here is the link: Ubuntu Pastebin
Zorin 15.3 is on sda2
I believe secure boot is disabled, I need to close down the live disk to check now
and I also believe it was installed as legacy.
It was originally Win 7 one of our team machines, I wiped the disk and installed Zorin shortly before Win 7 became unsupported.
You can check this in BIOS Settings while checking Secure Boot. The computer may be EFI capable, but if you installed as Legacy, MBR, not EFI, will manage boot.
It gets worse.
Attempting to access BIOS fails.
It used to be either F2 or F12.
Start up begins with the ACER logo, then, no mater how fast I am we get:
error: file "/boot/grub/x86_64- efi/normal .mod" not found.
Entering rescue mode
grub rescue> -
I am very confused right now, but I can't help feeling that if I can install grub 2 into (where) sda2) - then boot repair will work. Currently it seems there is no grub to repair?
Also, unless I dreamed it I am certain sure that using the live disk set up here used to have "system set up" as an option to the test, install Zorin etc- THAT used to lead to BIOS.
Unfortunately my own desk top is now in emergency mode- I don't have time to deal with that yet so I can't look and see what that set up was. Although a totally different machine so probably apples and oranges~
It's ok - you have options. 
This helps as it is the clue...
Ok, thnx awfully- I will try that but not right now.
I need to go out and find a wall to bang my head on.
Just out of idle curiosity I took out the grub boot flag form the EFI and it reverted to MSTdata or similar.
I have the idea knocking in my brain that one of the Linux (zorin?) installs I did here a few years back failed because I had to set up a small partition as efi. I remember because I thought it weird as only Windows used EFI.
Now I know better.
But I digress.
Maybe see you tomorrow with GREAT news.
"morning, at least for m3.
Well, sort of great news.
Using the terminal commands from above link I fail with:
grub-install: error: cannot find EFI directory.
Searching the web consensus is that different distros place efi directory in differing places. Rather than mess around experimenting and possibly (very likely) exacerbate the situation - does anyone have a quick and dirty way to fix this for Zorin please?
I sense the excitement of a kill here~
**
Ignore this post for the time being
**
UPDATE
Just looking for guidance / reassurance here!
Have confirmed via bios disk is Legacy with no security control or whatever.
Have removed all partitions except SDA2 which I have confirmed contains the original 15.3 OS.
Boot repair claims GPT detected, yet system is confirmed legacy.
Therefore, is it possible that the copy of the live disk I am using is GPT?
Might this account for the issues I am having?
Currently the live disk is formatted Fat to use in all systems.
(it always has been and to date has never presented any issues)
My "instinct" is to wipe the disk, reformat and reload Zorin 15.3 to test.
However, instinct is not always a good idea in IT problem solving!
So, before I go ahead, any feed back would be appreciated.
No hurry, I have a meeting soon - will be away for a few hours.
Cheers
Bic
An update from this post
In brief, system is a legacy 5 year old ACER notebook with security turned off.
Began with a regular "Sorry Zorin has experienced some error etc."
I had been getting this message for several months and decided Boot repair was the answer.
Boot repair initially asked for terminal commands, which failed with holding broken packages. BR closed leaving me grubless. After help from @Aravisian and surfing, BR eventually stated the system was GPT and to add a 1+ esp partition.
I duly did so, BR seemed happy.
Now I am stuck with the no media error.
After a day of searching and experimenting I am still stuck.
Seems two ideas:
1/ Bootloader not being read / missing
2/ dead drive - hope not, it is only circa 18 months old with a few dozen use hours
My impression was BR DID install grub2
Is it possible that somehow I have messed up the ESP partion (at the start of SDA2 and system is trying to read from that?
So before I do this for the nth time, can some kind, wise soul please link me to a site with pictures that shows me step by step, holding hands, how to set up this wretched SEP partition. ( although I still can't see why I need it when I did not before and the system is Legacy!)
Cheers
bic
Please don't double post the same question in different sections. The Mods have enough post to read and address without having to misdirect their FREE HELP needlessly.
I unfortunately don't have a answer for you at this time but will look via search if I can help more.
On that point I agree with you @Bubby and like the mods and team my time too is valuable and so a quick clean solution is better for all concerned.
However I saw it as a different topic as the issue was no longer related to boot repair as such but trying to partition the drive - and, in my mind, more of a specific Zorin install question than a general one.
I reached this viewpoint as I had searched the forum looking for similar questions and had noted one had been posted there previously- ref a Dell and what appeared to be a bug at the time. So not relevant to me.
I believed, obviously erroneously, that starting a new topic in a more targeted section rather than extending the original would make life easier, not more difficult. For everyone. The link back was more of a courtesy for anyone who felt they needed background -NOT an attempt to double post as you infer.
I have a business where we also provide support and help to clients and personally, I dislike posts that meander over several different issues, I find it hard to follow. But that's just me.
However if I have strayed over some line and created extra workload I unreservedly apologise but stress, it was not intentional
Bic
Thanks for that, much appreciated.
However, just to clarify, I have spent some time searching myself - there is a wealth of info there, BUT each one I have read eventually reaches the WARNING: this will erase all data.
That is what I am trying to avoid.
So I am not asking people to search for me, just shoot me any links they may already know - with pictures is better, I understand better that way.
Cheers
Bic
Your reasons are sound and there can be a lot of varied ideas about what makes a new thread and what makes a post relevant to an existing one. I have plenty of thoughts on this, myself.
Speaking of which thread offers what:
Your drive is quite honestly, behaving in some unexpected ways in union with your motherboard. The fault of understanding could be mine...
Hard drives do not need to be old or well used to develop issues. The armature is seated within microns of a spinning disk and a slight bump can be far more damaging than people realize.
If this was me...
I would hook that drive up to another functional computer and pull all the personal data off of it.
Then go for an erase and clean partition and setup.
If booting in Legacy and if your LiveUSB is set to Legacyboot, your EFI partition should be simply irrelevant. A bad sector or corrupted bootloader could be causing you issues. Trying to work around that is far more work than extracting the data and going for a fresh start.
Exactly, and under different circumstances I would be reaching that point now.
BUT!
If you recall our first meeting, I am not the sort who gives up easily. I tend to stick at a puzzle until I solve it or can honestly say it ain't gunna happen!
At this point, I have lent the woman ours (identical 'cept it works) so she at least is in business. I have a working AIO machine here which I am using as my #1 Desk Top still has the silly, inconsistent habit of jumping into emergency mode 98% bootups.
I agree re disks so am keeping an open mind, but am still more inclined to corrupt or no boot loader, which is why I want to make 120% sure I have set the ESP partition up right.
It's a hybrid drive so am wary of running it in any other systems.
I can see HOME in both DISKS and the live drive so I may try to pull off the HOME or T/f it to another portable ssd here, then try a clean install.
Anyway, I see I have another message re partitioning so i will read through that and yours carefully and try to establish if it is actually user (mine) error or dead drive.
As always cheers for your help.
p
Just did another BR check.
I am not the expert, but isn't this telling me that bootloader is not and can not be installed using this tool?
Can you clarify which is /sda and which is /sdc?
No boot loader is installed in the MBR of /dev/sda.
Syslinux MBR (5.00 and higher) is installed in the MBR of /dev/sdc.
It looks like /sdc is a USB device:
sdc1 * 2048 7858175 7856128 3.8G c W95 FAT32 (LBA)
It says that Linux is installed on /sda2.
Hi, SDA2 is definitely the main drive holding 15.3 Zorin so, my guess is SDc is the live disk, or USB stick?
I was just going by the "print our" that BR gave me at the end - it begins with something that says no boot loader installed, and then, right at very end, it concludes with something like boot loader isn't and can't be installed using this tool
Thanks for the link to 337 Harvey's post, I have read a few of his, most are rather good. But like most of those on line, it seems to me he is assuming a blank partition, whereas mine holds the O/S. If I proceed then I delete the O/S which kinda defeats the purpose!
So, although I can add a partition BEFORE the main section, I end up having to chose some format whereas BR states to leave it unformatted. So clearly, I am doing something wrong as I am sure the system is going into the first 2MB partition, finding nothing and spitting back NO O/S installed, etc.
I am going to take a break away from this and tomorrow will try to sort the" you are in emergency mode" as it is vital to me that my main machine is working. because I have to publish Monday. I might end up back here with another post- - that will probably irritate Bubby.
Have a good night .... or whatever.
p
P/s who designed the sensor tool here-- I mis spelt boot ending with and L and was told that word is not allowed. Same as an earlier post where I used the Russian word for Russian person, maybe someone needs to check the dictionary from time to time or get their mind out of the gutter?
boo*
noun (2)
Definition of boo* (Entry 2 of 4)
British
booed; booing; boo*s
Definition of boo* (Entry 3 of 4)
British
: GOOF sense 2realised that he had boo*ed by paying too much.
Your post contains multiple words that aren't allowed: boo* boo**, booed, booed;, booing;, boo
Certain words get filtered that are considered slang offenses, or insults, derogatory terms or slurs. This does not mean that those words are intended that way by the poster and the Word Filter is automated.
The premise was that the ZorinGroup wanted to ensure that the forum was easily a Family Friendly atmosphere.
The word filter also seems to run afoul of everyone - self included.
There have been times that it caused me to catch a typo because that typo happened to somewhat humorously resemble a bad word.
While the initial word filter list was pretty extensive, it has been whittled down over time, with a large number of words removed from it. The posters here seem generally less inclined to throw slurs or uh... shall we say... flirting... that is prevalent on gaming sites and the like that the Word Filter may generally apply to.
Is your EFI partition only 2megs in size?
Sure. I am all for Utopia, Camelot and a sophisticated, polite, friendly, considerate Zorin community, and I understand the why's how's and wherefore's of the filter. Just wondering though if this might be better community monitored rather than an automated bot? Help build a sense of community?
Is your EFI partition only 2megs in size
Affirmative, sort of 'cept it isn't an EFI, t'was a GTP, as per Boot Repair's request: a greater than 1MB unformated partition at start.
But, moot point now as it is solved, have marked it as such. Not sure how, I have around 18 pages of notes I took but somehow ??? Anyway, I confirmed the woman had everything she want backed up from home folder, ran BR, no complaints, then reinstalled.
I will never know for sure but I believe I know how the EFI became part of the mix.
Usually i chose something else and partition my own drive.
Originally it was a straight forward wipe of the old Win 7 and install Zorin to the entire 500GB disk.
The previous install in a hurry to help, I just chose, install along side and let the machine do its thing.
The other day, after everything was sorted I went back to do a "chose something else " install.
After setting the entire disk for Zorin an error popped up warning me I need to set an EFI or GPT partition else install would fail.
I have NEVER had that come up before, so I ignored it.
Anyway, to cut what is already too long, I am guessing when I did the "Install alongside" option, that EFI partition was auto installed.
So, the system was seeing an EFI whilst my USB was not. I dunno, but in case anyone else runs into this - hope that helps.
For now, it is closed, over and out!
Cheers
P/s, and so far, the disk seems OK, spend all day yesterday and today loading closing loading closing and running some heavy apps- -still OK!
Possibly and with more volunteers and helpers, that may work out.
The word filter can be trying, at times. I have been blocked by the thing a few times, too.
When there are no helpers currently logge din, it helps to have that fail-safe in place.
Personally, I have learned over time on the forum, that I benefit from a little pressure to put more thought into what I post.
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