Linux Troubleshooting

Fix GRUB bootloader issues on Linux

Get Linux booting again when updates or Windows overwrote the bootloader.

18 min read Advanced Updated 9 Jun 2026

Step-by-step guide

Work through each section in order. Stop when your issue is resolved — you do not need every step for every situation.

Warning

Use a sudo-capable account, keep shell history for audit, and back up critical paths before changing boot, SSH, or package state.

What you will achieve

Get Linux booting again when updates or Windows overwrote the bootloader.

1) Boot from Ubuntu live USB and mount system

sudo fdisk -l
sudo mount /dev/sdXY /mnt

2) Chroot and reinstall GRUB

sudo mount --bind /dev /mnt/dev
sudo mount --bind /proc /mnt/proc
sudo mount --bind /sys /mnt/sys
sudo chroot /mnt
grub-install /dev/sdX
update-grub

3) Reboot and verify boot order

Check UEFI boot order with efibootmgr -v if needed.

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