Messed up my bootloader, please help!

[Aolish]

Hi all, I am in desperate need of help as I have messed up my computer in trying to remove Ubuntu so I can install Ubuntu 15. When I boot my computer it is showing a grub rescue error. What had happened was I wanted to delete ONLY the SSD that had Ubuntu on it. I have Ubuntu installed on one SSD, Windows on another SSD and the bootloader installed on the SSD that had Ubuntu loaded.

I decided to use computer management in Windows 10 and formatted the second SSD that had Ubuntu on it. I thought that would of been a quick and easy way to format the SSD to install Ubuntu 15. But now when I boot my computer, it is now rendered unbootable saying error: unknown file system Grub Rescue with a prompt. I tried to change the boot order to the Windows SSD but it still says grub rescue error. It seems that the Windows boot loader is missing. Can anyone please help on how to restore the Windows boot loader? Thanks in advance for any help

Things that were tried so far:

-So I tried bootrec /fixmbr and the operation was completed successfully. Unfortunately the bootrec /fixboot option receives an error "Element not found". Both commands were done with a Windows 8 disc as I do not have a Windows 10 USB. The MS site doesn't have the option to download Windows 10 onto a USB stick on a macbook. They only provide an ISO file in which the macbook doesn't have an optical drive to put into.

-I have tried using the command bootrec /rebuildbcd which results in the same error "Element not found"

-I have tried using the boot repair from the Windows 8 disc. I think I made my problems even WORSE! The repair went under way and was successful. Unfortunately I am now getting a Windows boot loader error (probably because I tried using a Windows 8 repair on a Windows 10 install) "The boot selection failed because a required device is inaccessible"

-I manage to get a Windows 10 USB stick, unfortunately the boot repair option did not work and the computer is still rendered unbootable. Even more confusing, the Windows 10 USB stick is reading my computer as a Windows 7 machine! My only assumption as to why this is happening is because I tried to use the boot repair option from a Windows 8 disc. Even when I try and do a clean install the USB stick is reading my machine as a Windows 7 machine.

-I have used Boot Repair within a LIVE Ubuntu session (Ubuntu is NOT installed onto the drive) without any success. I was hoping the Boot Repair would somehow detect my Windows install but this was not the case.

-I have used Boot Repair again but with Ubuntu NOW installed and unfortunately no changes. I noticed how grub is now on the Windows installation. I am able to boot normal now but the computer is only able to boot into Ubuntu. There is no option to Windows 10 whatsoever in the grub menu. A log of the boot repair can be found here if it'll make a difference.

http://paste.ubuntu.com/12114712

Here are my system specs:

Antec 1200 / ASUS Z77 Sabertooth (BIOS v2104) / Ivy i7 3770 3.4 GHZ / Generic stock heatsink / Corsair Vengeance 8GB 1333 MHZ / SATA3 Samsung 830 SSD 250GB (Win10) / Samsung 840 SSD 120GB (Ubuntu) / 750GB HDD (Data Drive) Radeon HD 7850 2GB / Onboard Sound / Corsair CX750M / ASUS VW246H. Everything running at stock.

Samsung 830 (Windows 10)
Samsung 840 (Ubuntu w/grub bootloader)

Just remember I no longer have Ubuntu installed as I formatted the 840 in computer management in Windows which resulted in this problem that I have now. So now BOTH OSs have been rendered unbootable. I previously thought that the Windows boot loader was still on the 830 which is why I formatted the 840. I guess I was wrong. Please any help is appreciated!

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[redzo]

Assuming that you're not using uefi boot, the automated start-up repair script included on your windows install disk might do the trick.
If you were using uefi-boot for your Windows OS, it may get a little complicated: http://superuser.com/questions/460762/how-can-i-repair-the-windows-8-efi-bootloader

If you've got a spare hdd, next time you could install linux independently only on that disk. Just disconnect or disable the ports of your other drives before installing linux. Each time you want to boot a particular OS just use your motherboard's "quick boot" bios menu at startup. This way grub does not interfere with other bootloaders. It copies itself on the target drive(the only one detected at install) and that is it. If you want to get rid of it, you just have to delete the partition, but this time with no other complications.

 

[Aolish]

Hi thanks for replying back so quickly, I do remember getting a message from the ubuntu usb stick at the time I wanted to install ubuntu BEFORE I formatted in Windows said this:

"Force UEFI installation?" This machines firmware has started the installer in UEFI mode but it looks like there may be existing operating systems already installed using "BIOS compatibility mode" If you continue to install Debian in UEFI mode, it might be difficult to reboot into any BIOS mode. If you wish to install in UEFI mode and don't care about keeping the ability to boot one of the existing systems, you have the option to force that here. If you wish to keep the option to boot an existing operating system, you should choose NOT to force UEFI installation here.

I'm not exactly sure what this means, does this mean that I'm not using UEFI mode?

If you've got a spare hdd, next time you could install linux independently only on that disk.

EDIT: I do have Ubuntu installed independently on the second SSD and Windows installed on the first SSD.
EDIT2: Can't I just reinstall Ubuntu on the second SSD with the bootloader again? Will the bootloader show Windows 10 and Ubuntu just like before?
EDIT3: I inserted the usb stick and it seems that Ubuntu on the USB is saying there are no operating systems installed on this computer even though I still have Windows installed on the first SSD. So I guess if i installed Ubuntu with the bootloader that it won't detect Windows 10.

 

[redzo]

http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/29504-bios-mode-see-if-windows-boot-uefi-legacy-mode.html
This may help you identifying your initial windows install(legacy or uefi). You're gonna have to check the partition structure of your windows drive.

Though, it should be legacy(non-uefi, which is a good thing ij my oppion) if we take into account that grub output: ... it looks like there may be existing operating systems already installed using "BIOS compatibility mode" ...

If I were you, I would try Windows start-up repair first. Fix Windows first, then use my method of independently installing linux. There is no need to install linux in uefi mode(i don't know any advantage by doing so): just use the old school legacy boot next time. The only drawback is that you gonna have to memorize which hdd/ssd is which OS(no more fancy grub style boot menu after post).

 

[Aolish]

The problem is is that I upgraded to Windows 10. I do not have a USB stick for it. I tried going to Windows 10 download site from MS and they only offered to download with an ISO. I'm currently using a macbook that doesn't have an optical drive in it. Can I use my Windows 8 disc instead?

EDIT1: I would like to use the command prompt to fix the mbr. However again I don't have the Windows 10 USB and only have the Windows 8 disc. Is it possible to use the fix mbr command from a Win8 disc to fix a Win10 boot mbr problem?

EDIT2: So I tried bootrec /fixmbr and the operation was completed successfully. Unfortunately the bootrec /fixboot option receives an error "Element not found". Both commands were done with a Windows 8 disc, I'm at a loss.

 

[redzo]

The problem is is that I upgraded to Windows 10. I do not have a USB stick for it. I tried going to Windows 10 download site from MS and they only offered to download with an ISO. I'm currently using a macbook that doesn't have an optical drive in it. Can I use my Windows 8 disc instead?

I have no clue about this. You've got me here. Technically, the win 8.1 boot loader should be able to launch windows 10, but I'm afraid/not sure if launching auto repair from a 8.1 disk will damage your win 10 instance.

You should google for a mac compatible usb flash tool that should be able to help you deploy that windows 10 iso on your usb drive and make it bootable. I do not use macs, don't know any apps like this

 

[Aolish]

Thanks so much for the help, I will try and google search this. If anyone else can help please do. It would be greatly appreciated!

 

[redzo]

EDIT2: So I tried bootrec /fixmbr and the operation was completed successfully. Unfortunately the bootrec /fixboot option receives an error "Element not found". Both commands were done with a Windows 8 disc, I'm at a loss.

Using diskpart: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/300415
The diskpart utility will help you check your disk partitioning status. It is available from the same command prompt recovery console. It will help you settle once and for all if you're on uefi-boot or not also.

"Element not found" could be related with the fact that you are missing a partition marked as active? You need to select each partition one by one with diskpart and check its status by applying the "detail partition" command on every selected partition.

 

[Aolish]

It looks like I have made my problems much worse. I used the Windows 8 repair only for it to SUCCEED! The Windows 8 disc repaired "something". Now when I try and boot I get a windows boot loader error instead of the grub rescue error. I think I might of put a Windows 8 boot loader onto a Windows 10 install. The grub error no longer shows so now i can't use your suggestion! "The boot selection failed because a required device is inaccessible" ARGH! Now it looks like I really need to get that Windows 10 USB stick now.

I really don't know how I'm going to do this now as I don't have another PC. The only other PC that I have already has Ubuntu 14 on it. What turned out to be a simple reinstall of Ubuntu now turned into a nightmare!

 

[redzo]

No windows start-up repair is 100% effective. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. The "start-up repair" program itself is what ended successfully, not the repair process. The start-up repair itself does not know if the problem was fixed. It requires a reboot. It's then when you realize if you're back on square one.

Just continue digging up and have patience! You should be able to figure it out eventually.
As long as all important partitions are healthy, the system is recoverable in its exact unaltered state previous to your endeavor. It's just the tiny mechanism that launches the OS after post that is broken.

Attempting a start-up repair using a windows 10 disk is ideal as a first task since it may spare you from additional headaches of manually fixing the windows boot. It's also probably your best risk free option. ...and even if it fails, you still got the other option.

Good luck!

 

[Aolish]

Thanks for the help. I will try the following link at the bottom to see if the boot loader can be repaired. Perhaps there are others having the same problem, so the link is provided below. The only thing I see different here is that this installer creates boot camp files within the Windows 10 USB stick. Will this be okay? I will have to go out and buy a USB stick, there is a radio shack just outside where I live.

I do have an 8GB USB stick but it does have Ubuntu 15 on it. I'm just paranoid in formatting this as this will get rid of my only means to do any kind of repair. I'll update as things go along.

http://osxdaily.com/2015/06/22/make-windows-10-install-usb-drive-from-mac-os-x/

EDIT: These problems just don't end, when I insert the USB stick into the macbook and open up bootcamp. It says bootcamp only supports Windows 7 or higher. I don't understand it, I'm using a Windows 10 iso. Certainly that is higher than Win7?

 

[ninaholic37]

EDIT: These problems just don't end, when I insert the USB stick into the macbook and open up bootcamp. It says bootcamp only supports Windows 7 or higher. I don't understand it, I'm using a Windows 10 iso. Certainly that is higher than Win7?

There's a solution here in your link:
http://osxdaily.com/2015/06/22/make-windows-10-install-usb-drive-from-mac-os-x/#comment-1394835

Apple's page also says you need the 64-bit iso for Windows 10 and OSX Yosemite.

 

[Aolish]

From what I can tell the win10.iso is currently not mounted. This is so frustrating, I'm going to have to go over to someones house and create a win10 usb.

 

[Aolish]

So I managed to get a Windows 10 USB stick over at a friends house and it seems the option to fix startup didn't work either. The computer just can't boot into Windows at all. Whats even more confusing is the Windows 10 USB stick is reading my computer as a Windows 7 machine. I have no idea as to why this is happening. My only assumption is that I tried to fix the startup using a Windows 8 disc previously. I am at a total loss. Any help is appreciated to clear this up.

EDIT1: I'm afraid I might have to resort to do a full format, my only concern right now is will a full format also delete the corrupted boot loader/mbr?

EDIT2: It looks like I'm just going to have to do a full format. I did something else which caused the computer to see Windows 7 and Windows 8 Pro which neither are the case. It seems that the boot loader is so screwed up that its showing OSs that aren't even there. Thanks for all the help guys.