Help! Either Microsoft or Lenovo broke my Linux OS (ability to dual boot)

[doug293cz]

I have been running LInux on my PCs for years as my primary OS. I recently tried to upgrade from Kubuntu 18.04 to a newer version. When I tried to boot to the external DVD drive, it would not boot. It was then, when I tried to boot up in BIOS, I discovered that a "System Password" had been installed (I have no recollection of doing this myself.) I have tried all of the passwords that I can think of that I might have used, but none of them work.

Today I booted into Windows 10 (home version) to see if I could find any information on security settings that related to BIOS passwords (didn't find any.) There were Windows updates available, so I installed them. I also got a pop-up indicating that a BIOS update was available from Lenovo, and I installed it also. Now I can no longer boot into Linux. The GRUB menu no longer appears on boot, and the computer boots directly to Windows, no matter what I try.

Does anyone have any idea what is going on here?

Has anyone experienced Windows updates breaking GRUB?

Thanks,
Doug

 

[DuncB]

Yes I think that is fairly common from my recollection of years ago. Pre GRUB there was something called LILO and that used to get broken by a windows install.
Haven't played with linux for years but recollection that I had to reinstall the linux and the bootloader to do it.
Regarding the BIOS not sure, would a reflash of the bios sort it?


Really think this might be a problem for a linux forum though.

 

[passedpawn]

BIOS hands over execution to the Master Boot Record (MBR), which must be located at a specific place on the disk. I've had this get fouled up and had to fix it in order to get Windows to boot.

I'm sure Linux works the same. I'd look into MBR repair solutions.