The Ubuntu installer fails to recognize the Windows operating system.
The Ubuntu installer fails to recognize the Windows operating system.
Hey everyone, I'm trying to create a dual boot setup with Ubuntu 18.04 and Windows 10 on my laptop. I already have Windows installed, and during the Ubuntu installation process, it suggested installing FreeDOS alongside. But I don't even have a FreeDOS installation ready. The Windows partition on my C drive just shows no operating system detected, which is confusing since the installer identified it as a recovery partition. I'm wondering what to do next to properly configure the dual boot setup. Thanks, John.
Is your laptop using UEFI? Were you setting up the Ubuntu installer in UEFI mode?
Honestly, I’m not sure—I think my laptop is old and uses UEFI. I’ve seen this issue before, but it’s always cautioned me about it and I know there’s a Windows install available. I don’t understand why this time it wouldn’t work or why it would assume FreeDOS is present.
I utilized the tools provided to generate the installer. Was the 10 installation a clean setup or an upgrade?
UUI/Pendrivelinux was an improvement over a fresh Windows 7 setup. Removing the recovery drive might fix the issue, but I prefer not to do that. Would it be possible to expand the Windows partition, add Ubuntu on the empty space, and place the bootloader between sda1 (FreeDOS) and sda2 (my C: drive)?
By default, the system won't detect Windows on an existing partition. Be careful about this when deciding where to install Ubuntu. The best approach is to return to Windows, shrink or free up the partition you plan to use for Ubuntu, and record its size and other details. During installation, search for the free partition you created. After installation completes, load it and install the OS-prober package, which helps locate Windows partitions. Once installed, rebuild GRUB and you should see an option to boot into Windows from your bootloader. It's also important to remember that if you're just trying to learn, using a virtual machine is advisable. It's easier to set up and avoids any risk to your main system. Dual booting is generally not recommended unless you have a specific reason.
I recall configuring a dual boot setup before, but... what do you really mean by rebuilding GRUB? Regarding Ubuntu, I've tried it occasionally—set it up on several machines, run it on my Chromebook, and experiment with my Raspberry Pi (using Raspbian). I have some basic Linux knowledge. My aim is to stick mostly with Linux and only use Windows when necessary, mainly for games and a few apps. I don’t want a Windows VM inside Linux because that would require an extra GPU if I want to run both. Thanks!
You'll need an additional GPU for running a Windows gaming VM. If your motherboard includes built-in graphics, you can utilize it as the host. Rebuilding GRUB by executing grub-mkconfig -o /boot/grub/grub.cfg updates the menu according to any changes in the configuration. After installing OS-prober, it will recognize a Windows OS partition.