Dual boot windows 7 / ubuntu - windows disappears after encryption

[menshevik]

Hello,
I have a laptop with dual boot setup for Ubuntu/Windows 7. My company encrypted the Windows partition (McAfee) after which Windows no longer shows up in the boot loader. Can it be fixed?

thanks!

 

[Megahertz07]

Give me some more information.
- Is your BIOS Legacy or UEFI?
- Was Grub your boot loader and under it you have an option to load Windows?
- On Ubuntu can you see your Windows partition?
- Under Ubuntu, run this command: sudo update-grub

 

[menshevik]

Hi thanks for your response
I'm not sure if my BIOS is legacy or UEFI - the only way I know to check is via Windows, and I can't get into Windows now. I was able to use Grub as the boot loader to pick between Windows and Ubuntu prior to the Windows encryption, but now Windows does not show up. Below are the results of the update-grub (no Windows)

latitude@latitude:~$ sudo update-grub
Generating grub configuration file ...
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-4.4.0-34-generic
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-4.4.0-34-generic
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-4.4.0-31-generic
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-4.4.0-31-generic
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-4.4.0-21-generic
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-4.4.0-21-generic
Found memtest86+ image: /boot/memtest86+.elf
Found memtest86+ image: /boot/memtest86+.bin
done

 

[Megahertz07]

Quite sure you have a legacy BIOS. To understand the process, on a Legacy system, you have only one master boot manager per physical disk. On the active partition you have the Master Boor Record. MBR takes the boot sequence to the master boot manager (GRUB) and then this master boot manager can take to Ubuntu or another boot manager (Windows). As Ubuntu was the last OS system installed, you have Grub as the master boot manager.
When you update Grub, it looks for a Windows boot loader to put as an option at the menu.
You haven't answered if you can mount the windows partition under Ubuntu, but I think that, as you encrypted the Windows partition it can't find it.
Another way is to make windows boot manager as the master boot manager and to put on it an option to load Ubuntu.
Boot with Windows installation disk an make a boot repair. If it also can't find Windows, you're going to have to un-encrypt the drive fist.

 

[torchwood]

NOTE

W7 hates being BEHIND Ubuntu.

IT should be the primary, otherwise causes lots of problems.

Roy.

 

[menshevik]

Thanks again for the replies.
I cannot mount the Windows partition under Ubuntu -
As I understand from the comments it's unlikely I"ll be able to repair GRUB so it can recognise the encrypted partition? And my best course of action is to recover it with a Windows recovery/installation disk?

 

[Megahertz07]

Grub is OK, it doesn't need repair. As it doesn't see your encrypted Windows, it can't load it.
You will have to change the master boot loader to Windows. To do so, try to boot with Windows installation disk an make a boot repair. If it also can't find Windows, you will have to un-encrypt the drive fist.

 

[menshevik]

Thanks again. I tried the Windows installation disk, and it's not finding it either. How can I un-encrypt the drive without having access to it?

 

[Megahertz07]

That's a good question.
You (or the IT guy on your company) will have to contact McAfee. They probably have a program that, with the encryption key, will unlock the windows partition.
There is a similar post of your problem here: https://superuser.com/questions/842717/can%C2%B4t-boot-mcafee-endpoint-encryption-partition

 

[Megahertz07]

On a WEB search, I found out that McAfee encryption has its own boot loader, where you log in and it opens the Windows drive.
When you install or update Ubuntu, it changes the MBR to point to GRUB.
What has to be done, is restore the MBR to point to McAfee encryption boot loader or create an option on Grub to point to it.

 

[menshevik]

interesting! Beyond my skill set though - can you share the link you found if it tells you how to change Grub?

 

[menshevik]

Thanks again...

 

[Megahertz07]

Sorry, there is no instructions on how to make an option on Grub to load McAfee boot loader.
I know that you have to modify Grub configuration file to point to it, but I don't know how to do it. You may find some help on Ubuntu forums.

 

[groze]

I have used Grub customizer under Ubuntu. Don't know if it will help you get into windows. Might be able to modify the grub command line to boot to the windows partition. I use the program, I am still learning, I have only done a couple of modification using Grub customizer.

Boot into Ubuntu.

Open a terminal.

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:danielrichter2007/grub-customizer

sudo apt-get update

=====================
If you get a No Pub key server error. Do what is in the quotes, otherwise skip it

If you do get that error, you will see one or two or three keys by it. Substitute xxxxxxxxx with the key.

Do this below for each key.

sudo apt-key adv --keyserver keyserver.ubuntu.com --recv-keys xxxxxxxxx

Then repeat

sudo apt-get update

=====================

Then

sudo apt-get install grub-customizer

If its say the says week encryption just ignore it. That is Debian doing.


You may not need to even modify the boot menu, I find just opening up grub customizer, waiting tell it fully loads, then saving it might get windows 7 to boot. Grub customizer is really good at finding drives that can boot. I am still not sure if Grub Customizer will see the McAfee boot manager. You might want to give that a try.

 

[menshevik]

Thanks for your reply - I tried Grub Customizer, but unfortunately it did not find the McAfee or Windows boot managers
At this point I'm probably resigned to reformatting the whole laptop

 

[Megahertz07]

Thanks for your reply - I tried Grub Customizer, but unfortunately it did not find the McAfee or Windows boot managers
At this point I'm probably resigned to reformatting the whole laptop

Don't format!!! The McAfee boot loader is in some place. Did you call McAfee for help? I'm searching for a solution. - https://kb.mcafee.com/corporate/index?page=content&id=KB61022 So it's possible to restore the McAfee MBR. You wont be able to run Ubuntu any more.