Before I start - From Mint to Kubuntu

[AnthonyL]

Well, we did tell you that if you installed Kubuntu in UEFI mode then your old Windows wouldn't boot, didn't we?
The idea was to install Kubuntu in legacy mode instead.

So, maybe find a way to boot Windows 7 with EFI.
Microsoft say there is a way to do it.
And plenty more to be found out there.

I am not sure if you saw my edit in the previous post - I did disable UEFI before reinstalling. My only uncertainty was which partition to tell Kubuntu to boot from and I selected SDA2 (which is the Windows partitition).

I've now done a Windows repair and am going around in ever decreasing circles as my Windows now works but no Linux, so I've lost GRUB.

I hope none of these programmers are involved in Self driving cars or 737MAX software system design. Sorry, not in a good mood.

[Don B. Cilly]

Yes, apparently Windows will do that if you install it (or re-configure boot) after Linux.
But I would say you're almost there.
If you can get over your not-so-good mood (understandable), and re-re-install Kubuntu now, your Windows should boot alongside it.

[AnthonyL]

Yes, apparently Windows will do that if you install it (or re-configure boot) after Linux.
But I would say you're almost there.
If you can get over your not-so-good mood (understandable), and re-re-install Kubuntu now, your Windows should boot alongside it.

Where should the Linux boot go? /SDA, /SDA2 (Windows) or /SDA3 (Kubuntu)?

Am I better to delete SDA3 or just format it?

Note I need to retain the SDA4 sub partitions. (especially /SDA5)

Or could I just try boot-repair-disk? Seems silly to have to re-install Kubuntu when its obviously a GRUB/boot issue.

[Don B. Cilly]

A boot-repair disk should work. Worth a try, even though re-installing is probably easier.
Boot-EFI partition would be sda7, / (root) sda3, assuming sda8 is for Mint.

If you have to re-install, no need to delete, but the installer will want to to format it anyway, which is OK I guess, you're-installing.

[AnthonyL]

A boot-repair disk should work. Worth a try, even though re-installing is probably easier.
Boot-EFI partition would be sda7, / (root) sda3, assuming sda8 is for Mint.

If you have to re-install, no need to delete, but the installer will want to to format it anyway, which is OK I guess, you're-installing.

Sorry for any confusion I've introduced, the situation is at the moment:

1) BIOS set to Legacy only
2) Windows boot repair carried out and Windows 7 boots fine
3) There is no GRUB menu which disappeared when I did Step 2), so the computer goes straight into Windows
4) The partitions are as they were originally but with Kubuntu installed instead of KDE Mint so:

/dev/sda1 2048 24578047 24576000 11.7G 17 Hidden HPFS/NTFS <======= Win 7 Recovery
/dev/sda2 * 24578048 625139711 600561664 286.4G 7 HPFS/NTFS/exFAT <======= Win 7
/dev/sda3 625139712 1211076607 585936896 279.4G 83 Linux <======= Kubuntu
/dev/sda4 1211076608 1953523711 742447104 354G 5 Extended
/dev/sda5 1252040704 1953523711 701483008 334.5G 7 HPFS/NTFS/exFAT <======= Shared partition
/dev/sda6 1211078656 1252040703 40962048 19.5G 82 Linux swap / Solaris

When I'm asked by Kubuntu, or the Boot repair, where to install Boot or Grub what is my answer?

I presume NOT sda1 or sda2 but do I say /sda or /sda3?

[Don B. Cilly]

You had sda7 which was boot/efi - and might have worked, if you had found a way to tell Windows to boot with it.

So now you seem to have (finally ;·) eliminated UEFI. Try and see if Kubuntu accepts that - by booting in legacy mode/using boot-repair - and if it does, put boot/grub on the same sda3 Kubuntu is .
Hopefully grub will see Windows and give you the option.

If it doesn't... going back to UEFI and using rEFInd as a boot manager worked miracles for me. It might for you too.