Dual-boot windows (now 10) and SuSE have been characteristic of my system since the mid 90’s, but the new windows updates have goofed up grub 2 on all three of my systems (both mbr and eufi). I even installed SuSE on a usb hard drive and was able to boot from that until it also generated an error message that prevented progression to linux. At least I did not have to reinstall windows this time, just unplug the usb disk. I miss linux.
Surely not
?G'day @nornak and welcome to linux.org
I'd like to set you a task or two, and to tease out of you some more information that can help us help you?
TASKS
- Start working on a Wish List in your mind or on paper as to which computer system you want to get up and running first. It could be the one that has the most personal data on it that you want to safeguard or recover. It could be the one with the highest specs, fastest, powerful - your criteria, your choices.
- Having ranked them, give them labels we can use to refer. System 1, 2, 3 can get a little confusing, but perhaps System Dell, System HP and System Lenovo?
- Factor in whether they are desktops or laptops, UEFI or MBR, &c
QUESTIONS
- Which openSUSE are/were you using? Tumbleweeds or Open Leap or both? And yes I know Open Leap is only a few years old.
- Is using a different Linux a deal-breaker, or must it be openSUSE?
- When you have chosen a system to be Numero Uno to fix, we'll want its comprehensive specs
- You obviously have internet access to ask these questions, is one or more of the Windows operating?
- Do you have a recovery disk or stick for that in case something heads south for the winter?
Also see if you can flesh that out more specifically, what happened with your Numero Uno choice?
Lots of choices, lots of work, but hopefully we have your back.
BTW - 73? I'm 61, and we are building up, here, a substantial percentage of our membership that comprises those 60 to 80, which I find gratifying
Cheers
Chris Turner
wizardfromoz
Windows 10 on all three systems is usually working well, and is the system I need because (at least at present) it enables my lan, printer and calendar (I can send the new daily outlook calendar to my other computers). Inertia is possibly the most telling reason I use SuSE (Leap 15). I tried ubuntu, and it was ok, but certainly not better.
I like my HP, but changing a hard disk, compared to the one old (mbr) and one newer lenovo's is nearly impossible. I bought extra hard drives and cloned disks on all three systems, so if all hell breaks loose, I just replace the disk in a lenovo system and replace the now dysfunctional disk by cloning the clone.
After I get the dual-boot back up on these systems, I want to work on getting my printer, linux-lan working. I like using linux to log into confidential sites because I feel security might be slightly better.
Thanks for your help.
I like my HP, but changing a hard disk, compared to the one old (mbr) and one newer lenovo's is nearly impossible. I bought extra hard drives and cloned disks on all three systems, so if all hell breaks loose, I just replace the disk in a lenovo system and replace the now dysfunctional disk by cloning the clone.
After I get the dual-boot back up on these systems, I want to work on getting my printer, linux-lan working. I like using linux to log into confidential sites because I feel security might be slightly better.
Thanks for your help.
Bayou Bengal
Active Member
Hi nornak, and welcome to Linux.org. There is another way to dual boot, but it isn't very well known. I have been using this method for over 5 years now, and have never had an update to windows affect my Grub, or a Grub update affect my windows MBR. I dual boot 5 different computers at my house, and have setup several for my friends that still have to keep windows. To do this you have to seperate the Grub and MBR files, i.e. have them in different locations or on different disks, and using Easy BCD to edit your windows boot file to have an entry to point to Grub. The method isn't mine, I found it by watching the guy's You Tube video. His name is Matthew Moore. If you have bootable Windows installs now, all you need to do is either reinstall your Linux, following Matt's instructions, or you can try and relocate Grub and edit the both the MBR and Grub. Grub has to have an entry to point to the MBR, a reinstall of Linux adds that entry to Grub automatically.
Good luck on whatever you decide.
Good luck on whatever you decide.
Bayou Bengal
Active Member
Yes it will work for UEFI systems as well.
Thank you, it should be very helpful.
Len Nornak
EasyBCD appears to have been unnecessary, but it seems all my problems were solved when I changed from SuSE to Linux Mint. Dual boot is alive and well in one MBR system and two EUFI systems.
Thanks for the help
Len Nornak
Thanks for the help
Len Nornak
Always plenty of choices in Linux, Len
On your "Minties" don't forget to enable the firewall
Also, a tip - it is UEFI - Unified Extensible Firmware Interface, not EUFI ... and no Linux did not make up the name
Hey Bayou, I have an ASUS in a box, where the motherboard does not like me, has Win 7 Pro. When I next attempt to crack it, I might try your method. Thanks for sharing.
Enjoy your Linux folks and
Avagudweegend
Chris
wizardfromoz
On your "Minties" don't forget to enable the firewall
Code:
sudo ufw enableAlso, a tip - it is UEFI - Unified Extensible Firmware Interface, not EUFI ... and no Linux did not make up the name
Hey Bayou, I have an ASUS in a box, where the motherboard does not like me, has Win 7 Pro. When I next attempt to crack it, I might try your method. Thanks for sharing.
Enjoy your Linux folks and
Avagudweegend
Chris
wizardfromoz
Bayou Bengal
Active Member
I have seen this quite often (problems with ASUS motherboards and laptops), I have a desktop ASUS and a Laptop ASUS, and never had any issues. Maybe it's because I run Mint? I hope I didn't just jinx myself with this statement.
I am afraid I spoke too soon: all 3 of my systems now have the same trouble with Mint as they did with SuSE after ~ 3 boots. Easy BCD was no help, specifically not with UEFI configuration. Mint seems to be a nice little system, not quite as hands-on as SuSE, but very friendly in general.
I do think somehow that using the Windows multiboot system might be a way out, just realizing that the UEFI constraints will dictate fewer possibilities.
Good news is that I still have three functional windows systems. MBR systems should probably not be migrated from Windows 7 to Windows 10 if UEFI changes to the BIOS are impossible
-- Len
I do think somehow that using the Windows multiboot system might be a way out, just realizing that the UEFI constraints will dictate fewer possibilities.
Good news is that I still have three functional windows systems. MBR systems should probably not be migrated from Windows 7 to Windows 10 if UEFI changes to the BIOS are impossible
-- Len
