Ways To Rescue Grub Or Recover Grub Menu

You started your laptop this fine morning, and Bam! You will see a black screen with the message “Unknown Filesystem” and grub rescue. You’ve arrived at LinuxAndUbunu to learn how to solve this problem, save your valuable data, and boot into Linux normally once more. Let’s go over some grub rescue commands.

Ways To Rescue Or Recover Grub

You might be wondering what happened to the distro. There could be several explanations for this. You may have installed some software, experimented with GRUB2, or used another distro to try dual booting, among other things. Whatever the reason, the GRUB is usually the source of the problem. The methods listed below can help you get your distribution back from the Grub Rescue screen.

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Method 1 To Rescue Grub

  • Type ls and hit enter.
  • You will now see many partitions which are present on your PC. [e.g. (hd0),(hd0,msdos1)(hd0,msdos2)]. Select the partition in which your Linux distro is installed.
  • Assuming that you have installed distro in 2nd option, enter this command set prefix=(hd0,msdos1)/boot/grub  (Tip: – if you don’t remember the partition, try entering the command with every option. If wrong you will get an error message. If right you will proceed)
  • After you’ve found the drive, enter this command insmod normal and then normal.

​Now your PC/Laptop will reboot, and you will be on your desktop. Now hit Ctrl+Alt+T and open the terminal and type sudo update-grub and then sudo grub-install /dev/sda. You may be asked for your password; type it, the password will remain invisible, which is normal.

You may be asked for a data connection if GRUB files are lost and the system wants to download them. Your error is fixed, and the distro is back.

Method 2 To Rescue Grub

  • Get a Live USB stick. I will prefer the Ubuntu Live USB stick.
  • Open terminal after booting up into the live desktop.
  • Mount the root partition by typing /mnt and boot to /mnt/boot and hit enter. [e.g. sudo grub-install –root-directory=/mnt –boot-directory=/mnt/boot /dev/sda]

You should replace /dev/sda with the correct partition or disk. Now update grub by typing sudo update-grub.  It can take some time, so wait. After a successful update, reboot, and voila problem was solved.

Method 3 To Rescue Grub

​If you have dual boot and any of the above steps aren’t working, this might come in handy for you.

  • Get a Windows OS installation DVD, borrow it from your friend or anyone. (Don’t get Windows XP or Vista DVD.)
  • Launch it on your PC and run the installer. This can be done by selecting a boot medium either by pressing F12 or by setting boot order in your bootloader. It can be accessed by pressing F2 or Del. or any key your manufacturer suggests.
  • After all your Windows files are loaded then select repair your computer. Usually, this option appears at bottom of dialog box after selecting a couple of options.
  • If prompted select OS, then in system recovery option choose command prompt. Now enter this command one by one –
bootrec /fixboot
bootrec /fixmbr
  • Now quit setup and reboot the PC/Laptop. The window is restored and has overridden GRUB.

Still, your Linux distro is present there. Only GRUB has overridden. You may again get back it by following method 2 above.

Method 4 To Rescue Grub

sudo add-apt-repository -y ppa:yannubuntu/boot-repair
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install -y boot-repair && boot-repair
  • Boot repair tool will appear. Select the recommended option and follow all steps exactly as it says. Your PC will be repaired and Nothing will be lost.

Remember, repair speed will vary according to your internet connection.

​Pro Tips:-

If you are wondering where to get a Live USB stick, you can visit your friend and download Ubuntu iso and create a bootable USB stick with Rufus and bootable DVD using PowerISO.

You can visit a public place if you need WiFi. There are many places like Airports, Railway Stations, Hospitals offering open wifi. It only helps if you have a Laptop.

If your PC does not support booting from a USB stick and the DVD drive is toasted, you can use Plop boot manager to boot from a USB stick forcefully.

https://askubuntu.com/questions/493826/grub-rescue-problem-after-deleting-ubuntu-partition

https://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1359802

Conclusion

I’m always here to assist you with your computer. If you encounter any difficulties, please join discord server or leave a comment below. Also, if you have a great approach to recover from this circumstance, please leave a comment; I would love to include it in the article. However, despite your best efforts, if you are unable to rescue your laptop or your data is corrupted, we at LinuxAndUbuntu will not be held liable for Angry Mother, Furious Dad, Dead Kitten, or Nuclear War.

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47 Comments Text
  • I had a win10/debian dual boot, with grub launching windows. Debian was freshly installed but I wasn’t happy with it. From win10 partition I formatted the debian partitions and I reset the pc with another debian live usb inserted. I insert UEFI password but there is no grub because I formatted the partition (genius…) I’m stuck in grub rescue> and I dont have any grub to load and I can’t access boot order because I can’t access UEFI without booting windows so my liveUSB is not read. What can I do?

  • There is a dual boot in my system.
    Problem is
    error: unknown filesystem
    Entering rescue mode…
    grub rescue>
    I tried all above method but fail. Help me

    • There is a dual boot in my system.
      Problem is
      error: unknown filesystem
      Entering rescue mode…
      grub rescue>

      I tried all above method but fail. Help me

      • I had the same issue. I deleted the linux from the boot menu after doing the above, saved the changes and restarted and problem is fixed.

  • Help!
    Booted through LiveUSB Ubuntu 19.04.
    But sudo apt install boot-repair fails to find the package … after
    sudo add-apt-repository -y ppa:yannubuntu/boot-repair
    sudo apt-get update
    sudo apt-get install -y boot-repair

    But, could install boot-repair on a bootable Ubuntu USB. However, boot-repair says, “Use LiveUSB” to enable this option when HDD is selected for repair …

    • Hi Sundar,

      I checked the repository and it has boot-repair package for 19.04. Make sure you added the repository correctly. If this step does not work, try another one please and let me know the results.

  • I tried all the ways but did getout from this plz help me to get out of it
    I want to run windows in my pc
    Windows is already installed but not working
    Plz help me for God’s sake
    You can contact me through WhatsApp:8217898147

    • Hi Naveen,

      I can help you out with Linux installation. Tell me if you have setup dual boot or you want to install Linux.

      Thank you!

  • So this is the 2nd time I have had a grub rescue after a Windows update install; I have dual Linux and Windows, my brother put together this PC; he fixed the issue last time, he’s not around, and I would like to try to fix myself. Not expert tech, but I don’t mind learning . . . I tried the Method 1, nothing . . . I don’t know how to create a ISO to DVD. I had one my brother left me, but I cannot find it . . . would appreciate your feedback. I have Windows 10 and Linux Mint

  • I have windows 10 dual with ubuntu and I am suck here at grub rescue
    When asked it says root is msdos6
    All is good until insmod normal when it comes back with no such partition.
    So I am lost now what do I do?

  • Hello, i used method 1, but when i type: insmod normal, i get: error: attempt to read or write outside of disk “hd0”.

    Single boot of peppermint 9 on lenovo Y430 ideapad.

    any ideas, thanks.

    john

  • Hey man,
    I tried the commands like ls and set.
    After using set prefix=(hd0,msdos5)/boot/grub
    and then when I entered insmod normal, it shows
    error: no such partition.

    Help me out, bro.

  • I tried every thing after uninstallation of Ubuntu on my dual boot but after restarting my Lenovo ThinkPad it was showing like grid rescue like that now it directly taking to the ThinkPad setup. What setting to be changed ?

  • I installed kali Linux dual boot with Windows 10 pro n after I merged one of my partition with the kali linux partition after that I restarted my PC then it shows

    “welcome to grub!
    error no such partition
    grub rescue”

    and any boot key is not working it is not allowing me to boot so I couldn’t use kali live and any boot Media and I tried grub rescue commands buy any of the partitions that listed doesn’t have the grub boot but by using “set” command it show the grub bootloader is on other partition that wasn’t show on the listed partitions
    when I try that partition and when I get to “insmod normal” it says “error: no such partition.” please help me

  • I have tried the 1st method but I have checked all the drive that shown on my laptop but it show error, every drive that shown on my laptop, after checked it show unknown file system, I want urgent solution of this.

  • I don’t understand this “Mount the root partition by typing /mnt and boot to /mnt/boot and hit enter. [e.g. sudo grub-install –root-directory=/mnt –boot-directory=/mnt/boot /dev/sda]”

    I don’t know what is a root partition, and the real syntax of “typing /mnt and boot to /mnt, etc…

  • Just a Linux user, not a developer. First time I ever encountered a GRUB issue. Not familiar with GRUB functions or configuration. Yet, following your first method, just blindly typing in the commands provided verbatim I was able to resolve my issue. I cannot thank you enough for sharing this information and providing my solution. Kudos for your clear and complete instructions. Well done!

  • Oh god thanks a lot 4th method worked..I had 2 hard disk i don’t remember which hard disk i installed Ubuntu..In method 4 after installing grub it ask is disk 2 removable device i give yes..

  • Thank you, thank you, thank you. I’d never seen grub_rescue> before, and it was sickening to see.

    Method 1 worked, but only on the 2nd or 3rd try, and here’s why: inconsistent formatting.

    Notice where you have a bold-monospace-font that says “sudo grub-install /dev/sda”

    HEY!

    No really, HEY!!

    Please follow that convention for EVERY command that is to be typed into a console. Not regular paragraph text that might wrap to the next line because it appears to be just rhetoric.

  • I recently decided to donate my 13 year old Core2Duo T5470 notebook to a NGO running a center caring for orphans or single parent kids. The center sponsors these kids education until they graduate and always could do with computers and notebooks, and especially during the current Covid-19 pandemic where their students now mainly study online. I contacted their management and told them that my notebook is currently running Linux (Lubuntu). However, they insisted on Windows OS and MS Office as all their computers are using these and their kids are used to Windows and Office. My notebook could only handle Win7 and not later version. I informed them Win7 is no longer supported by MS but still they insisted on Windows OS.

    I wiped out the HDD and installed Win7. I had forgotten how painful it was to install Win7. Took me 2 days to scourge the internet for 13-year old Win7 drivers, download Win7 and Office updates and cleaned up residual files. My Win7 version was pre-SP1.

    I decided to dual boot it with Peppermint 10 so that the kids can experience Linux. Setting up dual-booting and installing Peppermint 10 was a breeze. Everything worked fine until I decided that GRUB may be too daunting for those kids that haven’t used Linux before.

    I made a series of mistakes from this point (actually I made the first mistake during installation of Peppermint where I accidentally set the boot to Peppermint’s extended partition instead of main partition). I used NeoSmart EasyBCD but it didn’t work as I hadn’t realised then that I have set the GRUB boot in the wrong partition. Not wanting to spend any more time in getting Windows boot-loading screen, I decided to install Primitivistical GRUB theme. Everything was still fine with dual booting at this stage.

    I then decided to uninstall EasyBCD and whatever files it has written in Win7 partition. This was a big mistake. My notebook failed to boot in Win7. Using my Win7 rescue disk didn’t work as the Win7 is now SP1 version. Not wanting to spend another 2 days in reinstalling, I decided to try Boot Repair Disk. It managed to fixed the Win7 booting and reset GRUB. I just reinstall Primitivistical theme.

    Give Boot Repair Disk a try if nothing works.

  • I deleted a now unused partition and expanded the OS partition, Kubuntu 20.04 into the space. Note that the boot partition resides in an Extended Partition. Upon rebooting, I got the infamous “Error: no such partition – Grub Rescue screen. I found a bunch of “solutions” on the ‘net but most looked either sketchy or specific to the posters particular unique problem. Then I found this site. Solution one, quick, easy and the computer is booting again into both versions of Kubuntu I have installed on the machine

    The gparted folks should really fix this bug, it appears to be fairly common.

    Great work – Thanks
    Dave

  • This is a confusing situation. My LAPTOP HP 15 bw0xx will install ubuntu and linux mint CINNAMON with no problems, but when I try to install Linux Mint MATE it states there is a problem with GRUB it gives the following message.
    The GRUB-EFI-AMD64-SIGNED package failed to install
    into /target/.
    Please can you help

  • I Have freshly installed Xubuntu 20.04 but it keeps freezing at the startup , I tried to get grub menue using shift and escape keys but it even don’t work, now don’t know what to do, can anyone help me with that??

  • I love this post! I have been struggling with recovering my grub menu for a while now. This is a great guide!

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