Can't Boot Windows on Dual Boot (likely UEFI issue)

[zekereyna]

If you are not sure, then it is probably not wise to proceed with this type of recovery.
Anyway, how would you use it if you cannot boot your version of Windows?

Have you considered a complete backup of Windows data and a fresh install of Windows 11?

Strongly leaning on a fresh install haha.
I was hoping that Windows Recovery Environment might be an alternative boot I could use to get into a "recovery mode" to fix things.
I'm reading lightly about it, and it seems like that should be the intent: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/wi...iew=windows-11

However, I never saw a "Recovery" option in my boot priorities. So I suspect that my UEFI boot configuration for the windows side of things is just supremely messed up.
I also poked around my windows partition to investigate further but haven't modified or moved any files yet.

[zekereyna]

If you're going to create a Windows boot USB, if you have access to a Windows machine, it'll be easier to download Microsoft's Media Creation Tool, and then run it.

I'll dig up my Acer laptop or my partner's Lenovo and see if I can boot up windows there and use Microsoft's Media Creation Tool. Thank you for the pointer!

I'll also look into Ventoy.

[zekereyna]

Hello all!

Using Microsoft's Media Creation Tool allowed me to successfully boot into Windows again!

I'm running into wifi adapter issues, but super happy to finally have access to my device again
I can mark this as SOLVED, but let me know if I should post a summary or anything for future reference.

My next steps are:
- figure out Wifi Adapter issues. Looks like once I booted into windows successfully I was unable to maintain a sustained connection (ping google.com gave latency of 300 ms in best case)
- separate boot sequences into separate drives. looks like I can probably avoid grub boot menu stuff if I just have the OS's booting from separate drives via BIOS (UEFI) menu
- move Ubuntu to the SSD, just bc I don't like performance on my HDD
- ensure all my drives are GPT and don't have any old bootloaders sitting around on them since this confused things quite a bit
- upgrade the BIOS (looks like I have never upgraded it... and maybe that can improve performance?)

[tea for one]

Using Microsoft's Media Creation Tool allowed me to successfully boot into Windows again!

Did you repair Windows or install from scratch?

separate boot sequences into separate drives. looks like I can probably avoid grub boot menu stuff if I just have the OS's booting from separate drives via BIOS (UEFI) menu

Windows on one disk and Ubuntu on a separate disk is ideal.
Both systems installed in UEFI mode with GPT.
Each system should have its own ESP to allow independent operation.
When installing (or re-installing), only have the target disk available.

[oldfred]

I always liked separate drives for each system. But if only one SSD, dual boot on that drive is ok.
If SSD is larger you can use HDD for backs. Or use HDD for data, and/or Ubuntu's /home.
With SSD installs of Ubuntu on smaller drive I still kept /home in / so on SSD, but moved all data out of /home to data partition on HDD, so /home really only was my user settings which are loaded more often so SSD better.
Now like SSD, so have larger SSD and use old SSDs in USB adapter as external drives for both boot with full install & data.

First on list should be backup.
I like rsync to multiple places but TheFu's use of rdiff is actually better. Many posts by him on backup if you want more info.
What to backup TheFu
https://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2456011
https://ubuntuforums.org/showthread....7#post14040507

I do not recommend move of Ubuntu from HDD to SSD, but do a new install & restore from backup. Or rsync /home, data and maybe other folders. If you export list of installed apts you can easily reinstall them. New install & restore should only take about an hour. We have had users do a image backup & restore & we end up spending days straitening out issues of duplicate UUIDs & total reinstall of grub. Image copy may work if to totally new drive & not using old drive, or to totally different system. But I still recommend new installs.

[zekereyna]

I always liked separate drives for each system. But if only one SSD, dual boot on that drive is ok.

I just updated my configuration so drives are largely separate for each OS!
- 1 TB NVME <- windows, for games and videos
- 1 TB HDD <- half windows, half ubuntu (no OS, just storage)
- 120 GB SSD <- windows OS
- 240 GB SSD <- ubuntu OS

First on list should be backup.

backed up windows and ubuntu prior to reinstalling anything!

do not recommend move of Ubuntu from HDD to SSD, but do a new install & restore from backup.

Windows on one disk and Ubuntu on a separate disk is ideal.
Both systems installed in UEFI mode with GPT.
Each system should have its own ESP to allow independent operation.
When installing (or re-installing), only have the target disk available.

thank you both for the advice.
When installing ubuntu to the 240 GB SSD I unplugged all my other drives and installed ubuntu fresh, then once I verified startup worked I restored from backup.
Worked!

Did you repair Windows or install from scratch?

repaired windows with startup repair!

[tea for one]

Thank you for the update.
Two large disks for storage and two smaller disks for each OS - good choices.
Don't forget to backup your data regularly - backups are your personal lifebelt.