How to use os-prober to find MS-Windows boot data?

Question

I saw Dual boot - Installed arch and windows entry disappeared on grub and I have the same/similar problem. I have Grub and it shows only Debian setup and not MS-Windows. I also tried the following but without success -

[$] sudo grub-install /dev/sda
[sudo] password for shirish:
Installing for i386-pc platform.
Installation finished. No error reported.

Then -

[$] sudo grub-mkconfig -o /boot/grub/grub.cfg                                                                                       
Generating grub configuration file ...
Found background image: /usr/share/images/desktop-base/desktop-grub.png
D000001: cmpversions a='0:4.9.0-2-amd64' b='0:4.9.0-1-amd64' r=1
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-4.9.0-2-amd64
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-4.9.0-2-amd64
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-4.9.0-1-amd64
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-4.9.0-1-amd64
Found memtest86+ image: /boot/memtest86+.bin
Found memtest86+ multiboot image: /boot/memtest86+_multiboot.bin
Found GRUB Invaders image: /boot/invaders.exec
done

The above tells me it isn't able to find the MS-Windows partition.

Here's the output from parted -l -

l: ATA ST1000DM003-9YN1 (scsi)
Disk /dev/sda: 1000GB
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/4096B
Partition Table: msdos
Disk Flags: 

Number  Start   End     Size    Type      File system     Flags
 1      32.3kB  52.4GB  52.4GB  primary   ntfs
 2      52.4GB  1000GB  948GB   extended                  lba
 5      52.4GB  105GB   52.4GB  logical   ntfs
 6      105GB   305GB   200GB   logical   ext4            boot
 7      305GB   405GB   100GB   logical   ext4
 8      405GB   995GB   590GB   logical   ext4
 9      995GB   1000GB  5348MB  logical   linux-swap(v1)


Model: Seagate BUP Slim BK (scsi)
Disk /dev/sdb: 2000GB
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/4096B
Partition Table: msdos
Disk Flags: 

Number  Start   End     Size    Type     File system  Flags
 1      1049kB  2000GB  2000GB  primary  ntfs


and then lsblk output - 

[$] sudo lsblk -f                                                                                                                   
NAME   FSTYPE  LABEL               UUID                                 MOUNTPOINT
sda                                                                     
├─sda1 ntfs    WIN                 xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx                     
├─sda2                                                                  
├─sda5 ntfs    Data                xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx                     
├─sda6 ext4                        xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx /
├─sda7 ext4                        xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx /home
├─sda8 ext4                        xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx/data
└─sda9 swap                        xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx [SWAP]
sdb    iso9660 ISOIMAGE            2015-06-04-16-30-00-00               
└─sdb1 ntfs    Seagate-Slim-Backup xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx                     /media/shirish/Seagate-Slim-Backup
sr0

I haven't shared UUID info. for safety and privacy concerns.

My /boot/grub/grub.cfg makes no mention of any MS-Windows

[$] cat 
[$]

How do I get the MS-Windows again on the menu ?

I even tried osprober but no avail :(

[$] cat /usr/share/doc/os-prober/README

I even tried os-prober readme -

$ sudo cat /usr/share/doc/os-prober | grep 

$

I even tried the README but to no avail, from the README 0

Tests that require the partition to be mounted can be placed in
    30  /usr/lib/os-probes/mounted/. These tests are passed the following
    31  parameters: partition, mount point, filesystem.


 $ sudo mount /dev/sda1 /usr/lib/os-probes/mounted/

and tried things like -

[$] sudo os-prober partition /dev/sda1 /usr/lib/os-probes/mounted/
    [sudo] password for shirish: 
[$]

Then I ran os-prober as sudo -

[$] sudo os-prober

and then ran -

┌─[shirish@debian] - [/boot] - [10119]
└─[$] sudo grub-mkconfig -o /boot/grub/grub.cfg                                                                                       
Generating grub configuration file ...
Found background image: /usr/share/images/desktop-base/desktop-grub.png
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-4.9.0-2-amd64
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-4.9.0-2-amd64
Found memtest86+ image: /boot/memtest86+.bin
Found memtest86+ multiboot image: /boot/memtest86+_multiboot.bin
Found GRUB Invaders image: /boot/invaders.exec
done

As can be seen it doesn't find the MS-Windows partition, is it lost forever or there may be a way out ?

Sadly had to unmount it :(

[$] sudo umount /usr/lib/os-probes/mounted/
[$]

All out of ideas, it seems that Windows bootloader is all shot otherwise we should have had some output ?

This is how it looks in /etc/grub.d/40_custom after GAD3R's sharing -

#!/bin/sh
    exec tail -n +3 $0
# This file provides an easy way to add custom menu entries.  Simply type the
# menu entries you want to add after this comment.  Be careful not to change
# the 'exec tail' line above.
menuentry "Windows" {
    insmod part_msdos
    insmod ntfs
    set root='(hd0,msdos1)'
    chainloader +1
    }

After putting GAD3R's suggestions I get -

[$] cat /etc/default/grub | grep GRUB_DISABLE_OS_PROBER                                                                            
    11  GRUB_DISABLE_OS_PROBER=false

and running update-grub I get the following -

[$] sudo update-grub                                                                                                               
Generating grub configuration file ...
Found background image: /usr/share/images/desktop-base/desktop-grub.png
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-4.9.0-2-amd64
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-4.9.0-2-amd64
Found memtest86+ image: /boot/memtest86+.bin
Found memtest86+ multiboot image: /boot/memtest86+_multiboot.bin
Found GRUB Invaders image: /boot/invaders.exec

No change, so something is still amiss :(

Mount windows partition , run `os-prober` command then regenerate `grub.cfg` with `grub-mkconfig ....` — GAD3R, Mar 09 '17 at 17:12
@GAD3R so sorry, I had actually done that but forgot to share that bit, now have edited it and showed what happened, any ideas ? — shirish, Mar 09 '17 at 19:26
@GAD3R could you put your earlier answer again, the one in which you shared in /etc/grub.d/40_custom, apparently this is correct. It took the system a few days but now have the windows xp entry. — shirish, Mar 17 '17 at 00:06

score 4 · Answer 1 · answered Mar 09 '17 at 20:44

4

Edit your /etc/grub.d/40_custom as follows:

menuentry "Windows" {
insmod part_msdos
insmod ntfs
set root='(hd0,msdos1)'
chainloader +1
}

Add the following line to your /etc/default/grub :

GRUB_DISABLE_OS_PROBER=false

Run:

update-grub

answered Mar 09 '17 at 20:44

GAD3R

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I have updated my question with what you shared, the output isn't coming as expected. Any ideas ? – shirish Mar 10 '17 at 16:35
@shirish witch version of windows ? – GAD3R Mar 10 '17 at 16:46
(sheepishly) MS-Windows XP SP2, sorry for not sharing that before. – shirish Mar 10 '17 at 16:46
1

@shirish Try to boot using [supergrubdisk](http://www.supergrubdisk.org/) (iso= 20M) from an USB bootable , use the command `dd` to create it ,the windows should be detect . Then i will edit my answer or remove it – GAD3R Mar 10 '17 at 17:10

How to use os-prober to find MS-Windows boot data?

1 Answers1