Wednesday, June 1, 2016

How to list boot to Windows and Ubuntu, Can't boot to Windows after installing Ubuntu on external drive


I installed Ubuntu on an external SSD hard Drive and the main HDD has Windows installed on it.


When I installed Ubuntu on the SSD, it should give me a choice to boot to Ubuntu or to Windows, but the PC boots to Ubuntu directly without giving me any choices to boot to Windows or to Ubuntu...


How can I change that?



by the way I used Ubuntu and saved important data on it and don't want to lose it or lose the Windows data



Any Suggestions?



Just install rEFInd boot manager package:


sudo apt install refind

and automatically install the boot manager on the ESP/EFI partition:


sudo refind-install

or custom (like on a USB stick partition):


sudo refind-install --usedefault "/dev/sdX1" # X1 = example: /dev/sdb1

and reboot and it boots up auto-discovering all bootable partitions on all drives.


Another tip is to press F12 during startup to open up a bootmenu.


Troubleshoot? Boot a live stick like Ubuntu 18.04. Download and write to a USB stick:


dd if=Downloads/ubuntu-18.04.1-desktop-amd64.iso of=/dev/sdx
bs=$((1024**2)) /dev/sdx

/dev/sdx being your destination drive like /dev/sdb or /dev/sdc.


Use gnome-disks to open up all your ESP/EFI partitions and check the subdir structure type in terminal:


find \`mount | grep vfat | sort | head -1 | awk '{ print $3 }'\`

which could/should look something like:


/media/ron/DB9A-B328/ /media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/ubuntu /media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/ubuntu/fw
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/ubuntu/fwupx64.efi
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/ubuntu/grubx64.efi
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/ubuntu/grub.cfg
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/ubuntu/shimx64.efi
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/ubuntu/mmx64.efi
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/ubuntu/BOOTX64.CSV
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/BOOT
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/BOOT/BOOTX64.EFI
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/BOOT/fbx64.efi
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/BOOT/drivers_x64
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/BOOT/drivers_x64/ext4_x64.efi
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/BOOT/icons
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/BOOT/icons/README
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/BOOT/icons/arrow_left.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/BOOT/icons/arrow_right.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/BOOT/icons/boot_linux.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/BOOT/icons/boot_win.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/BOOT/icons/func_about.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/BOOT/icons/func_csr_rotate.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/BOOT/icons/func_exit.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/BOOT/icons/func_firmware.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/BOOT/icons/func_hidden.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/BOOT/icons/func_reset.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/BOOT/icons/func_shutdown.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/BOOT/icons/mouse.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/BOOT/icons/os_arch.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/BOOT/icons/os_centos.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/BOOT/icons/os_chakra.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/BOOT/icons/os_chrome.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/BOOT/icons/os_clover.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/BOOT/icons/os_crunchbang.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/BOOT/icons/os_debian.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/BOOT/icons/os_devuan.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/BOOT/icons/os_elementary.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/BOOT/icons/os_fedora.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/BOOT/icons/os_freebsd.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/BOOT/icons/os_frugalware.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/BOOT/icons/os_gentoo.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/BOOT/icons/os_gummiboot.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/BOOT/icons/os_haiku.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/BOOT/icons/os_hwtest.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/BOOT/icons/os_kubuntu.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/BOOT/icons/os_legacy.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/BOOT/icons/os_linux.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/BOOT/icons/os_linuxmint.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/BOOT/icons/os_lubuntu.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/BOOT/icons/os_mac.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/BOOT/icons/os_mageia.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/BOOT/icons/os_mandriva.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/BOOT/icons/os_netbsd.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/BOOT/icons/os_network.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/BOOT/icons/os_opensuse.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/BOOT/icons/os_redhat.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/BOOT/icons/os_refind.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/BOOT/icons/os_refit.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/BOOT/icons/os_slackware.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/BOOT/icons/os_suse.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/BOOT/icons/os_trusty.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/BOOT/icons/os_ubuntu.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/BOOT/icons/os_unknown.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/BOOT/icons/os_win.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/BOOT/icons/os_win8.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/BOOT/icons/os_xenial.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/BOOT/icons/os_xubuntu.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/BOOT/icons/os_zesty.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/BOOT/icons/tool_apple_rescue.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/BOOT/icons/tool_fwupdate.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/BOOT/icons/tool_memtest.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/BOOT/icons/tool_mok_tool.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/BOOT/icons/tool_netboot.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/BOOT/icons/tool_part.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/BOOT/icons/tool_rescue.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/BOOT/icons/tool_shell.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/BOOT/icons/tool_windows_rescue.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/BOOT/icons/transparent.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/BOOT/icons/vol_external.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/BOOT/icons/vol_internal.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/BOOT/icons/vol_net.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/BOOT/icons/vol_optical.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/BOOT/keys
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/BOOT/keys/altlinux.cer
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/BOOT/keys/canonical-uefi-ca.der
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/BOOT/keys/centos.cer
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/BOOT/keys/fedora-ca.cer
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/BOOT/keys/microsoft-kekca-public.der
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/BOOT/keys/microsoft-pca-public.der
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/BOOT/keys/microsoft-uefica-public.der
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/BOOT/keys/openSUSE-UEFI-CA-Certificate-4096.cer
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/BOOT/keys/openSUSE-UEFI-CA-Certificate.cer
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/BOOT/keys/refind.cer
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/BOOT/keys/refind_local.cer
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/BOOT/keys/SLES-UEFI-CA-Certificate.cer
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/BOOT/refind.conf
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/BOOT/BOOT.CSV /media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/refind_x64.efi
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/drivers_x64
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/drivers_x64/ext4_x64.efi
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/keys
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/keys/refind_local.cer
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/keys/refind_local.crt
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/keys/altlinux.cer
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/keys/canonical-uefi-ca.der
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/keys/centos.cer
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/keys/fedora-ca.cer
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/keys/microsoft-kekca-public.der
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/keys/microsoft-pca-public.der
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/keys/microsoft-uefica-public.der
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/keys/openSUSE-UEFI-CA-Certificate-4096.cer
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/keys/openSUSE-UEFI-CA-Certificate.cer
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/keys/refind.cer
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/keys/SLES-UEFI-CA-Certificate.cer
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons/README
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons/arrow_left.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons/arrow_right.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons/boot_linux.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons/boot_win.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons/func_about.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons/func_csr_rotate.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons/func_exit.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons/func_firmware.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons/func_hidden.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons/func_reset.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons/func_shutdown.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons/mouse.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons/os_arch.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons/os_centos.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons/os_chakra.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons/os_chrome.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons/os_clover.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons/os_crunchbang.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons/os_debian.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons/os_devuan.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons/os_elementary.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons/os_fedora.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons/os_freebsd.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons/os_frugalware.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons/os_gentoo.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons/os_gummiboot.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons/os_haiku.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons/os_hwtest.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons/os_kubuntu.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons/os_legacy.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons/os_linux.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons/os_linuxmint.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons/os_lubuntu.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons/os_mac.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons/os_mageia.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons/os_mandriva.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons/os_netbsd.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons/os_network.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons/os_opensuse.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons/os_redhat.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons/os_refind.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons/os_refit.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons/os_slackware.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons/os_suse.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons/os_trusty.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons/os_ubuntu.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons/os_unknown.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons/os_win.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons/os_win8.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons/os_xenial.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons/os_xubuntu.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons/os_zesty.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons/tool_apple_rescue.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons/tool_fwupdate.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons/tool_memtest.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons/tool_mok_tool.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons/tool_netboot.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons/tool_part.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons/tool_rescue.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons/tool_shell.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons/tool_windows_rescue.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons/transparent.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons/vol_external.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons/vol_internal.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons/vol_net.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons/vol_optical.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/refind.conf
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/BOOT.CSV
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons-backup
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons-backup/README
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons-backup/arrow_left.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons-backup/arrow_right.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons-backup/boot_linux.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons-backup/boot_win.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons-backup/func_about.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons-backup/func_csr_rotate.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons-backup/func_exit.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons-backup/func_firmware.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons-backup/func_hidden.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons-backup/func_reset.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons-backup/func_shutdown.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons-backup/mouse.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons-backup/os_arch.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons-backup/os_centos.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons-backup/os_chakra.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons-backup/os_chrome.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons-backup/os_clover.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons-backup/os_crunchbang.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons-backup/os_debian.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons-backup/os_devuan.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons-backup/os_elementary.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons-backup/os_fedora.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons-backup/os_freebsd.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons-backup/os_frugalware.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons-backup/os_gentoo.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons-backup/os_gummiboot.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons-backup/os_haiku.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons-backup/os_hwtest.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons-backup/os_kubuntu.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons-backup/os_legacy.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons-backup/os_linux.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons-backup/os_linuxmint.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons-backup/os_lubuntu.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons-backup/os_mac.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons-backup/os_mageia.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons-backup/os_mandriva.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons-backup/os_netbsd.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons-backup/os_network.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons-backup/os_opensuse.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons-backup/os_redhat.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons-backup/os_refind.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons-backup/os_refit.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons-backup/os_slackware.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons-backup/os_suse.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons-backup/os_trusty.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons-backup/os_ubuntu.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons-backup/os_unknown.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons-backup/os_win.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons-backup/os_win8.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons-backup/os_xenial.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons-backup/os_xubuntu.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons-backup/os_zesty.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons-backup/tool_apple_rescue.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons-backup/tool_fwupdate.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons-backup/tool_memtest.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons-backup/tool_mok_tool.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons-backup/tool_netboot.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons-backup/tool_part.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons-backup/tool_rescue.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons-backup/tool_shell.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons-backup/tool_windows_rescue.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons-backup/transparent.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons-backup/vol_external.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons-backup/vol_internal.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons-backup/vol_net.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/icons-backup/vol_optical.png
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/refind/refind.conf-sample
/media/ron/DB9A-B328/EFI/tools

The above refind subdir structure is because I installed rEFInd.


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