How to fix dual-booting Windows 8 and Ubuntu 14.04 on a Sony Vaio?

Question

I am currently trying to install Ubuntu 14.04 on a Sony Vaio that came pre-installed with Windows 8 in (I understand) UEFI mode. And I am experiencing the dual-boot hell. I already tried most of the suggestions in the exhaustive Installing Ubuntu Alongside a Pre-Installed Windows with UEFI guide as well as Ubuntu installations when using UEFI, but I still experience issues so please do NOT mark the current question as duplicate.

These are the steps that I already did:

1. Use a 64-bit 14.04
2. In the BIOS I could NOT find nor disable QuickBoot/FastBoot and Intel Smart Response Technology (SRT). But I did disable FastStartup in Windows 8.
3. In BIOS I disabled SecureBoot.
4. I installed 14.04 in UEFI mode (the /etc/fstab contains the UEFI partition) by using manual partitioning on the GPT hard-drive. I reduced the size of the Windows 8 partition from within Windows 8, as recommended.
5. After the installation I noticed dual-booting issues, so attempted to use boot-repair (following this guide). But it only ended in an error and didn't fix much.

Issue:

Windows 8 always boots fine. When somehow I manage to get to the grub screen then choosing Ubuntu or Windows 8 will result in either OS booting just fine. So dual-booting sort of works. However, most of the times the Vaio will simply boot to Windows 8 after a shutdown or restart.

To get to the grub screen reliably, I am currently using the following awkward workaround:

• While holding the SHIFT key, I click on Restart within Windows-8:
• When the menu below appears, I select Use a device:
• Then I select Ubuntu:

Afterwards the GRUB menu appears and I can boot Ubuntu. For this to work I had to enable External Device Boot in BIOS and set in the Boot priority that the External Device (1) should be before the Internal HDD (2).

Question:

• How can I fix the dual-boot issues on the laptop? I would like to be able to get straight to the GRUB screen whenever I restart the computer, either from Windows 8 or from Ubuntu.

Solution 1

One Sony user posted this:

The trick was to manually copy the ubuntu Boot directory in place of the \EFI\Boot Directory, and rename shimx64.efi to \EFI\Boot\bootx64.efi (not \EFI\Microsoft\Boot\bootmgfw.efi )

Boot-Repairs fix is the rename of bootmgfw.efi, which has to be redone if Windows updates its files. And then can only boot Windows from grub menu.

Some other options:

Alternative to Boot-Repairs rename of shim. Some systems work better to register grub/shim from inside Windows - for those that keep resetting Windows as default

Grub not showing on startup for Windows 8.1 Ubuntu 13.10 Dual boot

bcdedit /set {bootmgr} path \EFI\ubuntu\grubx64.efi

https://coderwall.com/p/vfyqkg

Some install rEFInd which seems to be another workaround.

http://www.rodsbooks.com/refind/index.html

http://www.rodsbooks.com/refind/secureboot.html

Solution 2

I had the same issue here. To fix, try the steps below:

1. Disable secure boot, fastboot, etc... (you have already done that);
2. When installing Ubuntu, choose manual partitioning and create the partitions as follows:
   1. An ext4 partition for system and home (if you want). Mount point: /
   2. A swap partition. I normally use 50% of available RAM;
   3. A ext2 partition for boot. I think 400mb is enough. Mount point: /boot;
3. Install Ubuntu, but do not restart after the installation finishes.
4. Install gparted: sudo apt-get install gparted
5. Open gparted. Select your disk and then the boot (ext2) partition. Right click on /boot partition, select manage flags and enable bios_grub flag. Apply change and close gparted.
6. Install boot-repair like this link and execute it normally using recommended settings.

If everything is right, boot-repair will find your Windows 8 and will configure grub for you. Now, you can reboot.

Hope it helps.

Comments

[landroni]

A related question with hints of Vaio firmware issues: askubuntu.com/questions/360285/13-10-on-vaio-pro-with-uefi

[Henk]

This is what (finally!) worked for me: ubuntuforums.org/… simple and elegant

[Admin]

Sometimes sony vaios with two graphic cards have problem with ubuntu, I usually can only use with stamina mode

[Charles Green]

If you have a new question, please ask it by clicking the Ask Question button. Include a link to this question if it helps provide context.

[landroni]

I already tried to fix the issue using Boot-Repair, as mentioned in the question. What exactly do you think I should try from that guide?

[Ragnar]

Oh, sorry for my bad post then. I don't have any other solution for your problem. Hope you will find one soon.

[Clayton]

Instead of posting a link-only answer, consider copying (and citing) the essential answer components. That way, if your link goes dead, your answer has value for future users. Also see this Stack Overflow Meta advice on writing good answers.

[Pierre-Antoine]

Thank you so much! Your first trick worked perfectly for me (, after several failed attempt with boot-repair... NB: I'm not using a dual boot, I only have Ubuntu installed. So I can't tell for a dual boot system.

[oldfred]

Updated version: askubuntu.com/questions/486752/… If only booting Ubuntu you can create /EFI/Microsoft/Boot folder and copy grub or shim into that folder and rename it to bootmfgw.efi. Then system thinks it is booting Windows and just boots Ubuntu. And without Windows you will not have conflicts with Windows overwriting the bootmfgw.efi file, but on major grub updates may have to refresh the copy of grub you renamed as bootmfgw.efi.

[Pierre-Antoine]

Addendum: it worked perfectlt with Ubuntu, but then I wanted to install Gnome-Ubuntu and I ran into another problem. Solution: I had to manually set the 'boot' flag on the EFI partition (using gparted, but other tools would probably work).

[Pierre-Antoine]

Well, as it ain't broke, I won't fix it! :) But thanks for the heads up.