GRUB auto launching into SteamOS, can't access bios.

[Mia]

So I'm having an issue I can't seem to solve. I currently have SteamOS and Windows 8.1 installed on seperate hard drives. When I boot up my computer GRUB auto launches SteamOS and doesn't allow me to select windows. I also can't seem to access bios. Removing the SteamOS hard drive doesn't work either because it still tries to boot into SteamOS and just remains at a black screen when it can. Really annoying, was wondering if anyone has any idea whats going on here?

[lev258]

Grub doesn't have to do anything with BIOS, it loads only after the screen where you can enter BIOS. I think your problem lies with UEFI and Windows 8.1. As far as I know, with UEFI you can choose what to boot. Maybe something went wrong when installing on a two HDD system. Usually, it is advised to disconnect the one, that is needed for the install and only connect after you are finished. My guess is you have to fix the boot of Windows and then reinstall Grub to the Steam OS HDD (it might have been installed on the Windows one).

[Zένø™ 👌]

disconnect steam os drive,boot into windows,solved

[POINTS:]

You can run a live disk of Ubuntu or gparted and run boot-repair on it. Instructions are here: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Boot-Repair although I never tried it on SteamOS. SteamOs has its own repair disk but it might wipe your Windows 8 install!

Also, I think SteamOS sets the boot delay in GRUB to 1 second. It's really short but you should be able to select Windows if you are fast enough. I think Valve has the boot delay set to be short because they wanted the system to boot faster and don't expect as many dual boot systems.

I think you can change the timeout like this. (This works on Ubuntu. I'm not 100% sure it is the same on SteamOS.)
After booting into SteamOS, switch to a console login, e.g.

Ctrl + Shift + F2

Login in using the desktop username. I think the password is blank unless you set it already. You may need to set the password with the 'passwd' command. Edit the GRUB config with:

sudo nano /etc/default/grub

Change the timeout to 10 seconds:

GRUB_TIMEOUT=10

Exit nano with Ctrl + x and select save. Then update the GRUB config with:

sudo update-grub2

You might need to run update-grub instead. Once you reboot, you will a little longer to select an OS.

[GoatPimp]

i cant access bios too, my usb wont boot. tried to change timeout, it just shows the grub, tried mounting from grub with 1.99 commands... how do i remove this garbage?????

[borg_7_of_9]

SteamOS should not stop you getting into bios
unless your PC is just sleeping and not actually shut down..
Try a HARD shut down and restart and press witch ever key it is to get into your BIOS

Assuming you Installed SteamOS with the windows drive disconnected.
try this from a terminal..
sudo update-grub
grub should find windows and give you the option to add it.
Then you should get the Grub boot menu

FWIW last time I came across a PC that I couldn't access bios I had to use an old PS2 Keyboard - turned out the idiots turned of USB support in the BIOS update that I installed.. - Just had to enable USB in BIOS n save..

[directhex]

Right.

To confirm, it still attempts to load SteamOS, with that drive disconnected? It sounds like:

a) You have UEFI, not BIOS

b) You installed SteamOS via UEFI, with your Windows drive disconnected

Can you confirm these details?

[borg_7_of_9]

Originally posted by directhex:

Right.

To confirm, it still attempts to load SteamOS, with that drive disconnected? It sounds like:

a) You have UEFI, not BIOS

b) You installed SteamOS via UEFI, with your Windows drive connected

Can you confirm these details?

technically UEFI is just a glorified BIOS - there both a basic input output system to get things rolling..
So A really doesn't matter

B) Assuming custom install with windows Grub should still give the option to select the OS but it pays to hit a key as it's to fast - although using sudo update-grub seams to give a bit more time to select the OS 5 sec iirc..

As for no UEFI/BIOS access theres something else going on IMO

[GoatPimp]

Tried everything you said. My bios splash screen shows up, say to presss f2 for bios menu, i press f2 says please wait and boots into grub....

[GoatPimp]

im not a noob with linux

[GoatPimp]

samsung e300

[lev258]

Try pressing before. As others said, Grub won't keep you from entering BIOS (is starts loading after the BIOS part is done on the computer). But you still have to act before it starts loading.

[directhex]

Originally posted by borg_7_of_9:

technically UEFI is just a glorified BIOS - there both a basic input output system to get things rolling..
So A really doesn't matter

They have 0 bytes of commonality in how they boot a system. Information relevant to one has NOTHING to do with information relevant to the other. I can think of a three different causes if this is happening on a UEFI system, and one totally different one for BIOS.

B) Assuming custom install with windows Grub should still give the option to select the OS but it pays to hit a key as it's to fast - although using sudo update-grub seams to give a bit more time to select the OS 5 sec iirc..

Upstream SteamOS will not do that, if the Windows drive was not connected when the system was installed. The installer will default to 0 timeout auto-booting SteamOS, unless it believes you are dual-booting. It will only believe that if it detects more than one OS at install time. I put the logic in there myself.

https://github.com/steamos-community/stephensons-rocket/blob/alchemist/post_install.sh#L90-L114

As for no UEFI/BIOS access theres something else going on IMO

Again, not true.

UEFI makes it possible for GRUB to have an actual entry for "please go into firmware settings", BIOS does not.

UEFI also makes it possible for the firmware to skip loading of USB drivers at boot time ("Fast Boot" option), which would make it impossible to enter the firmware setup from that screen via keyboard press - whereas on BIOS it simply might not have finished loading the keyboard driver at the given moment and you typically only get a fraction of a second when the firmware is listening to the firmware setup key, so you have to mash it repeatedly rather than just pressing when prompted.

[GoatPimp]

so smashing is the only way? same tought here.

[directhex]

Originally posted by goatpimp:

so smashing is the only way? same tought here.

You still haven't answered a single useful question, you've just sat & moaned & flailed.

BIOS or UEFI? Dual-boot or not?

[GoatPimp]

Originally posted by directhex:

Originally posted by goatpimp:

so smashing is the only way? same tought here.

You still haven't answered a single useful question, you've just sat & moaned & flailed.

BIOS or UEFI? Dual-boot or not?

didn`t see the question. not dual boot. it was an install with the whole drive. and it is uefi, i think.