[SOLVED] Cannot boot into Zorin installation

Trying to figure out why Zorin is so complicated for install and boot.
I wanted to install it alongside with Windows, on my main disk. There is plenty of space. Other than that, there is also a partition for Backup. Instead, Zorin installed itself on my attached USB Drive, which has 1 TB. It didn't give me the option of installing on the main disk. When I tried 'Something Else', to use unallocated space, it did not give me the option to install the root partition, only swap and different journaling. So I went along with the USB Drive. Well, it did not overwrite the MBR. The only choice I have is Windows 8.1. My BIOS is not UEFI, it is Legacy. I used EasyBCD to give me access to Zorin. EasyBCD sees the two partitions for Linux; I pointed to them. I overwrote the MBR. EasyBCD is all set up, but when I restart, there is still only Windows 8.1. Very strange…

Hi,

sounds like you installed the bootloader to your external drive, you must make sure when installing that you choose "/dev/sda/" which is basically your "MBR" on your main HDD, use "Boot Repair" to fix the problem:

http://sourceforge.net/p/boot-repair-cd/home/Home/

Thanks, Wolfman. I did not intentionally install the bootloader on the external drive. And if I did, the system wouldn't be able to boot into Windows. When you work with EasyBCD, you do not have these linux choices of /dev/sda/. Only pointers of where the linux system is. And that's what I chose. So I am still working to figure this out.

Hi GB,

it is something that can be easily overlooked when doing an external drive install!.

Installing the bootloader to MBR is often the easiest solution, you can use the Zorin (Ubuntu) live CD also:

http://howtoubuntu.org/how-to-repair-re ... tu-live-cd

Boot Repair is a good tool to keep around though!.

My bootloader (MBR) is located on /dev/sda1/:



See also:

http://ubuntuguide.net/how-to-restore-g ... hard-drive

http://askubuntu.com/questions/327229/i ... -c-hard-dr

Thank you for this additional information, Wolfman. One thing that hasn't made it easy is not knowing whether Zorin 9.5 is Grub or Grub2. Nowhere do I find that by searching online. But even with Grub2, EasyBCD is not doing the job of creating the correct bootloader. My next step is to reboot the PC, and before it goes into the boot menu, to select boot options and boot from my USB Drive where Zorin is installed. If that doesn't work, then I'll reinstall Zorin and try to put it on the harddisk after repartitioning it. I'll post back.

Hi,

Please watch these two vids and make note of what you see in them!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlTgaWs9BD0

https://vimeo.com/110085401

Thank you all, incl. you, Swarfendor437. But I figured it out. When I boot from my 1GB, it goes straight into Zorin's bootloader, from which I can also select my Windows installation. So I can live with that.

Hi, the only downside to that is if things go wrong with your mbr - hence the Matthew Moore method!

Hi,

some extra info here:

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Grub2/Installing

Have marked as solved!.