI mode and will need to reboot and try again. Computers usually have a way to invoke a special Boot Menu immediately after powering on -- usually by pressing a special key during power-up (eg. <Esc>, <F2>, or some other Function key). Key varies from one manufacture to another, so look for a quick message on screen during power-up for clues or look up user manual for your computer. That Boot Menu (on UEFI computers) will usually give you ability to boot USB/DVD in either mode. Make sure USB/DVD is plugged in, power-on computer, invoke Boot Menu, then choose whatever option is shown to be non-UEFI for the device. After booted up, run ls /sys/firmware command again to confirm that you indeed booted in proper mode.

[wicked_sticky]

After relaizing the mint and ubuntu and peppermint caused windows start and bios freezing issues, when this happened last year I just needed my computer to work, didnt have to to learn what uefi is and why it breaks my OS or why my OS breaks it.

I wiped my SSD, did a clean install of windows 10 in legacy mode. So I have a 0.5gb system reserved partition, 160gb windows partition, and the rest is just unused on formatted space at the end of the drive. I keep the the uefi OS boot setting in bios in "legacy mode"

When I break windows again, ill start over in GPT with EFI, but I dont feel like wasting a weekend reinstalling windows games/add-ons/mouse and key board profiles etc etc.

Mint isnt special in this aspect, right? as long as the mobo remains in legacy os mode, I can just adding distro after distro like I before uefi?

[gold_finger]

Mint isnt special in this aspect, right? as long as the mobo remains in legacy os mode, I can just adding distro after distro like I before uefi?

Yes you can install other distros in Legacy mode without any problem either. Key to getting them installed right is to make sure the install USB/DVD for them gets booted in Legacy mode as I described above. Same command I listed to check that should also work in Ubuntu and Peppermint.

After relaizing the mint and ubuntu and peppermint caused windows start and bios freezing issues, when this happened last year I just needed my computer to work, didnt have to to learn what uefi is and why it breaks my OS or why my OS breaks it.

When I break windows again, ill start over in GPT with EFI, but I dont feel like wasting a weekend reinstalling windows games/add-ons/mouse and key board profiles etc etc.

If you ever decide to switch everything to UEFI, follow this tutorial when installing Mint and other distros: Installing Mint on a Windows 8/8.1/10 Computer. Make sure you disable Windows "Fast Startup". I don't know if Windows defaults to using that on Legacy installs, but it does on UEFI installs. Instead of doing a real shutdown the OS is really put into some kind of hibernated state so it starts back up quicker. If you boot into a Linux distro while Windows is in hibernated state that could cause problems if your distro is set to auto-mount any of the Windows partitions, or if you try to access them manually.

[wicked_sticky]

Thanks for the help.
Once everything is good and broken, or i get my hands on a bigger SSD Ill redo the entire setup in efi mode