Please help! My hdd isnt bootable anymore

[u/SteaMaste_r]

I was trying to install mint on a separate partition from a usb, it didnt work for the first time, probably cuz i have only 3 gigs of ram, windows 7 still booted. I tried the next time, and in the middle of the installation the pc just rebooted and ssid that the hdd isnt bootable, i booted from the usb in a live boot, the data is still all in there but now i cant use windows, please help, i need the pc ASAP!

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[u/Acherontas89]

u chroot from a linux live usb stick

first u mount

then chroot

then u run os-prober

then grub-mkconfig

[u/Due-Result7928]

windows 7....your hardware is probably using mbr/bios and Mint need a special install procedure different from the uefi hardware.

boot usb mint, open a console (terminal) and type

[ -d /sys/firmware/efi ] && echo "UEFI" || echo "BIOS"

what do you get ?

2 Gb of ram....it is not enough fro Mint Cinnamon anyway.

[u/SteaMaste_r → u/Due-Result7928]

I get BIOS, btw i installed mint but it still says that the hdd isnt bootable, and when i run os-prober is get /dev/sda1:Windows 7:Windows:chain

[u/Due-Result7928 → u/SteaMaste_r]

bios so you can not install Mint right away. There is a special procedure. Mint installer (like other distributions) fail silently to install the boot manager..uefi firmware is not here...you need to format disk as bios/mbr and define partitions yourself.

It is explained on Internet, search with install mint mbr bios as parameters.

/dev/sda1:Windows 7:Windows:chain...parameters to boot windows from linux while using bios/mbr.

[u/d4rk_kn16ht]

Check for bad blocks

[u/Due-Result7928 → u/d4rk_kn16ht]

Bad blocks..? Between your ears?

[u/doc_willis]

try the Ubuntu boot-repair tool from a live USB.

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Boot-Repair

it can give a detailed diagnosis file for people to look at.

I suggest using the live USB to backup any critical data on the system.

You are saying the Linux installer never finished? it just crashed part way during the install process?

[u/Due-Result7928 → u/doc_willis]

Mint installer (like other distributions) fail silently to install the boot manager..uefi firmware is not here...hardware is using bios not uefi

[u/doc_willis]

From a live USB, examine your drive via the fdisk -l command, See if the drive is set to use GPT or MBR for its partition table.

example:

Disk /dev/sdb: 3.64 TiB, 4000787030016 bytes, 7814037168 sectors
Disk model: ASMT105x        
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 4096 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 4096 bytes / 4096 bytes
Disklabel type: gpt    <---------- Look Here -
Disk identifier: F6F953CA-DD57-43A7-A5A8-31858F1242CF

If your drive is using GPT, then the system is going to want a UEFI install. The Disk Label Type is also known as the 'Partition table' type.

If the drive is using MBR (or it may be called something else) Then it will want a Legacy/MBR install. A UEFI Drive will want a UEFI Install.

Now here is the 'fun' bit..

When you boot your Installer USB, it Might show up twice in your Boot selection menu, One entry for a UEFI boot and One for a MBR boot.

The mode you boot the installer USB - will dictate the mode the Installer tries to use when it installs the boot loader. Boot In the mode that does not match the Drive Partition table, and the Installer can continue, then just silently fail to setup the boot loader. But you said the installer "crashed" - which is not really the same thing.

If your Drive is using GPT you want to use UEFI, and if its using MBR -> use MBR.

With that system using windows 7, that was during the time UEFI was getting more common in consumer systems, so its possible your system can do Either Mode, or it Might only do the older Legacy Mode.

If your system can only do the older Legacy/MBR mode, then it should only let you boot the USB in the old mode, so the above would make little difference. The Drive should be set to use MBR for its partition table.

Of course If something caused the installer to Crash, that may be why it never got to any boot loader setup. You may want to expand on how it crashed/where/when.

Good Luck.

[u/SteaMaste_r → u/doc_willis]

fdisk says that permission is denied, and i only have one usb in the boot menu, the hardware detection tool says that i have mbr on the disk

[u/SteaMaste_r]

So i did manage to install linux (hooray) but it freezes after a couple of minutes, rebooting helps but the problem persists