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I installed ubuntu 12.10 using something else. I made 2 new partitions in which I installed the swap and the file system. After I installed it, I found I couldn't boot windows 8. It booted straight into ubuntu 12.10! What do I do? If I can't fix this I'm going to be in some serious trouble with my dad... I didn't use any windows partitions... What happened? I need to find out how to boot windows 8 again. Please, somebody help me...

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    You can try Boot-Repair
    – Mitch
    Apr 5, 2013 at 13:45
  • Possible duplicate of askubuntu.com/questions/87409/…. To answer your question, though, have you tried holding shift during boot?
    – fouric
    Apr 5, 2013 at 13:53
  • Error in sitecustomize; set PYTHONVERBOSE for traceback: EOFError: EOF read where not expected
    – user2107351
    Apr 5, 2013 at 13:53
  • No, the grub menu shows up. It's just that windows 8 isn't in it.
    – user2107351
    Apr 5, 2013 at 13:54
  • I get the above error when trying to install boot-repair. Can somebody help me?
    – user2107351
    Apr 5, 2013 at 13:54

4 Answers 4

Reset to default
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Boot into your Ubuntu system, or if you cant boot with a LiveCD or LiveUSB.

You should install boot-repair in order to restore your GRUB settings easily. Open a terminal and type:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:yannubuntu/boot-repair && sudo apt-get update

Then press enter.

After that type:

sudo apt-get install -y boot-repair && (sudo boot-repair &)

Then type

boot-repair

in the terminal to launch boot-repair.

Then click recommended repair and do what it ask from you.

Source: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Boot-Repair

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I wish you didn't delete your windows partition, but you can add windows 8 entry to grub in this way:

to get your windows 8 UUID:

1) sudo blkid

add windows 8 to grub

2) sudo gedit /etc/grub.d/40_custom

3) copy and paste these lines into the file [REPLACE UUID_FROM_WIN8 with what you got from number 1]

menuentry "Windows 8 UEFI" {
     search --fs-uuid --no-floppy --set=root UUID_FROM_WIN8
     chainloader (${root})/efi/Microsoft/Boot/bootmgfw.efi
   }

again i wish you didn't delete your windows partition. confirm if solved.

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  • I have a couple of partitions that might be it. OS,PBR IMAGE, WINRETOOLS, ESP, DIAGS, and a random key of numbers. I think it would be OS, right?
    – user2107351
    Apr 5, 2013 at 14:03
  • By the way, I can't access the grub menu anymore.
    – user2107351
    Apr 5, 2013 at 14:05
  • Can somebody help me install boot-repair?
    – user2107351
    Apr 5, 2013 at 14:09
  • press <kbd>ESC</kbd> while the computer start, by the way i think it is OS
    – Hojat Taheri
    Apr 5, 2013 at 14:24
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I'd try Rescatux instead of Boot Repair. I believe Boot Repair is now only available as part of a specialized Ubuntu live DVD, a 900+ MB download, whereas Rescatux you just download the program .iso image, burn to CD, run on boot. Much faster and easier to use. It's never failed me.

Then to set Windows as the default, boot into Ubuntu, then go to this page

https://launchpad.net/~danielrichter2007/+archive/grub-customizer

and follow the instructions to download and install grub-customizer. Once installed, you can access it via the Settings Manager and set the computer to boot by default into Windows.

You might also try using testdisk (you can install it from the software center) to locate and restore the windows partition if you've deleted it.

If all else fails and your dad has to reinstall Windows, he can access the Windows partition by booting into the Ubuntu live DVD. When the window asking if you want to try or install Ubuntu pops up, click Try, then you'll see the Windows partition near the bottom of the Unity bar showing up as a separate drive or volume - it'll have some strange gobbledygook name, more likely than not. That way your dad can copy the files he needs (documents, photos, email, etc.) to a separate HD before doing the Windows reinstall.

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  • ok for Grub-Customizer and TestDisk, but the start of your answer is incorrect. Unlike Boot-Repair, Rescatux is not compatible with UEFI, nor SecureBoot, nor LVM, nor RAID, and there are many GRUB bugs that it cannot fix. So it's useless for new computers (all Windows8 PCs, and many Windows7). Boot-Repair is a 1MB software that you can install on any Ubuntu/Mint/Debian disk. And there are plenty of disks with Boot-Repair preinstalled, including Boot-Repair-Disk (350MB) and Linux-Secure (= Ubuntu iso with Boot-Repair preinstalled).
    – LovinBuntu
    Apr 6, 2013 at 10:18
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I found out how to make it work! I went to boot options just before ubuntu booted and selected UEFI OS. Now all I need to do is show the grub menu. I edited the grub file but I still can't see it.

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