recovering a failed chainloaded win10 client system

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lpmanjaro
Posts: 55
Joined: 13. May 2021, 18:51

recovering a failed chainloaded win10 client system

Post by lpmanjaro »

I normally run win10 as a client of a Manjaro based host virtualbox using raw access via a VMDK file.
Recently vbox stopped booting windows and it failed at a "grub>" prompt.
I tried a recover with the following process:
1. insmod chain
2. set root=(hd0,gpt5)
3. chainloader /efi/microsoft/boot/ bootmgfw.efi

This process has worked in the past, but this time I get a failure message of:
"Not a reqular file"
Thats all....back to the grub> prompt.

I can and have booted the windows volume raw standalone, and everything boots ok.

Any thoughts on how to recover from a "not a regular file" ?
scottgus1
Site Moderator
Posts: 20965
Joined: 30. Dec 2009, 20:14
Primary OS: MS Windows 10
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: Windows, Linux

Re: recovering a failed chainloaded win10 client system

Post by scottgus1 »

lpmanjaro wrote:run win10 as a client of a Manjaro based host virtualbox using raw access via a VMDK file.
Recently vbox stopped booting windows and it failed at a "grub>" prompt.
Windows 10 doesn't use grub during boot, and Virtualbox doesn't need grub to run Windows. There's something else going on here. Maybe the physical disk is really a dual-boot with another Linux?
lpmanjaro wrote:this time I get a failure message of:
"Not a reqular file"
Is this message inside the VM in the VM OS text? Or is it a Virtualbox popup?
lpmanjaro
Posts: 55
Joined: 13. May 2021, 18:51

Re: recovering a failed chainloaded win10 client system

Post by lpmanjaro »

It's not a popup, the message is in the client window that opens. My windows client setup (VMDK to a raw metal installation of win10, on the same pc.) does in fact boot from grub, it's a chain boot, ie grub calls the windows boot loader. IIUC.

To answer my own question the fix is to remove a 'space' from the chainloader statement.
IE
step 3 s/b chainloader /efi/microsoft/boot/bootmgfw.efi
|
|
v
No space between the last "/" and "bootmgfw.efi

Now everything works as expected.
scottgus1
Site Moderator
Posts: 20965
Joined: 30. Dec 2009, 20:14
Primary OS: MS Windows 10
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: Windows, Linux

Re: recovering a failed chainloaded win10 client system

Post by scottgus1 »

Thanks for the info. This then appears to not be a Virtualbox problem, but rather a glitch in the VM OS boot setup.
lpmanjaro
Posts: 55
Joined: 13. May 2021, 18:51

Re: recovering a failed chainloaded win10 client system

Post by lpmanjaro »

Its a "glitch" in my 'finger', IE a finger check.....:-)

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