how to safely repair the bootloader
- Thread starter tempo1234
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Brickwizard
Well-Known Member
you have made the classic mistake of not researching how to install Linux enough... many will not tell you, before you start to install most Linux distributions you must
1]disable windows secure boot
2]disable windows quick start/fast boot [also usually in the bios]
3]do a full power re-boot [NOT a re-start from the windows' menu]
Parrot home is a good beginners' distribution, it only has a couple of tools pre-installed, but the majority of the rest are in the software manager
on the minimal information you have given the machine appears to be either 18 months old [in which case be aware there may be some driver issues due to its newness, orit has been upgraded a little from a slightly older base.
I regret to tell you the Parrot sec forums have been down for well over a week, but you may be able to contact them if necessary on social media
linux-tips.us
1]disable windows secure boot
2]disable windows quick start/fast boot [also usually in the bios]
3]do a full power re-boot [NOT a re-start from the windows' menu]
Parrot home is a good beginners' distribution, it only has a couple of tools pre-installed, but the majority of the rest are in the software manager
on the minimal information you have given the machine appears to be either 18 months old [in which case be aware there may be some driver issues due to its newness, orit has been upgraded a little from a slightly older base.
I regret to tell you the Parrot sec forums have been down for well over a week, but you may be able to contact them if necessary on social media
How Do I Install Linux (A General Guide) • Linux Tips
Today, I will try to answer one of the most common questions asked by the newcomer to Linux; “How do I install Linux”
linux-tips.us
theLegionWithin
Active Member
my path would be to backup whatever data I needed to external storage, reset the bios, boot into a live environment, wipe all drives, and install the distro of your choice.
there's probably a more graceful method though, I'm sure.
there's probably a more graceful method though, I'm sure.
Brickwizard
Well-Known Member
Windows quite often breaks Linux grub some updates can even switch fast boot back on, if you do not want or need windows I would save any files/folders that you need to keep to an external drive, and re-install using the whole disc for Parrot usually the least problematic way, he other way would be by using a rescue
@tempo1234 welcome from DownUnder to linux.org 
(Manners, Gents, did you leave them in your Christmas stocking beside the lump of coal? Lol)
If the above options are not viable to you, sing out and I will provide an alternative method, I'll only need to know whether you wish to keep Windows or ditch it.
Bear in mind that I am in Queensland Australia, if you are US-based likely 13 to 17 hours ahead of you.
Cheers
Chris Turner
wizardfromoz
(Manners, Gents, did you leave them in your Christmas stocking beside the lump of coal? Lol)If the above options are not viable to you, sing out and I will provide an alternative method, I'll only need to know whether you wish to keep Windows or ditch it.
Bear in mind that I am in Queensland Australia, if you are US-based likely 13 to 17 hours ahead of you.
Cheers
Chris Turner
wizardfromoz
Hello and thank you for the welcoming!@tempo1234 welcome from DownUnder to linux.org
If the above options are not viable to you, sing out and I will provide an alternative method, I'll only need to know whether you wish to keep Windows or ditch it.
Bear in mind that I am in Queensland Australia, if you are US-based likely 13 to 17 hours ahead of you.
Cheers
Chris Turner
wizardfromoz
I’m in Europe and my schedule is pretty random so not a problem. I’d like to hear from you tbh. My desire is to get rid of Windows and all MS stuff, I didn’t ask for it and I don’t need any of those, I’m very comfortable with Debian based distro but I’m also ok with switching to any other for a few days if it’s needed to repair my laptop. I planned to switch to Arch or its derivatives anyways so no issues. I have Ubuntu 24.1 and Arch ISOs already downloaded just in case
and boot-repair disk ISO too, found out there’s a live USB variant of it so I guess I’ll just clean up the whole disk, then run this tool and then will just install my chosen distro. Thanks in advance. Linux is such a welcoming community tbh, never saw anything like this before
Brickwizard
Well-Known Member
which part?
If parrot runs OK then so should Mint LMDE6, MX Linux, And Debian stable with driver pack, Sorry I cannot advise you on Arch , Fedora or SUSE, although I have run them for a short while on test I always maintain Debian based distros for my daily drive.
This feeble-minded Wizard has started a folder on you and your Thread, which I should have done last year when I said
So I will work on the fly, but I may not have a more complete blow-by-blow until my tomorrow, after I have swung into my Parrot and run a few checks.
That being said, I am going to outline where I am (now) headed, you can read it and see what you think.
WIZARD'S IMMEDIATE BEST OPTION - FOOD FOR THOUGHT
I would think that the best goal to head for, at the moment, is to have a Grub Menu with Parrot at the top of it, and the default is it boots into it, and Windows appearing as an entry which will likely read as something like
Windows Boot Manager
If we get that set up, you can mine Windows 11 for any data you wish to save and then we can show you how to nuke it - blow it away.
In order to do that, we want to be able to first boot into a part of Parrot from startup and do the voodoo which will generate the ability to start working towards that goal.
It will involve getting a Grub Menu with Parrot listed on it, and in particular, using a line saying something like
Advanced Options (Parrot)
If the Grub Menu does not appear at startup, you should be able to force one to show by tapping the Escape key (on a UEFI computer... it is the Right Shift key for MBR/Legacy systems).
I'll grab a beer and a smoke and dive into Parrot and check some stuff.
You need to be sure you are bright-eyed and bushy-tailed before engaging in these exercises, eg after a good night's sleep.
Back soon.
Wizard
So I will work on the fly, but I may not have a more complete blow-by-blow until my tomorrow, after I have swung into my Parrot and run a few checks.
That being said, I am going to outline where I am (now) headed, you can read it and see what you think.
WIZARD'S IMMEDIATE BEST OPTION - FOOD FOR THOUGHT
I would think that the best goal to head for, at the moment, is to have a Grub Menu with Parrot at the top of it, and the default is it boots into it, and Windows appearing as an entry which will likely read as something like
Windows Boot Manager
If we get that set up, you can mine Windows 11 for any data you wish to save and then we can show you how to nuke it - blow it away.
In order to do that, we want to be able to first boot into a part of Parrot from startup and do the voodoo which will generate the ability to start working towards that goal.
It will involve getting a Grub Menu with Parrot listed on it, and in particular, using a line saying something like
Advanced Options (Parrot)
If the Grub Menu does not appear at startup, you should be able to force one to show by tapping the Escape key (on a UEFI computer... it is the Right Shift key for MBR/Legacy systems).
I'll grab a beer and a smoke and dive into Parrot and check some stuff.
You need to be sure you are bright-eyed and bushy-tailed before engaging in these exercises, eg after a good night's sleep.
Back soon.
Wizard
Thanks for the screenshots ... My Goodness, you do have some curly ones (problems) to face, don't you?!
OK, a modification on where I was headed, which I have since tested, it works for me and may well work for you.
METHOD, AND STEPS
From a working desktop session in Parrot
Let us know how it goes, please.
Wizard
OK, a modification on where I was headed, which I have since tested, it works for me and may well work for you.
METHOD, AND STEPS
From a working desktop session in Parrot
- Open Terminal (from the menu, or else Ctrl-Alt-t ), and type in and press Enter for each of the following commands. Wait until each command completes before moving on to the next one.
- sudo root passwd (type in a password different to the one you normally use, write it down if need be. You will be required to repeat this)
- Testing the password - type in su - (that is su space dash). If successful, your prompt will change to reflect that you now have a Root password)
- grub-install /dev/sda
- update-grub
- (type in) reboot
Let us know how it goes, please.
Wizard
The only issue I had with password, the command appeared to be passwd root, not root passwd
Whoops, my bad
, glad you worked it out.I'll revisit that Post on my tomorrow, got to get ready for my evening meal.
There will likely be just a little extra cleanup involved to remove traces of Windows, but it is pretty straightforward.
If you wish, you could post us a screenshot of your configuration from GParted, and I can check from there.
Cheers and well done.
Chris
Thanks for the screenshot and regrets on the delay on getting back here.
I have found the link you referred to in #10, and it did not have the link attribute it should have, so I have taken the liberty of modifying that for you and it now appears as a link.
I have read the article and it appears fine and straightforward, right down to the part about removing the Windows component from the bootloader, which I usually do using Root privileges in my File Manager, but is fine from the Terminal as they describe.
The only additional step I would advise, if you wish to learn it now, is to make yourself acquainted with Timeshift, installing it on your Parrot and taking a snapshot, so that you can roll back your system if something goes awry.
Other than that, you just need to substitute your NVME numbers for the /dev/sdxy ones in the article and away you go, deleting 3 of the partitions and a part of the bootloader partition.
Cheers
Wizard
I have found the link you referred to in #10, and it did not have the link attribute it should have, so I have taken the liberty of modifying that for you and it now appears as a link.
I have read the article and it appears fine and straightforward, right down to the part about removing the Windows component from the bootloader, which I usually do using Root privileges in my File Manager, but is fine from the Terminal as they describe.
The only additional step I would advise, if you wish to learn it now, is to make yourself acquainted with Timeshift, installing it on your Parrot and taking a snapshot, so that you can roll back your system if something goes awry.
Other than that, you just need to substitute your NVME numbers for the /dev/sdxy ones in the article and away you go, deleting 3 of the partitions and a part of the bootloader partition.
Cheers
Wizard
You should be able to do so at this point and going forward. It is post-count dependent.
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