Don't be a dummy like me. (GRUB Problem (already fixed!))

Printable View

2013-03-19
tcv

Don't be a dummy like me. (GRUB Problem (already fixed!))

I spent some time setting up a USB-connected hard drive for BT5 last week. Very shortly after I finished, I found out about Kali. I wasn't really into using BT5 all that much, so I figured I would install Kali over BT5. No muss, really.

I had the external hdd partitioned the way I wanted it from when I installed BT5... a large primary / partition, a swap, a FAT32 partition, and an NTFS partition. My plan was to format the / partition and install Kali Linux into it. Since I wasn't using the entire disk, I went with the manual installation options and installed into that large root partition.

Now, here's where I went wrong.

I was using my primary work laptop to install Kali onto the external USB. I booted into the Graphical Install setting of the LiveCD and began the installation. I did _not_ remove my primary HDD from the laptop but since I knew the primary HDD was sda and my external USB was sdb, I shouldn't have any trouble. Right?

After the installation was complete, I get a message about the need to install GRUB. OF course, I need GRUB. But the message as presented was ... strange. It referenced a "Windows Vista" partition on the disk. I may have missed it, but the message didn't strictly reference /dev/sdb. This HDD is a recycle. It could have had a Windows Vista partition on it at some point. I don't really know. Either way, I took a gamble and installed GRUB.

Here's what I was left with:

1. An external HDD that booted into GRUB Rescue.
2. A primary laptop HDD that booted into GRUB Rescue.

Whoops.

Everything is fixed. I repaired the MBR on the primary HDD with bootrec.exe for Windows 7. I repaired GRUB on the external HDD using a tutorial I found for repairing the same issue on an Ubuntu installation.

The moral is, I suppose, make sure that you're only dealing with a DVD and the disk you intend to install onto. There could be an issue here in the installer, but I wouldn't take my word for it. I was at work, distracted, etc.
2013-03-21
Koderground

Nice history, we are always learning from the errors.
2013-03-25
SharkBait

We've screwed up a grub (or other bootloader) install at some point in our lives (myself on many occasions).

The installer isn't broken nor is it a bug, it tries to autodetect if you have any other operating systems installed on the machine and then asks if you would like to install grub to the MBR. For people installing to an external HDD like you, answer "no" and choose to install grub on the external disk like /dev/sdb fr example. If you don't specify otherwise, grub will try to install to the MBR / primary HDD of the machine you're using.

Like tcv stated above, if you are at all unsure of where to install grub, make sure to only have the HDD you wish to install to connected to your machine.
2013-03-28
kpoeticg

When installing a dual-boot with Windows 7, the grub installer recognizes it as a Vista bootloader. When you choose Vista from the grub menu it will boot into your Windows 7 install. If you're not paying attention and install the grub bootloader to your MBR during an external HD install then you will need to have that same external HD connected when you want to boot back into Windows. Once you get back into windows you can use EasyBCD or any similar program to reconfigure your Master Boot Record so you can choose between your Windows Bootloader and GRUB when you power on your computer.
2013-03-29
bofh28

Don't feel bad. As SharkBait said we have all screwed MBRs at some point. If you don't make mistakes you never learn.

This is where EFI is better than BIOS. With EFI you tell the system to boot from a file on a fat32 format primary partition, although it has to be the first partition on the drive. There is no messing around with MBRs. You don't even need grub or any other bootloader. You can boot directly into a Linux kernel.
2013-03-30
rex

I screwed my windows when I was asked to install the grub into master system:( it doesn't boot it shows grub rescue and it hangs there !!! Now trying to fix it and get back to my win vista :(( is there a way to bring up my win and fix my boot?
2013-04-10
S373N

where was the ubuntu tutorial?
2013-04-16
CoachBug

Thanks, tcv. I didn't have a Windows 7 installation disk, but I was able to do a network boot (same as installation disk, I think) off our corporate network, then run 'bootrec.exe /fixmbr'. Now I can boot to Windows 7 on HD0. I also installed grub on my external, HD1, (where I should have in the first place) so it's working too. Great tips. Thank you.
2013-04-16
pratham

same thing is happen with me.. :(
2013-04-18
darkstormyrain

Seems to be a lot of problems with dual booting kali / win7. My first attempt was at a friends house downloaded the iso and installed kali on my portable storage.. Kali failed to boot default.. had to choose forensics each time... other than that it worked great. Installed kali on the same partitions I had BT5 on (formatted of course)... Grub detected the windows boot loader then behind my back grub failed to install completely... had to download grub seperatly and install it manually.. That worked out good.. Went to reboot and it set the wrong drive (hd1 not hd0) easy fix... Now grub keeps saying something about no arguments specified press any key to continue.. At least win 7 loaded after that.
2013-04-18
RaderCad

Well, since BT3 I have been mostly lurking on the forums, this allows me to solve problems without being a nuisance or looking too foolish.
I did the same thing with BT4 over a BT3 install. Realized, later, I had to remove the partitioning inside the BT3 partition then install BT4 to that partition..... This was the first time and I did a boo-boo and ended up with a new install of winblows.

I used the same method to get BT5 on the partition. And then Kali..... Worked fine.....

Oh well, this is how we all learn.....
2013-11-19
gogojie

Hi, im new to kali linux, after reading this thread, so which means i need to choose "NO" at grub install page during external HDD install? after choosing no will it come out with let you choose which partition to install grub? planning to make external HDD install. currently im using easy2Boot to run my kali linux live iSO. External HDD install can let me save my work and update or make any changes right? because using easy2Boot can't.
2014-07-05
SteveSi

Quote:

Originally Posted by gogojie

Hi, im new to kali linux, after reading this thread, so which means i need to choose "NO" at grub install page during external HDD install? after choosing no will it come out with let you choose which partition to install grub? planning to make external HDD install. currently im using easy2Boot to run my kali linux live iSO. External HDD install can let me save my work and update or make any changes right? because using easy2Boot can't.

Easy2Boot supports persistence for Kali ISOs and many other linux distros. Look in the \_ISO\docs\Sample mnu Files folder for a kali persistece .mnu file and read the instructions inside the .mnu file.
2014-07-14
Robert Lederhilger

I had the same problem. thanks for the info!