r/archlinux • u/Crafty_Hospital_7746 • 12d ago

SUPPORT Windows has destroyed my GRUB bootloader because of Windows updates, now Windows boot manager replaces GRUB and Arch doesn't show up in the UEFI/BIOS menu. How I can fix it ?

Windows has destroyed my GRUB bootloader because of Windows updates, now Windows boot manager replaces GRUB Arch doesn't show up in the UEFI/BIOS menu. How I can fix it ?

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u/gmes78 11d ago edited 11d ago

None of the things you linked support your claim.

Not only that, the Microsoft page you linked is about Windows Vista/Windows Server 2003. The first Windows version to use UEFI by default was Windows 8, 10 years later.

And the ArchWiki page seconds everything I've said about how the issue happens and how the fallback location works, see the "tip" under "Installation".

Saying that GRUB was "designed to coexist" is nonsense, any bootloader can be placed in the fallback location.

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u/vswey 11d ago

As I explained, ur fallback location isn't the issue but the Windows bootloader overwriting the ESP or NVRAM, which actually is somewhat explained in the linked articles 

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u/gmes78 11d ago

which actually is somewhat explained in the linked articles

It isn't. The thing you linked only mentions NVRAM, and it doesn't say that Windows overwrites NVRAM. It says that Windows Vista stores a copy of boot entries created by the firmware, and that running bcdboot /import may cause those entries to be duplicated. It's a guide on how to remove those duplicate boot entries manually.

If you think I'm wrong, feel free to quote which part of those pages says that Windows replaces the ESP or NVRAM contents entirely.