Boots to GRUB Command Line instead of Menu

[kb-newbie]

Hello everyone,

Previously, upon starting my computer I would see a screen resembling this menu: https://i.stack.imgur.com/s5M71.jpg
Just as in the picture, I have a Windows partition. Now when I turn on my computer, however, I end up on GRUB command line. I am able to boot into windows simply by typing "exit". I can boot kubuntu with the following commands:

set root=(hd0,gpt8)
linux /boot/vmlinuz-4.13.0-16-generic root=/dev/sda8
initrd /boot/initrd.img-4.13.0-16-generic
boot

While not the end of the world, this is quite inconvenient. I have tried running "sudo update-grub" from Konsole as some answers have suggested but this appears to have no effect.

Standard Information:

• What release of Kubuntu you are using.

17.10

• If Kubuntu is installed, is it installed 'inside' of Windows (Wubi installation).

It is installed on its own partition.

• What version of KDE you are using.

KDE Plasma 5.10.5

• What version of Grub you are using.

GRUB 2.02~beta3-4ubuntu7

• What other Operating Systems are installed.

Windows 10.

Information about your PC:

• Type (Desktop or laptop)

Laptop, Dell Inspiron 7559

• CPU (Central Processor Unit) make (Intel, AMD, ?) and whether 32-bit, 64-bit, or ?
  Intel i7-6700HQ (64 bit)
• GPU (Graphics Processor Unit) manufacturer and model

lspci | grep aphic gives "Intel HD Graphics 530 (rev 06)". This is supposed to be an nvidia card whose drivers I though I had installed. I suppose that's a problem for later.

• RAM (how much installed)

8 GB

• HDs (number of and type internal - number of and type external)

1, internal.

• Optical Drives (number of and type internal - number of and type external)

None

Thank you.

[oshunluvr]

Rather than update-grub, you likely need to re-install grub to the hard drive. Possibly Windows over-wrote or "fixed" your hard drive. I don't dual boot with Windows so I'd hate to give you bad advice, but this would be the usual fix.

After booting into Kubuntu;

sudo grub-install /dev/sda

[kb-newbie]

I went ahead and ran the command but there was no effect. I also tried running "sudo update-grub" after that command (I don't know if that made sense to do) and that combination had no effect, either.

Is there a way I can find out where I should be installing GRUB to? Or is it always /dev/sda ?

Edit:
I forgot to mention, the output of the command is "Installation finished. No error reported."

[oshunluvr]

By "no-effect" do you mean the command didn't do anything or do you mean you still aren't getting a grub menu? The install command should have returned a success message if it worked.

If you meant the command appeared to work but you're still not getting a grub menu, try running it again this way: sudo grub-install --boot-directory=/boot /dev/sda

Grub can be on any drive that your computer can boot to but you only have one drive so grub has to be on it - /dev/sda.

It could be that you're using EFI and you don't have grub setup properly for that. Also Windows 10 loves to prevent booting to other OSs. Also, since you're using GPT formatting GRUB needs reserved space to install to unless you are using EFI - which means it will use the EFI space. It could be that grub is sitting in the boot loader area but windows has used part of that space.

You'll have to provide more detail about your setup. There is a thread on here about setting up EFI properly, but I don't use EFI or Windows.

[kb-newbie]

My apologies for lack of clarity, I meant that the menu still does not display and I end up on the grub command line.

Running sudo grub-install --boot-directory=/boot /dev/sda command gave:
grub-install: error: install device isn't specified

I then tried "sudo grub-install /dev/sda --boot-directory=/boot /dev/sda" because the wording of the error seemed to suggest doing so (again my apologies if this did not actually make sense to do). This also appears to work (Installation finished. No error reported.) but my machine still starts to grub command line.

Thank you for informing me about the UEFI subforum, I will take a look around there. In the meantime I would be happy to provide more information about my setup; could you tell me what specific information would be useful?

[oshunluvr]

Start with version of Windows and whether or not you're using secure boot and/or EFI.

[kb-newbie]

Sure. "Boot mode" is set to "Legacy Boot Mode, Secure Boot Off". I view this option by pressing F12 on startup, which lets me select from boot options (ubuntu, windows, network, etc) and selecting "Change Boot Mode Setting". However when I go into System Setup (if that's not clear what I mean, I would call this BIOS settings but that's probably a misnomer from what I gather) there is a setting under the Boot tab labeled "Boot List Option" and it is set to UEFI. The only other option is Legacy.

So as far as I understand, I am using UEFI but Secure boot is off.

Windows 10 version is: Version 10.10.16299 Build 16299

[oshunluvr]

Legacy is the opposite of UEFI. Sounds like you have conflicting settings. Seems to me they would both need to be in Legacy mode to avoid EFI setup. Shouldn't hurt anything to switch the boot list option to legacy and try a reboot. Try that and report.

If it doesn't work, look and see if you have an EFI partition. The best way to tell would be to boot to linux, open a terminal and type:

sudo gdisk /dev/sda

then hit p [Enter] to print the partition table on the screen. EFI partitions are Code EF00 and grub boot partitions are Code EF02.

[kb-newbie]

Changing the BIOS setting to Legacy results in the grub command line loading in a different way; it appears to be stretched to fill my monitor while before it displayed in a small area in the center of the screen. Typing "exit" while in this mode no longer boots to windows, but instead outputs the following:

"PXE-M0F: Exiting PXE ROM.

Reboot and Select proper Boot device
or Insert Boot Media in selected Boot device and press a key"

Pressing a key brings back the stretched grub command line. Attempting to boot into kubuntu using the commands in my first post failed the first time (I got to initramfs) but ever since then it acts as it were with non-stretched grub. I went ahead and put the option back to UEFI so as to regain the ability to boot windows.

Using the gdisk command, number 1 has EF00 and is named "EFI System Partition". The grub partition is number 6.

[oshunluvr]

The grub partition is number 6.

Do you mean partition #6 is of type code EF02 or do you mean you've installed grub there?

It seems you're booting with EFI so I can't help you. Look for a thread on here about it though. It's been written about extensively.