Operating System Not Found after Kali Linux Installation

Question

I have a Sony Vaio E Series laptop that came with Windows 8 installed. I later updated to Windows 8.1. I have been trying to install a Linux distro as a dual boot option.

Today, I shrunk the main partition on my C: drive to make room for a Linux installation (I made 16GB of free space). I burned Kali Linux 1.1.0a to a DVD, turned off SecureBoot and QuickStart in Windows and my UEFI settings, changed my default boot order to Optical Drive then Hard Disk. My Vaio wouldn't boot the DVD initially, so I put the boot setting to Legacy.

I used the Kali Linux graphical interface for installation. I chose the free space made during the partition shrinking, and let it auto-install there. Installation went fine. I restarted my laptop and removed the Live DVD, but "Operating System not found" kept showing at startup. I put the Live DVD back in, and went through the steps at this question to try to make my computer recognize the partitions on my hard drive. Restarted, and still "Operating System not found".

Running lsblk from the Live DVD gives the following:

NAME        MAJ:MIN    RM     SIZE   RO  TYPE  MOUNTPOINT
sda           8:0       0   931.5G    0  disk
|-sda1        8:1       0     260M    0  part /media/SONYSYS
|-sda2        8:2       0     1.5G    0  part /media/Windows RE tools
|-sda3        8:3       0     260M    0  part
|-sda4        8:4       0     128M    0  part
|-sda5        8:5       0   876.4G    0  part
|-sda6        8:6       0     450M    0  part /media/22C625A0C6257567
|-sda7        8:7       0    36.6G    0  part /media/Recovery
|-sda8        8:8       0       1M    0  part
|-sda9        8:9       0    15.3G    0  part /media/ef8f6281-bace-4247-8b29-24cdcf57a0d3
`-sda10       8:10      0     715M    0  part
sr0          11:0       1      2.9G   0  rom  /lib/live/mount/medium
loop0         7:0       0      2.6G   1  loop /lib/live/mount/rootfs/filesystem.squashfs

Best case scenario, I would love to get Kali Linux and Windows 8.1 working again. At the very least, I just want my Windows back. If you need any more information than I have provided, please tell me what you need.

Solution

You need to repair the Windows BCD:

How To Rebuild The Boot Configuration Data (BCD)

The Boot Configuration Data (BCD) contains a detailed list of what is supposed to load at startup. Microsoft indicates that a boot error can also be caused by missing or damaged files in the BCD. The /rebuildbcd parameter can be very useful when you must fix some errors by completely rebuilding the BCD.

To completely rebuild the Boot Configuration Data, run this command: bootrec.exe /rebuildbcd.

How To Add Missing Windows Installations To The Boot Configuration Data

If your computer has multiple operating systems installed but not all of them are available, use the /ScanOS option. Using this parameter on Bootrec.exe will launch a scan on all disks for any Windows Vista, 7, 8 or 8.1 installations that are not currently included in the Boot Configuration Data (BCD).

In the screenshot below, you can have a look at how this scan process might look.

If the bootrec.exe /scanos command returns results, you will be able to continue the repair process. In the end, you will get the lost Windows installation back into the secure BCD table, thus making it bootable again.

Note that this will actually Scan all OS'es but only report Windows Installations. Since the shim exists for Kali Linux, this should put your missing installation back into the BCD.

See also Windows and Arch dual boot - Windows Vista/7/8/8.1 boot loader

Comments

[Patrick]

Is there a similar command I can run from Kali Linux? I don't have access to my Windows operating system at all, and therefore cannot use the Windows command line.

[eyoung100]

You need to use the OEM Windows Disk or the Restore Set that came from your manufacturer. For Win8, this is usuall on the USB Stick labeled Microsoft. Use the UEFI Setup option from Grub2. This will bring up the BIOS. Set the Boot Order Option to Floppy, CD-ROM, USB, Network, HDD.

[Patrick]

I got my hands on a Windows disk and ran the bootrec /rebuildbcd command. This was the output: Successfully scanned Windows installations. Total identified Windows installations: 1 [1] C:/Windows Add installation to the boot list? Yes(Y)/No(N)/All(A):A The requested system device cannot be found.

[Patrick]

I also tried the Refresh your PC option from the Windows disk, and it says "The drive where Windows is installed is locked. Unlock the drive and try again."

[eyoung100]

Can you please post a Screenshot of your Drive from a GParted Live Disk?

[Patrick]

This is the screenshot from the GParted screen imgur.com/ukON1PQ I noticed from the initial load screen (the one where you can choose how to start GParted from the CD) that there was an option to start an operating system from the HDD. I chose that option and tried to start Windows from the list - it didn't work. I tried selecting one of the Linux distros on my HDD - Linux Mint, and it worked fine. Windows is the only one that doesn't want to start. To be clear, "Operating System not found" is still displayed when starting my computer normally.