[SOLVED] Too many GRUBs / BootLoaders on Dual Boot

[Energy]

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Machine:   Type: Laptop System: ASUSTeK product: N501VW v: 1.0 serial: <filter> 
           Mobo: ASUSTeK model: N501VW v: 1.0 serial: <filter> UEFI: American Megatrends 
           v: N501VW.305 date: 04/19/2017 

I think now is it correct?
The only Location available with ESP is Sda1
However the ESP option will install it on the old slow HD?
i can't completely understand this screen below, i mean:
will the Grub be installed on the HD so the boot will be from there? and be slower than Ssd?
Why don't install it directly on SSD?
Thanks

[fehlix]

The only Location available with ESP is Sda1
However the ESP option will install it on the old slow HD?
i can't completely understand this screen below, i mean:
will the Grub be installed on the HD so the boot will be from there? and be slower than Ssd?
Why don't install it directly on SSD?

Let's see what we have:
Your rotating drive:

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Model: ATA HGST HTS541010A7 (scsi)  : Disk /dev/sda: 1000GB
sda                                                                               
├─sda1      vfat     SYSTEM   72DF-E82C                                           
├─sda2                                                                            
├─sda3      ntfs     DATA     7E56F38C56F34385                                    
└─sda4      ntfs     RECOVERY 68A660C9A66098F8                                    

Number  Start   End     Size    File system  Name                          Flags
 1      1049kB  274MB   273MB   fat32        EFI system partition          boot, esp
 2      274MB   290MB   16.8MB               Microsoft reserved partition  msftres
 3      290MB   1000GB  999GB   ntfs         Basic data partition          msftdata
 4      1000GB  1000GB  523MB   ntfs         Basic data partition          hidden, diag

and your SSD:

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Model: Samsung SSD 960 EVO 250GB (nvme) : Disk /dev/nvme0n1: 250GB

nvme0n1                                                                           
├─nvme0n1p1                                                                       
├─nvme0n1p2 ntfs              48B2B1CDB2B1BFAC                                    
├─nvme0n1p3 ntfs              F6E4394AE4390DFD                                    
└─nvme0n1p4 ext4     rootMX19 195fae52-e7b6-4687-869a-5fd224057583                

Number  Start   End    Size   File system  Name                          Flags
 1      17.4kB  134MB  134MB               Microsoft reserved partition  msftres
 2      135MB   132GB  132GB  ntfs         Basic data partition          msftdata
 3      132GB   133GB  851MB  ntfs                                       hidden, diag
 4      133GB   250GB  117GB  ext4

So, what do we find. When you installed WinOS on the SSD, you missed to create a EFI System Partition (ESP) on the nvme-SSD, and perhaps take away the esp-flag from the existing ESP. And as there was a valid ESP ( sda1 vfat) on the "old" drive the win-installer have used this ESP to place it's windows EFI-loader into.
A proposed partition layout might be look like this.
The SSD:

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Model: Samsung SSD 960 EVO 250GB (nvme) : Disk /dev/nvme0n1: 250GB

nvme0n1
├─nvme0n1p1 vfat    512MB    EFI system partition          boot, esp
├─nvme0n1p1                  Microsoft reserved partition  msftres
├─nvme0n1p2 ntfs             Window (C:)                   msftdata
├─nvme0n1p3 ntfs             Basic data partition          hidden, diag
└─nvme0n1p4 ext4             Linux

The Data-disk:

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Model: ATA HGST HTS541010A7 (scsi) : Disk /dev/sda: 1000GB

sda
└─sda1      ntfs              DATA

Not sure How to fix this without reinstalling Windows and MX Linux .

[Energy]

I see, thanks for the nice explanation, understood,
MX was just installed, so it can be erased and set again,
but i think it doesn't solve the issue, right?

[Head_on_a_Stick]

It is possible to move the EFI system partition for a Windows installation: https://www.tenforums.com/installation- ... ition.html

[Energy]

It is possible to move the EFI system partition for a Windows installation: https://www.tenforums.com/installation- ... ition.html

Head, thanks for the infos, seems very interesting, but complicated as well to me, risky
i think for this time i'll go on classic installation without risk,
(save all and later reinstall everything correctly )

Your rotating drive:

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Model: ATA HGST HTS541010A7 (scsi)  : Disk /dev/sda: 1000GB
sda                                                                               
├─sda1      vfat     SYSTEM   72DF-E82C                                           
├─sda2                                                                            
├─sda3      ntfs     DATA     7E56F38C56F34385                                    
└─sda4      ntfs     RECOVERY 68A660C9A66098F8                                    

Number  Start   End     Size    File system  Name                          Flags
 1      1049kB  274MB   273MB   fat32        EFI system partition          boot, esp
 2      274MB   290MB   16.8MB               Microsoft reserved partition  msftres
 3      290MB   1000GB  999GB   ntfs         Basic data partition          msftdata
 4      1000GB  1000GB  523MB   ntfs         Basic data partition          hidden, diag

Not sure How to fix this without reinstalling Windows and MX Linux .

So do You advice to use the MX Boot Repair with the options i posted before as img?
What about the other Grubs / Bootloaders? (will be deleted?)
Thanks to All

[fehlix]

Your rotating drive:

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Model: ATA HGST HTS541010A7 (scsi)  : Disk /dev/sda: 1000GB
sda                                                                               
├─sda1      vfat     SYSTEM   72DF-E82C                                           
├─sda2                                                                            
├─sda3      ntfs     DATA     7E56F38C56F34385                                    
└─sda4      ntfs     RECOVERY 68A660C9A66098F8                                    

Number  Start   End     Size    File system  Name                          Flags
 1      1049kB  274MB   273MB   fat32        EFI system partition          boot, esp
 2      274MB   290MB   16.8MB               Microsoft reserved partition  msftres
 3      290MB   1000GB  999GB   ntfs         Basic data partition          msftdata
 4      1000GB  1000GB  523MB   ntfs         Basic data partition          hidden, diag

Not sure How to fix this without reinstalling Windows and MX Linux .

So do You advice to use the MX Boot Repair with the options i posted before as img?

Yes, please do so. This will create install grub-efi and create a new entry within EFI-System partition on sda1.
If you than boot with UEFI and still cannot see the MX-entry with the UEFI-boot menu.
You can run LiveUSB boot rescue menu, atleast to see that you can boot into MX.
And we might then also fix the UEFI-boot entry, so you would not need to boot via the rescue menu.

What about the other Grubs / Bootloaders? (will be deleted?)

After you booted int MX you can navigate into /boot/efi/EFI folder and remove the not used ubuntu subfolder. Don't remove Microsoft sub-folder or the Boot folder.
It is not so important to have the EFI-partition on the SSD, you can keep it on sda1, as its only a very tinny file to load during boot.

[Energy]

Thanks Fehlix now it boots directly into MX giving the Grub menu!
how can i add the Windows loader in that menu?

/boot/efi/ is Empty

[JayM]

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sudo update-grub

run in a terminal should detect and add Windows to the grub menu.

[Energy]

By Chance i was modifying Grub searching for that option in the MX Tool, (setting 10 sec for choosing entries)
and it Updated Grub eventually,
So now Win loader appears on the Menu'

What about other BootLoaders or Grub Menu' ?
it's because when i will update all System with Uefi in SSD disk, i wouldn't remember the configuration,
and so to be ready to change all without thinking about other Old stuff witch may interfere
Thanks folks!

[JayM]

There's only one bootloader: grub (which stands for GRand Unified Bootloader.)