[SOLVED] Installation mystery

Our daughter had a friend install Zorn alongside Windows 7, Windows was loaded with malware so he also re-installed Window as well, but when she got the laptop back it would only boot into Windows. She is currently down visiting so guess who get to figure out what is going on. I booted with a MintLinux disc I had and I can see the Linux partition and the window's partition so I know he installed Zorn but what I can't figure out is why no boot loader (grub). My first thought is he installed Zorn then Windows but it is a fairly new computer and I haven't been following this secure boot issue very closely.

It is an HP Laptop G62-435DX AMD Turion II P540 Dual Core 2.406GHz with 4 Gig of ram.

I'm trying to figure out if I should re-install Zorn or is there something that is preventing the boot loader from working (maybe this secure boot stuff)? Any guidance would be appreciated. Thanks.

Hi.
Boot into linux (zorin, mint etc.) using a live CD or live USB
Open terminal and write

Code:

sudo fdisk -l

See in which partition linux is installed. Is it sda? sda1? sda3?
And then run

Code:

sudo grub-install /dev/sda

(replace "sda" with the linux partition).

When you reboot you will hopefully see the grub menu. But there is a chance that you will not see a win7 option.
No worries. Boot normally into your zorin desktop, open terminal and run

Code:

sudo update-grub

After that, you will get all options in grub menu.

Thanks madvinegar. I was hoping there would be an easier way.

Have you tried it? Did it work?

When I try to install Grub I get an error

Error: Cannot find a device for /boot (is /dev mounted?) Error: cannot find a device for /boot/grub

When I typed the command for fdisk

I got: 4 partitions sda1, ada2, sda3, and sda4 with sda4 being the linux partition. But the only one that had an Asterisk by it was sda1 and that is an ntfs drive. Thanks

When booting to the live CD, open terminal and write

Code:

sudo mount /dev/sda4 /mnt
sudo grub-install --root-directory=/mnt /dev/sda

Reboot and you should see your grub menu. (but no win7 option).
Boot normally to Zorin and then open terminal and write

Code:

sudo update-grub

Next time you reboot, you will also see win7 option in grub menu.

Here is the screen shot you requested.

madvinegar Thanks you so much. That worked and now she can boot into either OS. Plus I learned something along the way.

LoneWolf wrote:madvinegar Thanks you so much. That worked and now she can boot into either OS. Plus I learned something along the way.

Great !!! Glad I helped my friend. I will mark this topic as solved!