Uninstalled Ubuntu 14.04, can't boot Windows 8 stuck GNU GRUB

Question

I've got a problem with my computer after trying to uninstall Ubuntu 14.04 (in probably the wrong way).

The steps I took yesterday to try this are as follows:

• booted windows 8
• went to uninstall programs and features, uninstalled Ubuntu
• deleted Ubuntu partition and swap space in partition manager and made it join the main partition

That was the end of uninstalling Ubuntu and then I shut down the computer, left it overnight and boot up the next day to be faced with

GNU GRUB version 2.02~beta2-9ubuntu1

Minimal BASH-like line editing is supported....

it seems this screen isn't very useful...I have no idea how to return to Windows 8 from here unfortunately, having tried boot repair on the live cd install with PPA's and terminal, which said it was successful but after rebooting and removing ubuntu 14.04's disc it still didn't boot to windows 8.

I do have a boot-repair report however, and i am guessing that sr0 on the devices is the DVD for Ubuntu that i hadn't taken out but I can't be sure as I don't really understand it at all.

Here is the link for the report http://paste.ubuntu.com/8546933/

Please help me try to fix this, I have another problem with this PC that seems to happen VERY randomly which causes it to not produce any display and the monitor enters HDMI-Sleep Mode. This has been a problem for a long time so I want to remove Ubuntu and then return the computer to PC World for repair the next time it happens because it's been happening ever since I installed Ubuntu and I want to get it out of the system incase it's the cause of the problem.

Solution 1

You have Windows 8 on a UEFI capable machine and an EFI System Partition (ESP). Checking the log, everything looks fine to me and you should be able to boot the Windows Boot Manager boot option (NVRAM entry) or the default UEFI boot loader (\EFI\Boot\bootx64.efi) to successfully boot Windows.

That is unless you modified the files on the ESP in the Microsoft directory. In that case or if you are in doubt use bcdboot from Windows installation media to reinstall the boot loader.

As an alternative to using Windows installation media you could try booting your exsiting Windows installation via Grub from another Linux installation that is able to detect an existing Windows instllation through OS-Prober (enabled by default in Ubuntu) and run bcdboot when you've booted your Windows installation.

Example:

bcdboot C:\Windows /s F: /f UEFI

• C:\Windows - the drive and location of the Windows instllation that should be booted
• F: - the ESP

Related

• How do I mount the EFI partition on Windows 8.1 so that it is readable and writeable?
• GRUB does not detect Windows - Instructions for how to detect a Windows installation with OS-prober and include it in the Grub menu.
• Grub does not show a Windows 8 option after dual boot - Alternative method to include a Windows installation in the Grub menu through a custom entry.

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• went to uninstall programs and features, uninstalled Ubuntu

This doesn't sound like the right way of uninstalling a non-Wubi installation of Ubuntu to me.

• deleted Ubuntu partition and swap space in partition manager and made it join the main partition

That is correct though.

Solution 2

I realize this answer is a while after the thread started but I had this same problem and couldn't get anything to work until this. When the GNU GRUB 2.02 screen opens type "exit." This will exit the grub command line and should bring you to windows. It worked for me.

Comments

[Grzegorz]

How do I try booting into any of the above when stuck on this black GNU GRUB screen? I've still got the Ubuntu disc to go into Live CD or install if need be but I'd rather not install again. I don't know how to enter UEFI mode anymore since it was always an option on boot or inside Windows 8.

[Grzegorz]

Umm, I don't have an external disk an I meant to update the comment I had written before. I've tried some set root and linux /vmlinuz solution before and it seems to have messed up something. I used to get many apple and an msdos2 entry when i did grub>ls but now I'm only getting hd0 hd1 and then hd1,gtp1-6 but no msdos and I get errors saying "failure reading sector 0xfc from `hd0'. and then the same but with 0xe0 and 0x0 which makes me feel like I've really messed up?

[Grzegorz]

If it's the only way to fix my Windows/computer back to normal, I can try to install Ubuntu back onto it?

[Csabi Vidó]

@user294818 Or use troubleshooting from the Windows ISO.

[Grzegorz]

I don't think I got a Windows ISO, that's the problem, it came pre-installed with Windows 8 and I just had to create recovery discs but I'm guessing they won't have the troubleshooting

[Csabi Vidó]

@user294818 What's wrong with downloading an evaluation ISO or an ISO that matches the official hash to just run troubleshooting and get to use your license again? You just need to run bcdboot with the appropriate parameters to make it copy some files to the ESP and generate a working bcd config. You could use Windows 10 media as well or possibly even ReactOS.

[Grzegorz]

Thank you very much! I downloaded and burned Windows 10 to a dvd, then used the Repair The System Partition, with help from Diskpart to format the SYSTEM partition and then bcdboot to add entry for Windows partition. ( I would upvote but unfortunately I have only got 6 rep, sorry)

[Csabi Vidó]

@user294818 While you have not enough reputation to upvote you can still mark the answer that helped you the most as accepted, which also helps the site.