Linux – Recovering GRUB/Arch Linux after installing Windows 7

arch linuxbootloadergrublinuxwindows

So on my desktop I have Arch Linux installed but I need to dual boot with Windows 7. After installing Windows 7, it's bootloader takes over and the original GRUB is gone. Now, I've done this before and took notes, but apparently it doesn't want to work. Here's what I have, assuming /dev/sda1 is where Arch Linux is installed:

mount /dev/sda1 /mnt
mount -o bind /dev /mnt/dev
mount -o bind /sys /mnt/sys
mount -t proc /proc /mnt/proc
chroot /dev/mnt/
grub-install /dev/sda

After I run that and reboot, it still goes to the Windows loader, so I can still only run Windows. Any idea on what I can do to get around this?

Thanks!

Best Answer

GRUB has an internal way to do it, which I've found may work when grub-install does not. It requires an existing /boot/grub, which you should have lying around.

On a LiveCD, open up the GRUB CLI (su -c grub) and run:

find /boot/grub/stage1
root (hdX,Y)
setup (hdX)

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As described here, you need to do the following (The following must be done as root on your Arch OS):

As I can assume from your Output /dev/sdb2 seems to be your Windows-Bootloader so the First step will be:

$ mkdir /mnt/windows
$ mount /dev/sdb2 /mnt/windows
$ grub-probe --target=fs_uuid /mnt/windows/EFI/Microsoft/Boot/bootmgfw.efi

Copy the Output of the last Command to a File and proceed with this:

$ grub-probe --target=hints_string /mnt/windows/EFI/Microsoft/Boot/bootmgfw.efi

Also copy the output to the File. After that run the following to unmount the Partition

$ umount /mnt/windows
$ rmdir /mnt/windows

After that open the File /boot/grub/custom.cfg with your preferred editor and add the Following Lines:

if [ "${grub_platform}" == "efi" ]; then
    menuentry "Microsoft Windows Vista/7/8/8.1 UEFI/GPT" {
        insmod part_gpt
        insmod fat
        insmod search_fs_uuid
        insmod chain
        search --fs-uuid --set=root $hints_string $fs_uuid
        chainloader /EFI/Microsoft/Boot/bootmgfw.efi
    }
fi

Where $hints_string is the second Output and $fs_uuid is the first one.

At least run this to update your Grub:

$ grub-mkconfig -o /boot/grub/grub.cfg

After reboot your Grub should contain the Entry for Windows, for more information about how to configure your Grub see this Page

Best Answer

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