DR M Posted April 15, 2017 Share Posted April 15, 2017 Hello! I have a major problem with my computer... My updates said that I could download the Creators update if I didn't want to wait. And I did. Now, my computer cannot enter Windows and I get this: error: unknown filesystem Entering rescue mode... grub rescue> I have also Linux Mint installed in my computer. LzD's Staff, advised me to start a topic here. Thank you in advanced! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raymac46 Posted April 15, 2017 Share Posted April 15, 2017 (edited) This might be helpful. Sounds like GRUB got messed up. https://help.ubuntu....stallingWindows You can use your Linux Mint disk or USB to get going. Or wait till Josh gets here and he may have some other ideas. If you can get into Linux Mint on your hard drive you can try to go to a terminal and issue a sudo update-grub command. That may also fix it. Edited April 15, 2017 by raymac46 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
securitybreach Posted April 15, 2017 Share Posted April 15, 2017 This will explain it in detail but really its only the three commands in bold. It looks more involved than it really is: https://community.li...torial/view/245 Example: Boot the Linuxmint livecd/usb: sudo mount /dev/sda1 /mntsudo grub-install --root-directory=/mnt/ /dev/sda sudo update-grub Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DR M Posted April 15, 2017 Author Share Posted April 15, 2017 (edited) I just edited my post, since I saw that there is another answer. Can you please tell me step by step what to do? I have no idea ho Linux work. I actually install it for the experience, but Windows is my main OS. Edited April 15, 2017 by DR M Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
securitybreach Posted April 15, 2017 Share Posted April 15, 2017 Boot into Linuxmint via the livecd. Once it is fully booted into LinuxMint, open up a terminal. The run the following command: sudo blkid Make sure that it shows LinuxMint is listed at the top as /dev/sda1. If it does, run this command: sudo mount /dev/sda1 /mnt next run this: sudo grub-install --root-directory=/mnt /dev/sda (Note, there is a space between /mnt and /dev/sda) Lastly run this: update-grub Then type reboot in the terminal or click the menu button in LinxMint and reboot. You should be good to go then. Hope that helps.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raymac46 Posted April 15, 2017 Share Posted April 15, 2017 You have to start your computer from a DVD or from a USB stick. You must have used one of these to install Mint in the first place. Usually when you start the computer you can press F12 and you'll get a menu that allows you to start from USB or DVD. When the live session is running. Find the Terminal app. Then one by one issue the commands Josh mentioned You should not ned a password to do this from the live DVD or USB. At the end reboot as usual without the USB or DVD. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DR M Posted April 15, 2017 Author Share Posted April 15, 2017 OK. I opened the terminal, and it seems that Linux is not on top. The first three lines are ending into ntfs. The last two are the following: dev/sda4: ...... TYPE=''EXT4'' dev/sdb1: .......TYPE=''VFAT'' Proceed with the next commands or do something else before? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
securitybreach Posted April 15, 2017 Share Posted April 15, 2017 Ok, that means that LinuxMint was installed on sda4. So here are the correct commands: sudo mount /dev/sda4 /mnt sudo grub-install --root-directory=/mnt /dev/sda (Note, there is a space between /mnt and /dev/sda) update-grub Sorry for the mistakes, it is corrected above now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DR M Posted April 15, 2017 Author Share Posted April 15, 2017 I entered the first command and I got this: mount: special device /dev/sd4 does not exist. I then entered the second command and I got: grub-probe: errror: failed to get canonical path of ' /cow'. Installing for i386-pc platform. grub-install.real: error: failed to get canonical path of ' /cow'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
securitybreach Posted April 15, 2017 Share Posted April 15, 2017 If the first part didn't work, the other parts wouldnt either. Basically you are mounting your linux installation at /mnt and then running the other commands inside your installation, if that makes sense.. You missed the a. It is supposed to be /dev/sda4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DR M Posted April 15, 2017 Author Share Posted April 15, 2017 (edited) Right! But now I get the same error when I enter the second command... I think that I copied it correctly... grub-probe: errror: failed to get canonical path of ' /cow'. BUT: At the end I get: Installation finished. No error reported. Is this OK? Edited April 15, 2017 by DR M Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
securitybreach Posted April 15, 2017 Share Posted April 15, 2017 Ok run these and then try the second command from above: sudo apt-get update sudo apt-get install grub Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DR M Posted April 15, 2017 Author Share Posted April 15, 2017 This is what I get now. grub-probe: errror: failed to get canonical path of ' /cow'. Probing devices to guess BIOS drives. This may take a long time. Installing GRUB to /dev/sda as (hd0)... Installation finished. No error reported. This is the contents of the device map /mnt/boot/grub/device.map. Check if this is correct or not. If any of the lines is incorrect, fix it and re run the script grub install. (fd0) /dev/fd0 (hd0) /dev/sda (hd1) /dev/sdb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
securitybreach Posted April 15, 2017 Share Posted April 15, 2017 fd0 is nothing, hd0 is your harddrive and hd1 is either another harddrive or a usb drive. Ok, can you give me the output of this command: ls /mnt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DR M Posted April 15, 2017 Author Share Posted April 15, 2017 Perhaps it's the LinuxMint usb. So, should I continue with the grub update? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
securitybreach Posted April 15, 2017 Share Posted April 15, 2017 After researching, it seems the grub-probe: errror: failed to get canonical path of ' /cow' is basically saying that a filesystem is not mounted under /mnt is not valid. Are you typing this exactly>? sudo grub-install --root-directory=/mnt /dev/sda Read above ^^ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DR M Posted April 15, 2017 Author Share Posted April 15, 2017 Yes, I typed it and double checked it. Ls /mnt command produce this: bin cdrom etc initrd.img lost+found mnt proc run srv tmp var boot dev home lib media opt root sbin sys usr vmlinuz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raymac46 Posted April 15, 2017 Share Posted April 15, 2017 @Josh would it make any difference if you did a chroot and installed grub from within the LM on /dev/sda4? Just asking... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
securitybreach Posted April 15, 2017 Share Posted April 15, 2017 @Josh would it make any difference if you did a chroot and installed grub from within the LM on /dev/sda4? Just asking... Perhaps you are right. I only suggested that as that is what the LinuxMint guide suggested. That and it's early here... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
securitybreach Posted April 15, 2017 Share Posted April 15, 2017 Yeah, my bad. You do need to chroot in (sorry it was early): https://community.linuxmint.com/tutorial/view/2283 Follow that and you will be good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
securitybreach Posted April 15, 2017 Share Posted April 15, 2017 I have to run for a few hours but will be back this afternoon to answer anything if you have any issues. You should only need to follow the first section on the link above. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DR M Posted April 15, 2017 Author Share Posted April 15, 2017 I'm very sorry I spend your time these hours... Now, I restarted the computer and tried to mount /dev/sda4 /mnt but it says: only root can do this. So I can't proceed to the next steps... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DR M Posted April 15, 2017 Author Share Posted April 15, 2017 UPDATE: I tried again and managed to complete the commands in Section 1. I rebooted, but now I get this: Minimal Bash-like line editing is supported. For the first word, TAB lists possible command completions. Anywhere else TAB lists the possible completions of a device/filename. grub> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raymac46 Posted April 15, 2017 Share Posted April 15, 2017 I suggest you wait until Josh returns. It's better for one person to advise you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DR M Posted April 15, 2017 Author Share Posted April 15, 2017 I suggest you wait until Josh returns. It's better for one person to advise you. I will. Thank you. My local time now is 18:40. I will be here again around 02:30 (my time). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
securitybreach Posted April 15, 2017 Share Posted April 15, 2017 I'm very sorry I spend your time these hours... Now, I restarted the computer and tried to mount /dev/sda4 /mnt but it says: only root can do this. So I can't proceed to the next steps... No worries, just let me know when you get back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DR M Posted April 15, 2017 Author Share Posted April 15, 2017 Hi, Josh. I'm back for a while. As I mentioned above, I managed to complete the commands in Section 1. I rebooted, but now I get this: Minimal Bash-like line editing is supported. For the first word, TAB lists possible command completions. Anywhere else TAB lists the possible completions of a device/filename. grub> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
securitybreach Posted April 15, 2017 Share Posted April 15, 2017 Try following this: https://community.linuxmint.com/tutorial/view/1497 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DR M Posted April 15, 2017 Author Share Posted April 15, 2017 OK! But what is root console prompt? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DR M Posted April 15, 2017 Author Share Posted April 15, 2017 (edited) I assumed that typing sudo before each command of the link provided would be the answer to my question above. I don't know. I told you that I have no idea of how Linux terminal works... Anyway, doing these, the message I get after rebooting is the same... Minimal Bash-like line editing is supported. For the first word, TAB lists possible command completions. Anywhere else TAB lists the possible completions of a device/filename. grub> P.S. I will be back in 4 hours. Edited April 15, 2017 by DR M Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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