[ SOLVED ] Updated today (3/4) and now I can't boot.

[Şerban S.]

Thank you for the help.

I ended up re-installing Linux as we discussed.  Now I just hit F12 and decide where to boot.  It was easier with GRUB, until GRUB messed up, so now I will do it this way.

SOLVED!

Happy to hear that news!
GRUB is still in place, booting Linux. But this will prevent any further messing of the Windows installation.
Best regards!

[lintek]

Thank you for the help.

I ended up re-installing Linux as we discussed.  Now I just hit F12 and decide where to boot.  It was easier with GRUB, until GRUB messed up, so now I will do it this way.

SOLVED!

[Şerban S.]

I guess the best way to do that would be to install the new Linux Lite on the new HD with the other Windows HD turned "off" when doing so...?

Yes, it helps you avoid confusing the drives at installation.
Still, if you are careful enough, and you choose the right device in the "GRUB installation drive" ComboBox, all things work fine. I did it many times using external drives to setup a distro I wanted to test. I never enjoyed very much VMs since those are fake installations and many times a real installation on real hardware leads to impredictible results. Virtual Machines, might EMULATE many things, but "many" is very different from ALL HARDWARE.
So what I just told, is "hot tested" many times, on real hardware.
Hope you'll succeed!
Best regards!

[lintek]

...If you set the OSes right (with GRUB on the OS' physical drive, as I explained previously), this should work fine...

I guess the best way to do that would be to install the new Linux Lite on the new HD with the other Windows HD turned "off" when doing so...?

[Şerban S.]

THANK YOU!  I had thought something similar to what you posted [...]

You're welcome! Glad to help, if I can!

What I did in the beginning was set up Windows on one HD, Linux Lite on another, and "My Documents" on a third, so they could be accessed by either OS.

OK, I see here a good thinking!
This is how you can backup, on an "as needed" base, instead of backing up the whole thing...

Did you have a chance to watch the videos I posted?

Yes, I did, this was something necessary to be able to figure out what was wrong.

[...]I just bought a new SSD, since it was only $20 for a 120 gb drive!  I can just install the new HD and add the latest version of Lite.

A great idea, 120 GB is enough for one installation. Best of all, you get a great speed!

Also - I have a power switch array installed in my computer that allows me to turn off power to each of the 3 HD's if I want to.
I wonder if I could Set up the boot order (ie: 1 WIN - 2 Linux - 3 etc) and if I turn off the power to 1 Win will it then boot to 2 Linux?

Never used something like that. Might work, so test it, and if it works, it's OK.
I can hardly see any danger in testing. Nothing changes, except that one drive looks like "has vanished".
If you set the OSes right (with GRUB on the OS' physical drive, as I explained previously), this should work fine.

Best Regards!

[lintek]

THANK YOU!  I had thought something similar to what you posted (although in very basic terms, which is my level of computer knowledge).

What I did in the beginning was set up Windows on one HD, Linux Lite on another, and "My Documents" on a third, so they could be accessed by either OS.

Did you have a chance to watch the videos I posted?  I was thinking maybe I the HD that Linux was on just crapped out on me...?  In case of that I just bought a new SSD, since it was only $20 for a 120gb drive!  I can just install the new HD and add the latest version of Lite.

Also - I have a power switch array installed in my computer that allows me to turn off power to each of the 3 HD's if I want to.

I wonder if I could Set up the boot order (ie: 1 WIN - 2 Linux - 3 etc) and if I turn off the power to 1 Win will it then boot to 2 Linux?

THANK YOU again!!

[Şerban S.]

UPDATE -    

[...] now I am able to get Windows to boot up!  VERY HAPPY - at least I can work now.  When I set the Linux HD to position #1 in boot up that is when I have the problem.  [...] Tell me what you think...

Hello!
My best guess, due to this behaviour and the fact that you have distinct PHYSICAL partitions/drives for booting each system, is that something went wrong during the GRUB installation process.
Many people treat lightly one important step of the setup process: the GRUB installation device.
Since you switched the primary boot device from Linux to Windows, I suspect you installed GRUB on the /dev/sda/ partition, which in fact is the default option.
This is where I suspect the mess showed up, for some reason. It is well known that Windows is in such a great love affair with Linux, that it will gladly see it dead. It is impossible to know exactly why Windows crushes GRUB so, instead of installing GRUB on the same partition where Windows resides, I chose a different path:
(A) Setup Windows, on /dev/sdaX and leave the Windows installer and bootloader do their jobs;
(B) Setup Linux Lite on /dev/sdbX AND the GRUB bootloader, on the same device, here, being /dev/sdb
.
The only shortcomming of this solution, is that you need to press F12 each time you boot, in order to choose the drive you want to boot (since both are bootable).
IMHO, this is by far a better solution than struggling with countless installations, that for some unknown reason, fail at some point.
Further more, if you setup from firmware Windows as primary boot device (say... /dev/sda/), you only need to press F12 IF you want to boot Linux, since Windows, as I understood, is your main (primary) OS.
As for the backup, my policy is very simple: backup whatever. Who knows when the day comes and I (you) need it?!
Hope this solves the problem!
Good luck!
Best regards!

[lintek]

UPDATE -    

I went into the Hard Drive priority list for boot up options and moved the Windows HD to #1 and now I am able to get Windows to boot up!  VERY HAPPY - at least I can work now. 

When I set the Linux HD to position #1 in boot up that is when I have the problem.  It just stops dead on the first screen like you see in the videos.

Since I keep all my personal files on a third HD it wont hurt if I have to re-load a new copy of Lite onto the HD, and I can upgrade to the latest. 

Tell me what you think...

[lintek]

I really appreciate the help. I think that something screwed up the GRUB as Serban said. 

I KNOW you guys can help me figure this out.  THANKS

[lintek]

Well, I gave Boot-Repair disk a try... and now I'm really EFF'd, because now I can't boot to Linux, and it deleted the option to boot to Windows from the GRUB LIST!      I am SO pissed... 

This is a computer I use for work, 8hr a day

I NEED it back ASAP

Here are vids of BEFORE and AFTER the Boot-Repair-Disk "fix"   

BEFORE - https://photos.app.goo.gl/dvqVQG685mE3k1aZ7
AFTER - https://photos.app.goo.gl/ToTTKiKDctj5RGHf7

HELP!!

As I mentioned before - this is a dual boot system, each OS has it's own Hard Drive

[Jerry]

Esc key here works too, as do all the other keys. You may have to press each one more than once, but only do this whilst the spinner is going around, don't do it at the beginning of boot.

[Şerban S.]

I would like to see a video of you trying to boot.

Hi!
I would like the same!
I had tons of kind of trouble over the years but this looks way out of the way...
My best guess is that something went wrong during the "Update GRUB" sequence.
That means that somewhere during the script building process, something went wrong.
There are too many possibilities and this makes it a guesswork.
Have you tried the "boot-repair-disk"?
https://sourceforge.net/projects/boot-repair-cd/
Usually it fixes the boot problems without wasting endless hours searching for a solution.
Good luck!
Best regards!

[stevef]

Have you tried pressing 'esc' during the boot up ?

[Jerry]

We have tried to help you, I'm afraid not every thread has a happy ending, even on Windows forums. The keys that work for everyone else should work for you, but they don't. 

I would like to see a video of you trying to boot.

[lintek]

So am I out of luck?  Nobody knows?

Hitting F4, Home and Insert during boot up does nothing.  I try booting with "advanced options" and then Linux 4.15.-135 generic, and it just sits there and won't boot.

I'd REALLY like to be able to use my Linux Lite again.