grub/mbr question

[rk4262]

Setup: Kubuntu 13.10/Windows 7 dual boot. Yesterday while working in Windows, it updated, now I'm stuck in a bootloop. So I'm going to have to fix that. Past experience tells me that I'll have to repair the whole grub/mbr setup after repairing windows, as it'll overwrite grub. My question is, is there a program that will allow me to take a snapshot of what the grub/mbr layout is currently, so that I can just replace the new one with a copy of the old one? My boot loop has nothing to do with the mbr, I don't think, as it boots past the logo screen before restarting.

I've looked at the large selection of grub/mbr repair programs/procedures and I'm totally confused as what to use. I actually thought about this one time before, when I ended up having to reinstall both windows and kubuntu, because I tried to repair grub/mbr and I guess I put it in the wrong place on the disk because the screen would just go black after the bios screen.

Thanks

[oshunluvr]

Grub layout? I'm unclear about what this means. What Logo screen? Windows, Plymouth, KDE ??

Grub generally has three portions: The MBR, it's files, and the menu.

If you mean to backup grub's menu, there's no point. Every time you update grub, like when you add or subtract a kernel image, the menu is re-written. If you want to backup the MBR it's very easy. I've written several posts on this forum explaining how to do it.

My assumption would be the Windows re-wrote a portion of the MBR with it's update, but without any error messages, it's just a guess. The only solution without a backup of your MBR is to boot to a liveCD/USB and go through the grub restore process. Without checking, I'd guess there's at least 100 threads on this forum alone that detail how to do that. Do a couple searches and you'll find them. It's not hard, you just have to follow a few steps.

[rk4262]

Grub layout? I'm unclear about what this means.

Grub layout = where on the disk is the grub/mbr installed, sda1, sda2 or sda5, if it's reinstalled back to the wrong spot it don't work.

What Logo screen? Windows, Plymouth, KDE ??

I should have been more clear, the Windows logo screen, but considering that I stated the problem was windows bootlooping, I assumed it would be obvious that it was the windows logo screen. I guess not everybody associates things the way I do.

Do a couple searches and you'll find them. It's not hard, you just have to follow a few steps.

Yes I read several of them, none of the ones I read completely fit the problem I'm having.

I was really hoping I could find a suggestion for a good grub repair program/script that would fix the problem without having to use a live cd, and end up having to reinstall either OS because I've let the live cd go to far into the process. Would you happen to have any suggestions as to what I was actually asking for?

[oshunluvr]

Not to pick nits, but this

Yesterday while working in Windows, it updated, now I'm stuck in a bootloop.

does not say you're in a Windows boot loop. Rather, it states you're in a boot loop and leaves the reader to decide if it's GRUB, Linux, or Windows that you rebooted to. My assumption was that you updated Windows and rebooted. Whether or not GRUB failed at that point or you decided to boot to Linux instead or you were trying to go immediately back to Windows is not stated. My point being that you'll get more help and faster if you are absolutely specific in your descriptions of what's wrong and what you've done rather than leaving the reader guessing.

The "grub layout" you're referring to is called "where grub is installed." If you want to boot to grub, it must be installed to the MBR of the boot drive, usually /dev/sda. If you install it to a Partition Boot Record (aka /dev/sda1, /dev/sda5, etc.) you cannot boot directly to it. You must boot to another boot manager first.

Since you've detailed nothing about how you've installed GRUB and Kubuntu my only advice remains the same: search the forum. If you have indeed installed grub to /dev/sda and Windows messed it up, re-install GRUB. There are dozens of clear descriptions on this forum and on other on how to do this, including the Ubuntu community wiki and documentation pages. You should have no trouble finding several. Good luck.