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user2661370 avatar Ubuntu

Installing Ubuntu 21.04 on USB target USB

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user2661370

Tried installing Ubuntu 21.04 from an install USB onto another USB on an Acer Aspire 7 laptop.

Installation froze after about four hours and the laptop had to be powered off.

On rebooting the laptop, it showed a message of one line with a grub prompt underneath. "exit" showed the BIOS screen and returned to that same message with the grub prompt.

The only way out was issuing the following commands in grub: chainloader (hd0,gpt1)/EFI/Boot/Microsoft/bootmgfw.efi boot

There is no Ubuntu on that laptop nor was anything expected to be written onto the Windows 10 SSD but, after the freeze and power off there's this EFI directory with its contents left on the SSD. Not sure if a new partition was created too. The failed install did leave some GBs of stuff on the target USB since that was the target after all. Don't understand why anything was written to the SSD tho'.

Google search suggested removing the ubuntu partition and through diskpart and such but, that sounded scary. Therefore, grub.cfg was modified to now have that single chainloader command within a "Windows 10" menuentry and therefore, on reboot, grub displays "Windows 10" and on Return, loads Windows. (hd0,gpt1) wouldn't be correct while booting from a USB resulting in boot failure.

Q: how to remove grub completely and return to Windows being booted on reboot? Would like the laptop to go back to its original state.

Thanks In Advance. (Please forgive me any violations of any protocol while framing this Q: this the very first time.)

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ChanganAuto avatar
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ChanganAuto
The installer used the current EFI partition (in the internal drive) to save Grub, as it typically does. Not a problem, even if you never use Ubuntu again. You can set the boot order at UEFI Boot menu.
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