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Asked: 2024-09-25T18:26:17+05:30 In: ,

After upgrading to Windows 10, I encountered an issue where my system only boots into grub rescue mode. Can anyone provide guidance on how to resolve this and restore my ability to access both Windows and Ubuntu?

So, I upgraded to Windows 10 the other day, and now my laptop just refuses to boot normally. Instead of taking me to the familiar options of either Windows or Ubuntu, I’m greeted with the dreaded grub rescue mode. It’s so frustrating! I used to love the seamless dual-boot process, but now all I face is a flashing cursor and the command line that feels like a foreign language.

I’ve tried a couple of things that I found online, like entering “ls” to see what drives are available, but I’m not really sure what to do next. The drives I see don’t seem to lead me anywhere—at least not to a proper boot. I’ve heard that upgrading Windows can sometimes mess with the bootloader, and I’m wondering if that’s what happened here.

I did some digging and found people talking about using a Live USB for Ubuntu, which sounds promising, but I’m not quite sure how to use it to fix this issue. Is that the right way to go? If I create a bootable USB of Ubuntu and boot from it, am I able to reinstall GRUB? Would that help me get back into the dual-boot menu?

I’m also a bit worried about losing any important data in the process. I’ve got some stuff on my Ubuntu partition that I really can’t afford to lose. Is there a way to back it up from the Live USB environment or something like that?

Honestly, I’m not super tech-savvy, and all this command line stuff kinda freaks me out. If anyone has gone through a similar situation or has any tips on what steps I should take next, I’d really appreciate it. I just want to get back to my normal setup where I can use both operating systems without a hassle. Any help would mean a lot!

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    2 Answers

    1. It sounds like you’re in a bit of a tough spot! First off, upgrading Windows can indeed mess with the GRUB bootloader, which is probably why you’re seeing that grub rescue prompt instead of your usual dual-boot menu.

      Using a Live USB is definitely a good approach to get things back on track. Here’s a simple way to go about it:

      1. Create a Bootable Ubuntu USB:
        – You’ll need a working PC to create the USB. Download the Ubuntu ISO from the official website.
        – Then, use a tool like Rufus (for Windows) to create a bootable USB drive. Just follow the prompts, and make sure to select the ISO you downloaded.
      2. Boot from the Live USB:
        – Insert the USB into your laptop and restart it. You might need to press a key (like F2, F12, or Esc) right when it starts to choose the USB from the boot menu.
      3. Install GRUB:
        – Once you’re in the live environment, open a terminal.
        – You need to find your Ubuntu partition. You can use `lsblk` to list the drives and find where your Ubuntu is installed (it will look something like /dev/sdaX).
        – Then, run these commands (replace ‘X’ with your actual partition number):

        sudo mount /dev/sdaX /mnt
sudo grub-install --root-directory=/mnt /dev/sda
sudo update-grub

        – This should fix the GRUB bootloader.

      4. Backing up Important Data:
        – While you’re booted into the Live USB, you can access your Ubuntu partition and back up your files. Just open the file manager, look for your Linux partition, and copy the important stuff to an external drive or another USB stick.

      This process shouldn’t erase your data, but it’s always a good idea to back up anything important just in case. Don’t worry if command lines seem scary; just take it one step at a time. If you bump into any trouble, there are loads of forums and communities (like Ask Ubuntu) that can help you out. Good luck getting back to your dual-boot setup!


    2. It sounds like you are encountering issues with your dual-boot setup due to the Windows 10 upgrade potentially overwriting the GRUB bootloader, which is a common problem in such scenarios. To resolve this, using a Live USB drive with Ubuntu is a recommended approach. First, create a bootable USB drive with an Ubuntu ISO image, and then boot your laptop from this USB. Once you’re in the Live environment, open a terminal and mount your Ubuntu partition. You can typically find your partitions by using the command sudo fdisk -l. After identifying your Ubuntu partition, you can mount it by using sudo mount /dev/sdXY /mnt (replace sdXY with your partition identifier). Next, you can reinstall GRUB by running sudo grub-install --root-directory=/mnt /dev/sdX (with sdX being your disk, not the partition), followed by sudo update-grub.

      Before proceeding, it’s wise to back up your important data. From the Live USB environment, you can access your Ubuntu partitions through the file manager. You can copy the necessary files to an external drive or to the USB drive itself if there is enough space available. This step ensures that even if something goes wrong during the GRUB reinstallation, your data remains safe. Once GRUB is successfully reinstalled, you should see the dual-boot menu appear again when your laptop starts up, allowing you to choose between Windows and Ubuntu seamlessly. Following these steps should help restore your dual-boot functionality while keeping your data safe.


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