UEFI Boot Loading Problems... can't load Windows 8 OR Ubuntu!

Question

Possible Duplicate:
Installing Ubuntu on a Pre-Installed UEFI Supported Windows 8 system

I got a new DELL XPS 8500 with Windows 8. I understand that it has UEFI (as opposed to traditional boot-loading BIOS system).

I installed Ubuntu 12.04 (not realizing that it doesn't work as well with the secure-load/uefi system). I partitioned my solid state drive so Windows was on one partition, and Ubuntu would be on a new one (sdb7). This always worked with my PREVIOUS computer... I had Windows XP on one partition and UbuntuStudio on a separate partition. Grub always gave me a boot menu.

Here comes the problem:

At first my computer wouldn't let me boot from the USB and with UEFI I can't get into the boot menu... with UEFI I have to access boot options via Windows. I had to un-select "secure" booting, which allowed the computer to boot from my Ubuntu USB.

I successfully installed Ubuntu, but when I restarted the computer it booted right into the USB again. I expected it to give me a boot menu (including Windows 8, Ubuntu, and the USB stick).

So I shut down the computer, removed the USB stick and restarted it... and I got the following error message on a black screen:

"Reboot and select proper boot drive or insert boot media in selected boot device and press a key."

NOW this SHOULDN'T be a huge problem... I should just "select the proper boot drive"... but I can't access BIOS or a boot menu unless I'm inside Windows!! And I can't get into Windows!

What I can do (ALL I can do) is run Ubuntu live from my USB. I've looked at lots of forums and I've tried several things, but nothing works! This is kind of a new issue so maybe nobody has had this problem yet. Others had the same error message, but from different problems. They can usually ONLY log into Windows. I can't get into Windows.

When I boot Ubuntu live from the USB I can look into the files for my Windows and Ubuntu installations, but I can't boot into either one.

Here's what I tried (which didn't work so far):

-re-installing ubuntu 12.10 -boot-repair program in Linux

Here's another piece of information. When I tried boot-repair, it told me that "The boot of your PC is in Legacy Mode... You may want to retry after changing it to EFI mode."

I don't know how to change it to EFI mode.

ALSO... boot-repair tells me to: "remember to tell the bios to boot on sdb1/EFI/ubuntu/grubfix64.efi"

I don't even know what that means.

If you're interested... I tried the boot-repair three times and got these URLs:

http://paste.ubuntu.com/1565228 http://paste.ubuntu.com/1565261 http://paste.ubuntu.com/1565303

Anyone with any info PLEASE help me out. My brand-new computer is unbootable...

Solution 1

Boot-Repair solved my problem!

I can load Windows now!

But I had to access the BIOS first and switch from "Legacy" to "UEFI." Boot-Repair wouldn't work until I did that. I also seem to have benefited from restoring the MBR (also using boot-repair).

IF ANYBODY NEEDS TO KNOW HOW TO USE BOOT-REPAIR, here is the link (I used the code from the terminal to install it while running Ubuntu live from a usb:

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Boot-Repair

To be clear: My urgent issue is solved (I couldn't login to ANY installed operating system). That's why I posted this. I still have the remaining problem of trying to properly install and boot Ubuntu, but that's actually a different issue. Right now my computer is usable again.

This is the link to the boot-repair file which salvaged my computer:

http://paste.ubuntu.com/1568051

Thanks very much to everyone who contributed.

And jackfb: I will be using your wiki to fix my Ubuntu-install. Still can't load it because GRUB2 is on sdb7... gotta get it into sdb2...

Solution 2

I got the same problems trying a triple boot W8/Ubuntu12.10/Mageia2 Eventually I managed setting this triple boot. Some remarks:

1. Are you sure that your Ubuntu version is EFI compatible ? It should be (for W8)
2. Is your Bios order correct ? Did you stop the secure boot unsupported by Ubuntu 12.10 64bit?
3. You should use the W8 partition /boot/efi (partition sda2 created by W8) to store Ubuntu Grub2 ;don't create a new partition for it.
4. Are you sure that W8 was installed on 1 partition ? Mine was installed on 6 partitions (netbook SAMSUNG 350V5C-S06FR)

If you want to install Ubuntu in EFI/GPT mode , have a look at my wiki http://doc.ubuntu-fr.org/multiboot%20ubuntu12%20windows8 You will be able to install EFI and non EFI OS on the same disk. Jackfb

Comments

[Aditya]

Have you gone through this question: Installing Ubuntu on a Pre-Installed UEFI Supported Windows 8 system. If not, please do so and let us know if it solves your problem. If not, edit this question of yours with what you have tried and what problems you are facing.

[Eliah Kagan]

Windows 8 will refuse to boot with UEFI disabled.

[Matt Payne]

Can't get into bios during bootup... with the new UEFI system on new motherboards the window for pressing f2 is allegedly 0.02 seconds... super-fast bootup but less control over your computer, courtesy of Microsoft :(

[Matt Payne]

I'm gleaning some information here.I will totally uninstall Ubuntu and delete the new partition, putting that memory back into the partition it was originally in. Even if I can just get back into Windows 8 then I can start from scratch. I'll try that tonight after work and then I'll get back to you. I'm using Ubuntu 12.10 which is supposed to include UEFI and secure-boot support. Also. yes, Windows 8 seems to be installed across a bunch of partitions! And when installing Ubuntu, it doesn't recognize that Windows is installed. Should I install Ubuntu in the same partition as Windows???

[Matt Payne]

Thanks everyone for the answers so far. You're giving me hope!

[Matt Payne]

Ubuntu 12.10 is UEFI compatible. Windows 8 DOES seem to be installed across several partitions. Should I install Ubuntu on the same partition as Windows? Is it possible to install Ubuntu on one partition and the GRUB2 on a separate one? I will look at your wiki. Thanks for your answers.