Kubuntu install appears to have killed my Windows install

[Xyrhenix]

I do not know where else to put this. I checked the forum descriptions but none seem to be the appropriate place for this.

I installed Kubuntu 17.10 earlier today because I wanted to dual boot it with Windows 10.

I have two 1TB HDDs, and Windows 10 is on one of them while the other was empty. I decided to install Kubuntu to the empty 1TB drive. After double-checking four times, I pressed install. I used "Guided entire disk" on my empty HDD for the install and it installed to the correct drive as expected. Problems started after the install.

The boot loader for Windows 10 wouldn't work. I've no idea why. Checking through Kubuntu's own partition manager and gParted, the original partition which Windows was on now only contains 212mb of data (compared to the 500+gb that was on there before). There are only two readable folders ($RECYCLE.BIN and System Volume Information).

I have checked every partition on the drive where Windows was located, and on all my other drives too.

When I attempted to boot Windows, it would complain saying that C:/Windows/bootsec.exe (or something by that filename, I do not remember what now) was missing. I've mounted each partition on the drive where Windows was (except partition 1) and none of them contain Windows operating files. Partition 1 will not mount for unknown reasons. The file system reads "unknown" and the only info I can see about it is that it's a 100MB partition and it's a boot partition.

Repair-Boot-Disk (on a USB drive, multiple times) both automatic and manual repairs did nothing to fix the problem. This actually stopped the default Windows screen from appearing (the one which would show me bootsec.exe was missing) and instead it now only shows a black screen.

If anyone should need more information please ask. I will provide what is necessary.

Thank you.
~Xyr

[mr_raider]

Open a terminal (konsole):

Enter the following commands, one line at a time and press enter. At the end, a link willl be generated. PAste it here:

[COLOR=#333333][FONT=monospace]sudo add-apt-repository ppa:cematinla/[/FONT][/COLOR][COLOR=#333333][FONT=monospace]bisnext[/FONT][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#333333][FONT=monospace]sudo apt update[/FONT][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#333333][FONT=monospace]sudo apt install smartmontools --no-install-[/FONT][/COLOR][COLOR=#333333][FONT=monospace]recommends[/FONT][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#333333][FONT=monospace]sudo apt install bisnext
[/FONT][/COLOR][COLOR=#333333][FONT=monospace]bisnext --pastebin[/FONT][/COLOR]

[Xyrhenix]

Pastebin link https://paste.debian.net/1009636/

For reference, the Windows 10 install was located on device WDC WD10EZEX-00BN5A0 (or sdc as is displayed in fdisk). It has four partitions.

[mr_raider]

The disk looks intact. You have two bootloaders on both disks which may be confusing boot orders.

My suggestion:

1. Disconnect /dev/sda and sdb from the motherboard.

2. Set your WD drive as first boot in BIOS, see if it boots.

3. If it fails you need a windows 10 installation or restore USB. Either download from MS

https://www.microsoft.com/en-ca/soft...d/windows10ISO

Or make one from another PC.

4. Boot the USB/ISO, and use it to repair the install.

5. Once that is done come back, we will then attack dual booting.

[Xyrhenix]

Apologies for the late response mr_raider. I've been trying various other methods too.

Your method did not work, sad to say. I tried loading in a Windows installation media through bootable USB. System restore could not find a Windows operating system installed, and there was nothing I could do in Command Prompt to fix the problems I was facing.

I moved forward eventually, settling for that the OS is definitely actually gone. I'm not sure what went wrong but something did delete the contents of the drive. Since Saturday evening I've been using photorec to pull files from the WD drive with considerable success. At least 200k files have thus far been recovered with probably a lot more to go. I'm around half way through pass 0 of the WD drive.

[Bings]

I am guessing the "guided entire disk" option on the install nuked your windows data. I never use it for my dual boot as I do so off the same disk but I wouldn't be confident for using it for anything other than a one computer, one OS install. I want to be able to make sure I'm pointing the right things at the right places.

[Henderson Beattie]

[Content removed by Administrator]

[GreyGeek]

In Kubuntu’s defense, if Win10 is truly dead it could be considered a mercy killing.

[oldgeek]

I killed my Windows 10 partition when I installed Kubuntu 18.04 with btrfs. There were no mourners.