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I have a Samsung NP740U3E with pre-installed Windows 8 (boots with UEFI). I installed Ubuntu 13.04 without problems. Later, Windows 8 did a BIOS update which messed up everything, nothing would boot. I recovered everything and went back to fabric settings.

Now Windows 8 works fine, but when I try to install Ubuntu it does not detect any operating system, so I can`t install Ubuntu alongside Windows.

I`ve googled as much as I can, ran a boot-repair, disabled fast- and secure-boot. I have a GPT disc, been looking into gdisk without luck.

Here`s my boot-repair summary http://paste.ubuntu.com/5835719/

Is it necessary to convert the GPT disc to MBR? Is it possible to hard-reset the disc "even more" than fabric settings?

Thanks in advance.

4 Answers 4

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First, "fabric" is a flexible material used for making clothes, drapes, bedsheets, etc. Based on context, I suspect you mean "factory" or "default," not "fabric."

Second, you made things much harder for yourself by re-installing everything. You could have used an emergency boot disc like rEFInd's CD-R or USB flash drive image to get an OS or EFI shell booted, then used a utility like efibootmgr (in Linux), bcdedit (in Windows), or bcfg (in an EFI shell) to re-register your preferred boot loader(s) with the EFI. This approach requires a certain amount of know-how, but it's much easier than re-installing everything. You're well past the point where this remains an option, though. I mention it so you can keep less radical solutions in mind in the future.

Given where you are, it's not 100% clear to me precisely what's failing or why. I recommend you try the (poorly named) "something else" option when the Ubuntu installer gets to the point of asking how to install. That should enable you to re-size your existing partitions and create new ones for Linux. If the Ubuntu partitioner claims that your disk is empty, then that indicates a damaged partition table or leftover RAID data. I see no evidence of a damaged partition table in your Boot Info Script output, but I may have overlooked something.

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well I am not sure but hope this will work for you.

boot with the live CD of ubuntu. now use the gparted to shrink the window partition. create a new partition for linux and try to install ubuntu in that. I hope in this way both may exist. There could be a problem after that the system boot into the ubuntu only. but you can repair the grub afterwards.

I expect this to work. Had somewhat similar problem when i bought new laptop.

please note that dont try to mess with GPT using windows boot disc. it may corrupt your file system. good luck.

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This may sound basic (apologies if it does...) But the fact that you stated "pre-installed Windows 8" sorta indicates you may NOT have a windows rescue disk, yes? if your data has at least $79 worth of value to you, go to pricewatch.com and pick up an extra 2 terabyte drive to do a backup right away. You can burn SystemRescue to a USB stick, http://www.sysresccd.org/Sysresccd-manual-en_How_to_install_SystemRescueCd_on_an_USB-stick

then use fsarchiver to do a complete drive image backup (comes with SystemRescue). http://www.fsarchiver.org/QuickStart

With systemRescue, you'll be able to use Gparted (boot into graphical mode) to reformat your 32Gb partition, /dev/sdb1 then try re-installing Ubuntu.

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I'm not sure if this will help you, but if I were you I will make a free space from windows Disk Manager , and try to install ubuntu on it.

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