Windows 7 Blue Screen then restart after loading from GRUB

Question

I have Ubuntu dual booting Windows 7 and after repairing GRUB and a few Windows Updates, now Windows 7 just goes to blue screen upon loading from GRUB then restarts. Is there any way to fix this?

I'm using Ubuntu 12.04 32bit.

EDIT: For something I can't get them to cooperate with each other. I've reinstalled GRUB so many times it hurts, and every time I do, I can't run Win 7 from the GRUB loader - it loads to logo then restarts.. And when I run bootrec.exe /fixmbr, bootrec.exe /fixboot and bootrec.exe /rebuildbcd I can load Windows but then GRUB goes away...

Solution 1

I was posting this as a comment but it's too lengthy to fit, so I'm posting this as an answer. I really don't know if this will do the job, as it's usually used for Windows boot problems and not because of a BSOD.

But since you just can't boot into Windows at all without getting the BSOD, this might be worth a try. (I found these instructions years ago, and don't remember where I got them or whom to credit.) After running this, if it works and you can boot into Windows again, you'll need to boot Ubuntu from a live CD and reinstall Grub.

How to repair and reboot to Windows 7:

1. Insert the Windows 7 System Repair DVD or Installation DVD and reboot.

2. Select the correct keyboard input method and click "Next".

   Note: If you are using the Windows7 Install DVD then at the 'Install Now' prompt (Do not pick the Install Now option) instead choose the 'Repair your computer' option located in the lower left of the dispay.

3. The System Repair tool will search for a valid operating system and will report that "Windows found problems with your computer's startup options. Do you want to apply repairs and restart your computer?"

4. Click "Repair and restart" and reboot again to the Windows 7 System Repair environment.

5. Click "Next" at the keyboard selection prompt and when the "System Recovery Options" screen appears verify that the "Use recovery tools that can help fix problems starting Windows" is selected. Note that on your Dual Boot system there now should be only one operating system listed. Click the "Next" button.

6. Now from the menu list select the "Command Prompt" option.

7. At the DOS prompt type the following three commands:

   bootrec.exe  /fixmbr
   bootrec.exe  /fixboot (may return an 'Element not found' message)
   bootrec.exe  /RebuildBcd
   

8. Close the command prompt window and click the "Startup Repair" option.

9. The repair process may take some time, so wait until the process completes at which point you will see two messages "Windows cannot repair this computer automatically" and "Startup Repair cannot repair this computer automatically".

   These messages are the result of the radical changes made by removing the other drive. Ignore the Send/Dont send options.

10. Close this message window by clicking on the X in the upper right corner of the Send/Dont send window. Next click on the "View advanced options for system recovery and support" option and from the main menu once again click "Startup Repair".

    This time the repair process may only that a few seconds and when prompted "Startup Repair could not detect a problem", click "Finish" and run the "Startup Repair" option one more time, click "Finish", and then remove the System Repair DVD and click "Restart". Reboot the computer.

Solution 2

We would need to know the BSOD error code. Sounds like the Windows BootMGR's config is trashed.

When you try to boot into Windows, hit Shift+F8. If the loader is fine this will pop up the recovery menu with options like safe mode, safe mode with networking, etc.

You can try safe mode, if that fails try disable Automatic restart and look into the error online.

You could also check grub to see what it's options are for Windows boot record (Maybe set to wrong partition/etc)

Comments

[Ringtail]

BSoD...OUCH! Do you have your Windows 7 recovery disk? OR a recovery partition?

[cq0x10glr]

Its not a BSoD its just BS - It shows up after I load it using GRUB loader.

[Ringtail]

Duplicate askubuntu.com/questions/112198/…

[cq0x10glr]

@BlueXrider then help answer one of the two of them and I'll close up both cases.

[cq0x10glr]

@jrg yes it is.

[Joel Lee]

Can you use Grub2Win? You can use that to boot into Windows 7 and Ubuntu 12.04.

[cq0x10glr]

Ill re-install then look into this more. I had to reinstall GRUB using bootrepair so, maybe that trashed Windows' boot. Im not sure. I reinstalled GRUB because I needed it to boot up my main partition.

[Meddy]

I would Google the steps to repair Bootmgr in that case. Your Windows install is likely fine but Grub cannot boot to it. If you reinstall windows it will just overwrite it and vise versa. You need to add the Bootmgr in grub again to get back in. :)

[cq0x10glr]

how would I go about adding the bootmgr in grub? I used Boot-repair to fix it, but I dont know if that means that its repaired the bootmanager

[cq0x10glr]

none of those, I've tested my hard drive mate, I've been able to run Ubuntu fine, its just the Windows 7 after I repair GRUB.

[guptarahul275]

Boot-repair is usually quite safe; I've never heard of it trashing the Windows boot. The usual cause, I think, is when a Windows partition is moved (not just resized), which can mess with the Windows Master Boot Record (MBR). You also ran some Windows updates, and perhaps one of them trashed something. I don't suppose you have a Windows System Repair disk, do you?

[cq0x10glr]

@Kelley I did run some updates, so my question is how would I get this to load with the GRUB menu properly? would the System Repair disk do anything to the GRUB?

[cq0x10glr]

right, but will this affect my primary boot? I need GRUB in order to run my Ubuntu partition - I primarily run Ubuntu.

[guptarahul275]

Yeah, if you do this it will destroy Grub, but Grub is easily reinstalled from an Ubuntu LiveCD; the way to do it has been posted in AskUbuntu, I'll see if I can find it for you.

[guptarahul275]

Yeah, if you do this it will destroy Grub, but Grub is easily reinstalled from an Ubuntu LiveCD. Go to this page: help.ubuntu.com/community/Grub2#Reinstalling%20GRUB2 Scroll down to the "Reinstalling GRUB2" section and then to the subsection "Copy LiveCD Files."

[cq0x10glr]

For something I can't get them to cooperate with each other. I've reinstalled GRUB so many times it hurts, and every time I do, I can't run Win 7 from the GRUB loader - it loads to logo then restarts.. And when I run bootrec.exe /fixmbr, bootrec.exe /fixboot and bootrec.exe /rebuildbcd I can load Windows but then GRUB goes away...

[guptarahul275]

You might be able to install Grub on the Ubuntu partition and have the Windows bootloader decide whether to boot into Windows or into Ubuntu. I know it's possible, but I've never done it. Check out this article: linuxbsdos.com/2012/03/10/…

[cq0x10glr]

@Kelly dude you friggin rock. THANK YOU. THAT IS THE ANSWER IM LOOKING FOR!!!

[Christof]

@Kelley signed up to say this: YOU'RE THE MAN! Damn. Just spent hours trying to get my W7 (which I need for school :( ) to work again after installing ElementaryOS (Ubuntu 12 LTS) along side it. This is the kind of detailed answer one dreams of when reasearching these things. Cheers to you!