
As a modern and reliable software, Ubuntu runs on PC, servers, and the cloud. Since it is the best choice for Linux first-timers, Ubuntu not booting is a common issue that users might face. In this article, you will learn How to Fix Ubuntu boot problem. Even there are reports from professional users who install Ubuntu Beside Windows 10 and need a boot repair tool to fix it. Boot repair is a tool that helps you troubleshoot boot issues on your Ubuntu.
Regardless if you are using Ubuntu Desktop or Ubuntu Server, join us with this article to learn boot repair & other ways when Ubuntu does not boot. You are recommended to not postpone learning it because it does not warn! Ubuntu boot repair might seem complicated at first sight but knowing the various reasons and the related solution helps you to fix the Ubuntu boot problem easily.
Prerequisites to Fix Ubuntu Not Booting
To let this tutorial works correctly, provide the options below and move on to reading How to Fix Ubuntu Boot Problem.
- A system running Ubuntu.
- A non-root user with
sudo
privileges. - Install Boot Repair
Ubuntu Boot Repair Tutorial
Typically, booting issues might be caused by a faulty file in the /boot directory or the GRUB boot menu. Boot Repair is a great piece of software to get us started on troubleshooting, whatever the situation may be. Let’s go through the steps of this guide to be an expert in facing Ubuntu not booting occasions.
Step 1. Install Boot Repair Ubuntu
To boot into a live environment, you are recommended to make a bootable Ubuntu USB disk. Since you do not need to reinstall Ubuntu first to fix Ubuntu boot problem, select Try Ubuntu without installing from the GRUB menu and continue.
Since the Boot Repair tool is not available in the Ubuntu official repository, open your terminal window and run the command below to install the Boot Repair.
$ sudo add-apt-repository ppa:yannubuntu/boot-repair
$ sudo apt update
$ sudo apt install -y boot-repair
And to launch and start the application, type:
$ boot-repair
Wait a few minutes to let the app scan your hard drive and finish the installation. When the Boot Repair is started, try the “Recommended repair” option to let it troubleshoot some of the most common boot problems.
It may take several minutes to find and fix boot problems. If you prefer to upload the report to Pastebin, click on Yes when you are prompted.
Once you see the ”Boot successfully repaired” message and a text document, you’re all done with this tool. Review your system information and the summary of the boot repair function and boot into your installed OSs. Then you can reboot the system to check if the problems are fixed.
Move on with the remaining steps to check other solutions for Ubuntu repair boot.
Step 2. Using Boot Repair Advanced options in Ubuntu
If you still have problems, there are many advanced options in Boot Repair. As you saw in the above image, there is an ”Advanced options” in Boot Repair which offers other repair options. To use them, click on the Advanced options to view the below menu in Boot repair.
To receive a text summary of your current issue, select the ‘’Create boot info summary’’ option. Also, if you think the GRUB is the reason for not booting your Ubuntu, you can reinstall GRUB or choose a new location to store the bootloader configuration.
Step 3. Change GRUB Location using Boot Repair
When Ubuntu does not boot, by using Boot Repair’s advanced settings, you may determine where GRUB is installed on your hard drive. You may wish to specify which hard drives you want to repair here if your system has numerous installed hard drives with GRUB installed on it.
To do this, go to the GRUB location tab of Boot Repair to alter the GRUB location. Choose the hard disk partition from the drop-down menu under “OS to boot by default” now. Choose the hard disk partition that is utilized as the EFI System Partition from the Separate /boot/efi partition drop-down selection if your motherboard is UEFI-based.
Step 4. Change GRUB Options from Boot Repair
Also, the GRUB options tab of Boot Repair enables you to modify a lot of the GRUB settings.
Step 5. Back-Up Partition Table using Boot Repair
With Boot Repair, you can back up your partition table. It is crucial since you can restore the partitions and recover your data if your partition table is somehow compromised. You risk losing all of your data if you don’t. Simply click the Backup partition tables, bootsectors, and logs button as seen in the screenshot below to back up your partition tables.
Then, choose the location you consider saving the partition table data and click on Save. It will take several minutes. When saving the partition is saved, you will see a box. Click on Ok.
Step 6. Repair File Systems using Boot Repair
Your file systems may occasionally become corrupt, and Ubuntu won’t be able to automatically fix it when the system boots. That could lead to a boot failure. With Boot Repair, the file system can be fixed. Simply select the Main settings tab, tick the box next to Repair file systems, and then click Apply.
The filesystem repair and boot issues need to take some time. You should be able to boot into your installed operating systems once more once it’s finished.
How to fix attached bootable disk
The above steps must Fix Ubuntu boot Problem. But if not, you are not alone. In the following, you will learn other ways to troubleshoot boot problems. bootable disk attached is one of the most frequent causes of Ubuntu not booting, and it typically happens soon after installation. This is due to the boot device being set to the Ubuntu boot disk (USB device or DVD). Because of this issue, the installer instructs you to remove your installation media before starting your computer.
Boot into the system UEFI/BIOS or boot order menu to check the current boot device. The POST screen, which appears when your System turns on, can be used to access both. Look through the computer’s manual if you have difficulties locating the boot order option.
How to fix GRUB Bootloader
If your Ubuntu does not boot, you must also check whether the GRUB Bootloader is working or not. The bootloader, known as GRUB, makes sure the chosen operating system boots. It will display and start all installed operating systems, including Windows, on a dual-booting computer. However, installing Windows alongside Ubuntu may result in the bootloader being overwritten, which will make it difficult to start Ubuntu.
Other problems, such as a failed upgrade or a power outage, can damage the bootloader. Despite the circumstance, Ubuntu may display an error such as “grub failed boot detection. Restart your computer while holding Shift to check the GRUB bootloader. The list of installed operating systems should now appear; use the arrow keys to traverse the menu.
If not, the GRUB bootloader may be corrupted or the cause of the issue. The only fix is to repair the bootloader.
How to repair the GRUB Bootloader
Ubuntu won’t start if GRUB doesn’t load. Thankfully, using the Ubuntu installation DVD, you can fix GRUB. With the disc still in place, restart the computer and wait for it to load.
Open your terminal and run the following command:
sudo grub-install /dev/sda
To update GRUB, type:
sudo update-grub
At this point, you can restart your system and boot into your Ubuntu.
FAQ
ubuntu boot repair not working
consider below five procedures if your Ubuntu system won't boot. Whether you've been using Ubuntu for a while or if it's not booting up right away after installation, you can apply these methods at any time.
- Check for bootable devices
- Is the GRUB bootloader working?
- Repair the bootloader menu
- Reinstall Ubuntu
- Replace faulty hardware
What if reinstalling Ubuntu do not fix the boot problem?
You must check the faulty hardware such as HDD or cabling faults, Motherboard issues, and CPU or PSU problems.
The GRUB is loading but Ubuntu does not boot 🙁
If you can see the bootloader, you just need to fix its menu. Just select advanced options and using the arrow keys select the entry appended.
Conclusion
In this article, you learned How to Fix Ubuntu boot Problem. Now, you know how to install and use the Boot Repair tool on your Ubuntu live system to troubleshoot boot issues on Ubuntu. This tool helps you to fix the most common boot problems such as backup partition table and device boot sectors, repair broken filesystem, change the default OS in GRUB, configure GRUB bootloader, install GRUB bootloader, and more.
Ubuntu not booting will not be a big deal when you face it from now on. If you tried all the mentioned solutions in this guide and in the end, Ubuntu failed to start, just reinstall Ubuntu for the final troubleshooting.
Do not hesitate to contact us if you encounter any problems. Our technical support team will try their best to solve your problems.
how to start repair ubuntu from usb
Firstly, you need to boot your system using Ubuntu bootable CD or USB and select ‘Try Ubuntu’ when you see the option on Ubuntu Boot screen. Then, open your terminal and run related commands to install boot repair.
How to fix grub failed boot detection?
As we mentioned in the ‘’ fix GRUB Bootloader’’’ part of this tutorial, to solve this issue you can test various factors like: Restart your computer while holding Shift to check the GRUB bootloader. The list of installed operating systems should now appear; use the arrow keys to traverse the menu. If not, the GRUB bootloader may be corrupted or the cause of the issue. The only fix is to repair the bootloader.
Should I change default settings while boot-repair ubuntu?
No, The "Recommended Repair" uses the default parameters. changing them in the Advanced options may make your situation worse.
Must boot repair ubuntu be done by professional users?
not necessarily. Knowing Linux basics and following a good guide is enough.