Linux – Dual booting Windows and Arch Linux (with GRUB2) – after using Windows, Windows Boot Manager made first in boot priority list

arch linuxgrub2linuxmulti-bootwindows

I am dual booting Windows 7 and Arch Linux (both 64bit), with GRUB2, using the 64-bit EFI version.

I partitioned my drive into a GPT drive and installed Windows first according to this guide. I then installed Arch Linux using the Beginner's Guide, installing grub2-efi-x86_64 in the process.

Everything is working fine now, but with one problem. I can set the boot priority in BIOS (or is it UEFI?) to have GRUB boot try and boot before Windows Boot Manager. Then I chainload Windows Boot Manager using GRUB. However, when I actually use Windows in this manner, upon shutting down and turning on again, or rebooting, Windows seems to set Windows Boot Manager first in the priority list again, with the result being I have to manually set GRUB again, or I can't boot into Linux.

My motherboard is an Asrock H61M/USB3, if that helps.

I want to know how to turn off this behaviour.

Best Answer

That does seem to be a BIOS issue but I do no know Asrock boards or their tendencies.

@Terdon: MBR is not relevant to GPT disks as such; also, Windows can and will indeed 'touch' the MBR in three cases:

  1. Running bootrec /fixmbr and possibly bootsect /nt60 <os_drive>

  2. Re-installing Windows

  3. Running Windows repair, startup errors.

GPT disks have an 'encapsulated' protective mbr section and grub-install would not work on a GPT disk, as one would need grub-x86_64-efi.

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