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so here's my problem. I'm running a dual boot Win8/Ubuntu 14.04 LTS setup, I forgot to install the GRUB bootloader when I was partitioning for the Ubuntu 14.10 installation. This forces me to boot into Windows 8 first every time I turn on my computer and then I have to search for advanced start up options and boot from the USB (which apparently has Ubuntu on it?). Either way, it's getting pretty freaking irritating as Windows runs so very very slow, and I would like my default to be Ubuntu. What is the easiest way I could get GRUB to run first as opposed to windows?

Again this is for a Windows 8/Ubuntu 14.04 LTS setup on a Toshiba Qosmio X875

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2 Answers 2

Reset to default
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You need to boot from a LiveCD / USB. Once you are booted to it, you need to open a terminal window by pressing Ctrl+Alt+T. Once your terminal is open, type in the following to get a listing of your hard drive(s) in your system:

sudo blkid

You might see something like this:

/dev/sda1: UUID="A0F0582EF0580CC2" TYPE="ntfs" 
/dev/sda2: UUID="8c2da865-13f4-47a2-9c92-2f31738469e8" TYPE="ext4"
/dev/sda3: UUID="5641913f-9bcc-4d8a-8bcb-ddfc3159e70f" TYPE="swap"

As you can see here that the /dev/sda2 is where the Ubuntu is installed by the TYPE="ext4" format of the partition. To install the grub, we are going to mount that partition. From the terminal window, type in:

sudo mount /dev/sda2 /mnt
sudo mount --bind /dev /mnt/dev
sudo mount --bind /dev/pts /mnt/dev/pts
sudo mount --bind /proc /mnt/proc
sudo mount --bind /sys /mnt/sys

Then we are going to switch over to the drive so we can install grub. Type in the terminal window:

sudo chroot /mnt

Now, we are going to install grub to the first drive, which should be /dev/sda. Type in at the terminal window:

grub-install /dev/sda

Then we need to update grub to make it the bootable MBR. Type in:

update-grub

you should see output similar to:

Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-3.16.0-38-generic
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-3.16.0-38-generic
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-3.16.0-37-generic
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-3.16.0-37-generic
Found memtest86+ image: /boot/memtest86+.elf
Found memtest86+ image: /boot/memtest86+.bin
Found Windows 7 (loader) on /dev/sda1
done

Then all we have to do is unmount everything and reboot the host back to the hard drive. It should default to grub2 when booting back up.

exit
sudo umount /mnt/sys
sudo umount /mnt/proc
sudo umount /mnt/dev/pts
sudo umount /mnt/dev
sudo umount /mnt
sudo reboot

Hope this helps!

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  • Thanks so much. I don't know why so few upvotes. Very useful.
    – Sigur
    Feb 3, 2017 at 0:09
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Through bios/uefi setup you could select first boot device.

or you use the "select boot device" hotkey of your bios/uefi manufacturer (normally f8 or f12)

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  • Funny, because I tried that, and it still did not work post installation....I'm running a Toshiba Qosmio x875
    – VoR0220
    May 25, 2015 at 3:03
  • what do you select in windows to boot linux?
    – Mr.Gosh
    May 25, 2015 at 6:29
  • change advanced startup options...then I go to advanced restart, select usb, and hit ubuntu, and it boots Grub.
    – VoR0220
    May 25, 2015 at 19:04
  • And in uefi boot select - is no usb selectable?
    – Mr.Gosh
    May 25, 2015 at 19:50
  • USB is selectable, but it's weird. No USB is plugged in, it just knows that I booted Ubuntu from the USB and installed it on the second hard drive and boots automatically to there.
    – VoR0220
    May 25, 2015 at 19:52

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