Cannot boot into Windows from Linux

[ms_meme]

I did the recent update last weekend.  I mention that because the problem seemed to occur after that update.

Last Tuesday I booted into Windows from my Linux.  I left the room as I knew there would be updates and it would take a bit of time.  When I returned the screen was gray.  I wiggled the mouse....thinking the screen had just gone off due to a time set. The mouse pointer moved....but the screen was still gray.  I did ctrl/backspace/delete things, but nothing revived it.  I ended up just turning off the computer.


When I restarted, I booted into Windows instead of going to Linux first. I concluded I had just done something when the mis-boot to Windows from Linux happened and thought no more about it.

Today I again was in Linux and rebooted and chose Windows.  I did not leave the room and saw the same thing happening.  Gray screen appeared.  Nothing to do but turn off computer.  Then after restarting I went directly to Windows and had no problem reaching it.

I have not tried a third time as I don't like shutting off the computer that way.

To summarize: It seems I can't reboot to Windows after having been in Linux first.
But I can boot into Windows if I choose that option first.

(I recently asked for help on another issue. My helper wasn't sure of my knowledge level.  So I want to clarify that on a scale of 1-10, I am about a 1 and a quarter.  I will try to and think I can follow the given directions.  Just one request: Please don't send me to the briar patch bios. )

I am running KDE.

[smcs_steve]

Last Tuesday I booted into Windows from my Linux.  I left the room as I knew there would be updates and it would take a bit of time.  When I returned the screen was gray.  I wiggled the mouse....thinking the screen had just gone off due to a time set. The mouse pointer moved....but the screen was still gray.  I did ctrl/backspace/delete things, but nothing revived it.  I ended up just turning off the computer.

Hello ms_meme ,

Did you boot cold to Windows or boot via a Linux restart?  
Try doing a full shutdown of Linux and then cold start the GRUB launch and choose Windows and see if that differs...
This may be a memory (RAM) issue.
>Steve

[ms_meme]

Last Tuesday I booted into Windows from my Linux.  I left the room as I knew there would be updates and it would take a bit of time.  When I returned the screen was gray.  I wiggled the mouse....thinking the screen had just gone off due to a time set. The mouse pointer moved....but the screen was still gray.  I did ctrl/backspace/delete things, but nothing revived it.  I ended up just turning off the computer.

Hello ms_meme ,

Did you boot cold to Windows or boot via a Linux restart?  
Try doing a full shutdown of Linux and then cold start the GRUB launch and choose Windows and see if that differs...
This may be a memory (RAM) issue.
>Steve

I will try to answer....as I understand.
When I tried to get to Windows the 1st time, I was in Linux.  Chose restart and when the menu appeared I chose the Windows option.  I could not reach Windows.......only the gray screen......Therefore had to unplug.

When I tried to get to Windows the 2nd time, the computer was completely off......as I had to turn it off.  I guess this is the cold boot.  And I could reach Windows .... without going near Linux.

The above happened twice.

**I am not sure what you mean by

Try doing a full shutdown of Linux and then cold start the GRUB launch and choose Windows and see if that differs...

How is this different from what I have been doing?

[Meemaw]

He means if you are in Linux and want to go to Windows, don't pick "Restart Computer' ...  shut down the computer. Then turn on the computer and see if you can boot into Windows without getting the grey screen.

Let us know if that works without the grey screen.....

 

[ms_meme]

He means if you are in Linux and want to go to Windows, don't pick "Restart Computer' ...  shut down the computer. Then turn on the computer and see if you can boot into Windows without getting the grey screen.

Let us know if that works without the grey screen.....

 

Isn't that what I said I did?  The computer is completely off.......as opposed to partly off.....   and I just start up like I from dead.

[ms_meme]

Let's see ..... ichase, joechimp and archie were talking about doors in the PCLinuxOS Magazine topic.

So my problem must be something like doors.  There is a door that I go out IF I shut down from Linux.  Then there is a door that I go out IF I shut down from Windows. And while these doors when shut lead me to the same place, they are actually different doors.

So while I did get back to Windows from the cold boot..dead computer start.., it wasn't right because I had exited from and started up from the wrong door.

So this time since I am in Linux I will exit from the Linux Door...and come to a dead computer.  And when I do this (tomorrow morning) I will just choose the Windows option..........As I did before from a dead start......although I had exited to the dead computer from the wrong door.

Makes sense to me.

[Bald Brick]

The computer is completely off.......as opposed to partly off.....    and I just start up like I from dead.

Yes, but it's only completely off for a second or so. If you wait a bit longer you are supposed to increase chance of everything being really dead. I sometimes count to ten before I restart the machine.

[ms_meme]

The computer is completely off.......as opposed to partly off.....    and I just start up like I from dead.

Yes, but it's only completely off for a second or so. If you wait a bit longer you are supposed to increase chance of everything being really dead. I sometimes count to ten before I restart the machine.

I count to 300 or the equivalent amount of time to go and warm a cup of coffee. 

[ms_meme]

Last Tuesday I booted into Windows from my Linux.  I left the room as I knew there would be updates and it would take a bit of time.  When I returned the screen was gray.  I wiggled the mouse....thinking the screen had just gone off due to a time set. The mouse pointer moved....but the screen was still gray.  I did ctrl/backspace/delete things, but nothing revived it.  I ended up just turning off the computer.

Hello ms_meme ,

Did you boot cold to Windows or boot via a Linux restart?  
Try doing a full shutdown of Linux and then cold start the GRUB launch and choose Windows and see if that differs...
This may be a memory (RAM) issue.
>Steve

This morning (after a full shutdown of Linux last night) I did a cold start and chose Windows. It booted into Windows.  (I do feel like this was the same thing I reported doing yesterday.)

Although I did not retry it this morning......the problem seems to be that I cannot boot into Windows when I have already booted into Linux.  When I warm boot from Linux to Windows, I get the gray screen and can't seem to get out of it.  I therefore have to turn off the power supply, wait a few minutes and restart and then am able to choose the Windows option and am successful.

[Bald Brick]

Yes, but have you tried doing a normal shutdown, waiting for ten or twenty seconds, and then rebooting? I don't think you should have to hit the power button in between. Just clicking "Restart Computer" will power down, but possibly not for long enough.

[ms_meme]

Yes, but have you tried doing a normal shutdown, waiting for ten or twenty seconds, and then rebooting? I don't think you should have to hit the power button in between. Just clicking "Restart Computer" will power down, but possibly not for long enough.

I truly don't understand what you mean.  I am willing to do about anything.......but I don't seem to be doing what is suggested.

[Bald Brick]

Well, a true cold boot seems to work: shutting down, turning off the power, waiting a few minutes, turning on the power, and rebooting.

And a normal reboot obviously doesn't. (Clicking "Restart Computer" in the "Leave..." or "Shutdown..." dialogues. Which means that it most probably wouldn't work from the CLI either.)

I just suggested a compromise: clicking "Turn Off Computer" (instead of "Restart Computer") in the "Leave..." dialogue, and then waiting for a short while to make certain that the memory is empty before rebooting.

It is possible that you have to turn off the power before you can boot into Windows. I just thought it unlikely -- while it is quite likely that a normal reboot simply doesn't keep the computer powered down for long enough before restarting it.

[ms_meme]

Well, a true cold boot seems to work: shutting down, turning off the power, waiting a few minutes, turning on the power, and rebooting.

And a normal reboot obviously doesn't. (Clicking "Restart Computer" in the "Leave..." or "Shutdown..." dialogues. Which means that it most probably wouldn't work from the CLI either.)

I just suggested a compromise: clicking "Turn Off Computer" (instead of "Restart Computer") in the "Leave..." dialogue, and then waiting for a short while to make certain that the memory is empty before rebooting.

It is possible that you have to turn off the power before you can boot into Windows. I just thought it unlikely -- while it is quite likely that a normal reboot simply doesn't keep the computer powered down for long enough before restarting it.

OK.......

So ......in other words.....you really aren't suggesting anything for me to do?   As I think I have done it all.   
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Since it has worked in the past, there is probably a solution.  And I am sure somebody is working on it right now and at any moment will post it and all will be well. 

[Was_Just19]

Maybe I could inject some further confusion here ......

There are essentially three different means of getting to boot Windows

reboot from Linux ......  Linux shuts down its self and immediately boots Windows ...  no power changes

shutdown Linux .....  power is switched off to most of the PC .....  and then press the 'on' button to power up again and boot into Windows

cold boot .......  where regardless of what has occurred previously, the power is completely withdrawn from the PC, similar to pulling the power cord from the mains socket. If the PSU has an on/off switch on the rear of the PC, then using that would have a similar effect.

So there is a difference between
reboot ....  no power off
switch off .... PC powered down
power disconnected ...  PC power pulled completely



You might try cold booting (from power disconnected) into WIn -- and then rebooting (no power off) Win -- to ensure that it works OK.

Knowing that will help narrow the problem hopefully.

[Bald Brick]

So ......in other words.....you really aren't suggesting anything for me to do?   As I think I have done it all.  

Not if you have tried everything. I just didn't know exactly what you had done.

(It seems that just clicking "Restart Computer" doesn't power down completely. If it did the system wouldn't know that it should reboot.)

It is quite possible that you could reboot into Windows by using the magic SysRq keys, but you wouldn't want to do that every time. Turning off the power after a shutdown is much easier.
 

Edit: It appears that Just19 explained everything much better.