I know this is a Linux magazine but I can’t really find a lot of resources on this.

I installed fedora kinite on a second hard drive, intending to dual boot with windows, after the install finished it looks like it removed my windows boot loader.

Has anyone run into this and if so how did you correct it?

  • ILikeBoobies@lemmy.ca
    2·
    28 minutes ago

    Windows install will have a back up bootloader that you can copy over or you can use the install media

    I’ll give the install media instructions, you can do it from your Linux install if it’s able to see the Windows files

    Launch Command Prompt with Shift+F10

    List Disks with

    list disk

    Select desired disk with

    sel disk #

    Create the boot partition

    create partition efi size=100

    Select Boot

    sel partition 1

    Format Boot

    format fs=FAT32 quick

    Assign Boot partition

    assign letter=g:

    Copy the boot files to the partition

    bcdboot c:\Windows /s G: /f ALL

  • geoma@lemmy.ml
    16·
    3 hours ago

    If it is a second hard drive… Probably the win bootloader is on the first still? Check bios boot options

    Maybe its destiny telling you you can do it without windows

    • Sandbag@lemm.eeOP
      4·
      3 hours ago

      Lol, I would love to ditch Windows completely but VR gaming still kinda needs it for now.

      The BIOS boot options show only Fedora no Windows, grub only shows fedora as well.

  • pinguinu [any]@lemmygrad.ml
    3·
    2 hours ago

    I had the exact same problem with regular Fedora KDE. In my case it turned out that it didn’t wipe out the entire Microsoft bootloader because there was a backup bootx64.efi. In the end I downloaded a windows installer iso, copied the boot* files and directory to efi/Microsoft/boot and copied that bootx64.efi and added it to the grub menu using the 40_custom file in grub.d and applied grub2-mkconfig -o /boot/grub2/grub.cfg

    To boot from grub you use set root and chainloader /... which you then write as a menuentry

    Sorry for the bad reply but I’m working

    • pinguinu [any]@lemmygrad.ml
      1·
      41 minutes ago

      I hadn’t read the other drive stuff. I’m guessing it’s the same case as mine since you planned or guessed you would be using Grub on your primary drive instead of Windows boot manager. I don’t have my computer with me but I would be willing to make a more concrete “tutorial”. You can DM me too

  • Vik@lemmy.worldEnglish
    2·
    3 hours ago

    Which index were these disks arranged in? Windows will install its bootloader on 0 regardless of where you physically install the OS.

    I like to keep OS disks self contained, and tend to completely remove other connected disks when conducting a new install. This is a must for Windows, I’ve not had a Linux distro place it’s bootloader in anything other than the OS destination.

    • Sandbag@lemm.eeOP
      1·
      3 hours ago

      I’ll have to double check when I get home, but is it possible to restore the windows bootloader to the windows disk, if not I can always reinstall Windows but would prefer to not if I can help it.

      • visor841@lemmy.world
        1·
        23 minutes ago

        I haven’t done it in a bit, but you should be able to do Windows startup repair from a USB (possibly a Windows install USB), which I believe can restore the bootloader. I’d recommend disconnecting all drives other than the Windows one when doing the repair.