Accidentally formatted my boot manager and now can't access Windows Boot Manager anymore

runarcn · April 24, 2023, 9:40am

Hi!
Due to some issue I wasn’t able to solve within a reasonable timespan I had to reinstall EndeavourOS. I did so with the i3 flavor and manual partitioning where I simply replaced by then BTRFS-drive (nvme0n1p4) with an EXT4 one, selected nvme0n1p1 as the boot one (unsure if I formatted it or not here) and the nvme0n1p6 as swap. Here’s my lsblk

nvme0n1     259:0    0 238.5G  0 disk 
├─nvme0n1p1 259:1    0   260M  0 part /boot/efi
├─nvme0n1p2 259:2    0    16M  0 part 
├─nvme0n1p3 259:3    0  82.3G  0 part /run/media/runarcn/Windows
├─nvme0n1p4 259:4    0 152.9G  0 part /
├─nvme0n1p5 259:5    0  1000M  0 part 
└─nvme0n1p6 259:6    0     2G  0 part [SWAP]

The main issue now is that I’m unable to boot into my Windows partition, both through grub and through the F12 boot options. When I selected Windows Boot Manager from the F12 boot menu, it doesn’t open but instead takes me back to the same boot menu.

I can access all my Windows files through both CLI and Thunar so I know everything there is intact. What I don’t know is how to boot into Windows 11, which I need to be able to do for school.

Any and all help is appreciated!

system info

                     ./o.                  runarcn@endeavour 
                   ./sssso-                ----------------- 
                 `:osssssss+-              OS: EndeavourOS Linux x86_64 
               `:+sssssssssso/.            Host: 20X2S0DL00 ThinkPad L14 Gen 2 
             `-/ossssssssssssso/.          Kernel: 6.2.12-arch1-1 
           `-/+sssssssssssssssso+:`        Uptime: 6 mins 
         `-:/+sssssssssssssssssso+/.       Packages: 1071 (pacman) 
       `.://osssssssssssssssssssso++-      Shell: bash 5.1.16 
      .://+ssssssssssssssssssssssso++:     Resolution: 1920x1080 
    .:///ossssssssssssssssssssssssso++:    WM: i3 
  `:////ssssssssssssssssssssssssssso+++.   Theme: Adwaita [GTK2], Arc-Darker [GTK3] 
`-////+ssssssssssssssssssssssssssso++++-   Icons: Adwaita [GTK2], Qogir [GTK3] 
 `..-+oosssssssssssssssssssssssso+++++/`   Terminal: xfce4-terminal 
   ./++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++/:.     Terminal Font: Source Code Pro 10 
  `:::::::::::::::::::::::::------``       CPU: 11th Gen Intel i3-1115G4 (4) @ 4.100GHz 
                                           GPU: Intel Tiger Lake-LP GT2 [UHD Graphics G4] 
                                           Memory: 1369MiB / 7602MiB

pebcak · April 24, 2023, 9:56am

This is the crucial part.

If you chose to share Windows ESP with your EnOS, formatting it has effectively deleted your Windows Boot Manager.

From your EnOS, post the output of:

efibootmgr

ls -R /boot/efi

joekamprad · April 24, 2023, 9:57am

yea if you format the ESP the windows bootloader will be gone… but you can recover it with a windows installer ISO/stick at least… not sur eif you can do this without that.

runarcn · April 24, 2023, 10:18am

Here

BootCurrent: 0005
Timeout: 0 seconds
BootOrder: 0005,0001,0004,0002,0000,0010,0011,0012,0013,0014,0015,0016,0017,0018,0019,001A,001B,001C,001D,001E,001F,0020,0021,0022,0023,0024,0025,0026,0027,0003
Boot0000* Windows Boot Manager	HD(1,GPT,fc6bca2e-f48b-4f61-b287-f4f83873349a,0x800,0x82000)/File(\EFI\Microsoft\Boot\bootmgfw.efi)57494e444f5753000100000088000000780000004200430044004f0042004a004500430054003d007b00390064006500610038003600320063002d0035006300640064002d0034006500370030002d0061006300630031002d006600330032006200330034003400640034003700390035007d00000000000100000010000000040000007fff0400
Boot0001* ubuntu	HD(1,GPT,fc6bca2e-f48b-4f61-b287-f4f83873349a,0x800,0x82000)/File(\EFI\ubuntu\shimx64.efi)
Boot0002* Manjaro	HD(1,GPT,fc6bca2e-f48b-4f61-b287-f4f83873349a,0x800,0x82000)/File(\EFI\Manjaro\grubx64.efi)
Boot0003* Linux-Firmware-Updater	HD(1,GPT,fc6bca2e-f48b-4f61-b287-f4f83873349a,0x800,0x82000)/File(\EFI\ubuntu\fwupdx64.efi)
Boot0004* debian	HD(1,GPT,fc6bca2e-f48b-4f61-b287-f4f83873349a,0x800,0x82000)/File(\EFI\debian\shimx64.efi)
Boot0005* endeavouros	HD(1,GPT,fc6bca2e-f48b-4f61-b287-f4f83873349a,0x800,0x82000)/File(\EFI\endeavouros\grubx64.efi)
Boot0010  Setup	FvFile(721c8b66-426c-4e86-8e99-3457c46ab0b9)
Boot0011  Boot Menu	FvFile(126a762d-5758-4fca-8531-201a7f57f850)
Boot0012  Diagnostic Splash Screen	FvFile(a7d8d9a6-6ab0-4aeb-ad9d-163e59a7a380)
Boot0013  Lenovo Diagnostics	FvFile(3f7e615b-0d45-4f80-88dc-26b234958560)
Boot0014  Asset Information	FvFile(da465b87-a26f-4c12-b78a-0361428fa026)
Boot0015  Regulatory Information	FvFile(478c92a0-2622-42b7-a65d-5894169e4d24)
Boot0016  ThinkShield secure wipe	FvFile(3593a0d5-bd52-43a0-808e-cbff5ece2477)
Boot0017  Startup Interrupt Menu	FvFile(f46ee6f4-4785-43a3-923d-7f786c3c8479)
Boot0018  Rescue and Recovery	FvFile(665d3f60-ad3e-4cad-8e26-db46eee9f1b5)
Boot0019  MEBx Hot Key	FvFile(ac6fd56a-3d41-4efd-a1b9-870293811a28)
Boot001A* USB CD	VenMsg(bc7838d2-0f82-4d60-8316-c068ee79d25b,86701296aa5a7848b66cd49dd3ba6a55)
Boot001B* USB FDD	VenMsg(bc7838d2-0f82-4d60-8316-c068ee79d25b,6ff015a28830b543a8b8641009461e49)
Boot001C* NVMe0	VenMsg(bc7838d2-0f82-4d60-8316-c068ee79d25b,001c199932d94c4eae9aa0b6e98eb8a400)
Boot001D* ATA HDD0	VenMsg(bc7838d2-0f82-4d60-8316-c068ee79d25b,91af625956449f41a7b91f4f892ab0f600)
Boot001E* USB HDD	VenMsg(bc7838d2-0f82-4d60-8316-c068ee79d25b,33e821aaaf33bc4789bd419f88c50803)
Boot001F* PXE BOOT	VenMsg(bc7838d2-0f82-4d60-8316-c068ee79d25b,78a84aaf2b2afc4ea79cf5cc8f3d3803)
Boot0020* LENOVO CLOUD	VenMsg(bc7838d2-0f82-4d60-8316-c068ee79d25b,ad38ccbbf7edf04d959cf42aa74d3650)/Uri(https://download.lenovo.com/pccbbs/cdeploy/efi/boot.efi)
Boot0021* ON-PREMISE	VenMsg(bc7838d2-0f82-4d60-8316-c068ee79d25b,ad38ccbbf7edf04d959cf42aa74d3650)/Uri()
Boot0022  Other CD	VenMsg(bc7838d2-0f82-4d60-8316-c068ee79d25b,aea2090adfde214e8b3a5e471856a35400)
Boot0023  Other HDD	VenMsg(bc7838d2-0f82-4d60-8316-c068ee79d25b,91af625956449f41a7b91f4f892ab0f601)
Boot0024* USBR BOOT CDROM	PciRoot(0x0)/Pci(0x14,0x0)/USB(11,1)
Boot0025* USBR BOOT Floppy	PciRoot(0x0)/Pci(0x14,0x0)/USB(11,0)
Boot0026* ATA HDD	VenMsg(bc7838d2-0f82-4d60-8316-c068ee79d25b,91af625956449f41a7b91f4f892ab0f6)
Boot0027* ATAPI CD	VenMsg(bc7838d2-0f82-4d60-8316-c068ee79d25b,aea2090adfde214e8b3a5e471856a354)
[runarcn@endeavour ~]$ ls -R /boot/efi
/boot/efi:
EFI

/boot/efi/EFI:
boot  endeavouros

/boot/efi/EFI/boot:
bootx64.efi

/boot/efi/EFI/endeavouros:
grubx64.efi```

runarcn · April 24, 2023, 10:19am

I’ve got a Win10 ISO I can put on a usb stick. Do you know of any good guides or similar to follow once I’ve done that?

pebcak · April 24, 2023, 10:22am

Formatting ESP, you have wiped out your Windows Boot Manager.

The entry shown in efibootmgr is not valid anymore. It points to a file that no longer exists.

Please edit the title of the thread.
Installation of EnOS has nothing to do with breaking your Windows Boot Manager.
Unfortunately it was a user induced accident.

runarcn · April 24, 2023, 10:26am

Title has been edited. Thanks for the help locating the issue ^-^

pebcak · April 24, 2023, 10:33am

No problem!

I have not dealt with restoration of Windows Boot Manager for a very long time.

I’ve found this which looks to make sense:

How to Repair EFI/GPT Bootloader on Windows 10 or 11?

There is also: https://www.supergrubdisk.org/rescatux/ which might be able to restore Windows Boot Manager.

Disclaimer: The above is only informative. No recommendations on my part. Please do some research on your own to find the best method for solving the issue. You and only you are in charge of what you do to your system.

petsam · April 24, 2023, 11:57am

This looks sane to me.

joekamprad · April 24, 2023, 12:13pm

yes same indeed but also really detailled and somehow looks like the archway to do it… i remember to be able to recovwer from using automatic repair tools from win iso… but can happen it will interfere with linux installs… and even do not work as long as you have any linux installs present on the same drive or machine…

But may possible to not need to recreate the esp and only us ethe guide up from:

Repair the EFI bootloader and Windows BCD on a GPT Drive

so it may will keep the linux entries inside… to not need to chroot into linux in addition and recredate their entries too…

petsam · April 24, 2023, 12:26pm

The article includes all/most possible cases, so I assumed OP would select the relevant
In this topic, there seems to be a new (reformatted) esp, but we are not sure what are the rest of the partitions.

If UEFI setup can create boot entries manually, selecting a file, there is the default (boot/bootx64.efi), or should list whatever is compatible.

In any case, only OP can try several possibilities.
I am getting tired quickly, when I have to fish info from a distance…

runarcn · April 24, 2023, 2:36pm

imean even if it screws up my boot order, I just reinstalled so wouldn’t really loose any progress by running the installation script once again

Thanks everyone! I’ll post an update once I’ve had the chance to try out the solutions here ^-^

joekamprad · April 24, 2023, 3:30pm

yea same here my addition was mor efor the poster as for you … not to create even more issues on the way…