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[SOLVED] Windows 10/Debian 9, dual booting help

Ask for help with issues regarding the Installations of the Debian O/S.
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jalisco
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[SOLVED] Windows 10/Debian 9, dual booting help

#1 Post by jalisco »

Here is my step by step installation process.
1. Install Debian 9 on SSD1.
--No problems, everything works, updated, everything perfect!
2. Disconnect SSD1.
3. Connect SSD2.
4. Install Windows 10.
--No problems, everything works, updated, everything perfect!
5. Connect all SATA devices (both SSD1, SSD2, another "storage" HDD, etc.
6. Only Windows 10 boots "by default."

I can go into the BIOS and select the bootable HDD (and select -- with success -- either SSD1 or SSD2), and boot either Linux or Windows. However, neither one's bootloader see's the other OS.

From what I read, Windows 10 does this explicitly--only allowing other EFI windows OS from showing up. Typical.
GRUB2 also doesn't see the Windows system.

I have tried installing Refind, but then, Debian wouldn't boot up =(

I have tried a dozen other "solutions" but have been unable to find a more elegant solution then going into the BIOS.

I am at my wits end, and would greatly appreciate tips, suggestions, or other similar experiences.
Last edited by jalisco on 2018-08-16 18:25, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Windows 10/Debian 9, dual booting help

#2 Post by scouser »

leave both drives connected then install Windows 10 first on one drive then install Debian 9 on the other drive :)

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Re: Windows 10/Debian 9, dual booting help

#3 Post by Bulkley »

scouser wrote:leave both drives connected then install Windows 10 first on one drive then install Debian 9 on the other drive :)
That should work. Before doing all that I'd burn a Grub2 rescue disc and explore its options.

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Re: Windows 10/Debian 9, dual booting help

#4 Post by Segfault »

Isn't it overkill to reinstall an OS just to reconfigure the bootloader?

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Re: Windows 10/Debian 9, dual booting help

#5 Post by Head_on_a_Stick »

From a Windows Adminstrator prompt in Powershell:

Code: Select all

bcdedit /set "{bootmgr}" path "/EFI/debian/grubx64.efi"
deadbang

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jalisco
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Re: Windows 10/Debian 9, dual booting help

#6 Post by jalisco »

Head_on_a_Stick wrote:From a Windows Adminstrator prompt in Powershell:

Code: Select all

bcdedit /set "{bootmgr}" path "/EFI/debian/grubx64.efi"
Tried something similar to this already, there is no debian folder -- in my case. Though that grubx64.efi sounds about like what I need.

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jalisco
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Re: Windows 10/Debian 9, dual booting help

#7 Post by jalisco »

Segfault wrote:Isn't it overkill to reinstall an OS just to reconfigure the bootloader?

I think so to, but even counting the time it's taken me to install drivers and base applications that I use, I have wasted 1-2x as much time already trying to solve this, then if I just would have installed everything anew. =(

will try the grub2 rescue option, see if that can save me the trouble.

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Re: Windows 10/Debian 9, dual booting help

#8 Post by Head_on_a_Stick »

jalisco wrote:there is no debian folder
Ah yes, sorry, you need to copy the debian folder from the EFI system partition on the Debian disk to the ESP on the Windows disk.

It may be simpler to reinstall Debian and get it to share the Windows ESP, the command should work then, I think.
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jalisco
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Re: Windows 10/Debian 9, dual booting help

#9 Post by jalisco »

Head_on_a_Stick wrote:
jalisco wrote:there is no debian folder
Ah yes, sorry, you need to copy the debian folder from the EFI system partition on the Debian disk to the ESP on the Windows disk.

It may be simpler to reinstall Debian and get it to share the Windows ESP, the command should work then, I think.
Yeah gonna do that instead. Already wasted the whole day trying to get it to work--with bad to mixed, but all poor, results. I can install both systems BOTH in about 60-90 minutes. Will just do that and report back how it goes.

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Re: Windows 10/Debian 9, dual booting help

#10 Post by jalisco »

I was right about one thing, installing both took me about 90 minutes.

Problem is, I am still where I was before =/ I guess I have clean bootmgr, mbr, and grubs to work with.

As an added bonus, of keeping my drives connected, i accidentally deleted all my backed up data on a third drive, that I forgot I had connected.

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Re: Windows 10/Debian 9, dual booting help

#11 Post by Head_on_a_Stick »

jalisco wrote:I am still where I was before
Did you tell the Debian installer to use the EFI system partition on the Windows drive and is that now mounted under /boot/efi?
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jalisco
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Re: Windows 10/Debian 9, dual booting help

#12 Post by jalisco »

Finally. Took 3 hours to re-install, and get it working.

I can't give a step by step (too many--including false--steps).

Essentially, though, need to change boot method from BIOS to EFI on Linux. I mostly used the following forum post, also found on the debian user forums:
http://forums.debian.net/viewtopic.php?t=81120

I had to change a few things here and there, specific to my installation, but it finally worked!

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Re: Windows 10/Debian 9, dual booting help

#13 Post by jalisco »

So far, this experience has been an unmitigated nightmare. A nightmare, that keeps on giving.

I know eventually, I will get everything set up properly.

I think I used dual Windows 7/8, and Debian 7/8, for about a Decade, without a sand kernel of issue.

Windows 10, works without significant issue -- but I hold is chiefly responsible for the problems. It's willingness "to play with others" is what's at issue.

I had gotten everything setup, where the system would boot from Refind. Then, I did some update (to Windows), and then Refind didn't work anymore. But, I could still boot to the Debian HDD, and grub saw windows 10, and it would kick me over. Which was acceptable.

Then, for some unbeknownst reason, my Debian system shat on me, like I have never seen before. I couldn't recover it. I must have done something VERY wrong as root. But, it was a classical situation of the "**** hitting the fan."

Finally, re-installed Debian AGAIN, and it works-- only if I select the Debian HDD, then I will get grub. If I try to go to the "debian install/windows efi" I get thrown to

grub rescue>

I guess now is the time, where I have to really read, every single thing line for line, and understand what is happening in the windows, efi, grub, debian boot process, to custom configure it properly. I will take notes, and report back.

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Re: Windows 10/Debian 9, dual booting help

#14 Post by Head_on_a_Stick »

I have Debian stable, Windows 10 and OpenBSD all on the same disk in a laptop and they all boot fine and survive Windows updates.

The trick is to share the EFI system partition created by Windows and use that as /boot/efi in Debian, this will allow you to instruct Windows to boot Debian's bootloader by using the `bcdedit` command and it will continue to do this even after updates, once it knows that is what you want.
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Re: Windows 10/Debian 9, dual booting help

#15 Post by milomak »

your post seems to indicate you have a uefi bios. if so, i run grub-efi and os-prober and my windows 10 install is picked by grub
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Re: Windows 10/Debian 9, dual booting help

#16 Post by jalisco »

milomak wrote:your post seems to indicate you have a uefi bios. if so, i run grub-efi and os-prober and my windows 10 install is picked by grub

Yes, correct. I do have an uefi loader.

It was very painful, but it all seems to work now. Painful for me anyway =9 Took me several days to get everything to run smoothly, now after about 10+ reboots to both, everything seems stable. *fingers crossed*

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Re: [SOLVED] Windows 10/Debian 9, dual booting help

#17 Post by greymin »

Many thanks I was able to do a dual boot now.

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