Installed Garuda Dragonized Gaming Version on my externall hdd. It works on the laptop I installed it on with the garuda boot menu. but in any other system (and sometimes even on the primary laptop) it says prepareing automatic repair and asks me to troubleshoot the drive.
Hi there, welcome to the forum.
In my opinion it means that when you installed it you placed the GRUB in an EFI System Partition (ESP) in the laptop.
When you attach the externl disk to other machines, their GRUB “does not know anything” about Garuda in the external disk.
You could either try selecting that disk in the BIOS Boot Menu of those machines, or reinstall the GRUB also there (e.g. from Garuda live ISO).
Or you could have created and used an ESP in the external disk, but the other machines boot from their own GRUB, so you should boot the external disk first in the booting order.
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Installing on an external/removable disk requires creating a partition on the external drive for ESP usage, and also installing grub on both the external ESP and the default drive path.
I think you can only do the above with manual installation and with extra actions, after the installer has completed.
Read more for installing grub and on removable
4 Likes
In what OS do i do this? In garuda or windows? I’ve only ever linux experience from ubuntu (installed following a guide), so i’m really not sure what i’m supposed to be doing. So you’re telling me to install this grud so my external drive so it is recognised and i can boot into it? Do i need to reinstall garuda for this or can i do it directly?
How do i GRUB on my external drive with the os? The drive can split into 2 parts (one 500gb and another 390gb). I’ve installed the os on the 390gb segment by just selecting the segment on the installer. How do i get the GRUB onto the drive?
You could create on the external disk a 300MB partition formatted FAT32.
From a live USB, chroot into the system on the external drive.
To chroot, you can use the tool in the live ISO or this tutorial:
From inside chroot mount the newly created partition to /boot/efi and execute
grub-install --target=x86_64-efi --efi-directory=/boot/efi --bootloader-id=garuda --no-nvram --removable
update-grub
3 Likes
Hey i was just looking at the KDE Partition Manager and noticed a 100mb space allocated to “EFI System Partition”. If i’m not confused, isn’t that what i’m supposed to install?
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Yes, and it could be that the GRUB was already installed there.
If so, you could just make sure that the other machines have the external disk as first entry in the boot order.
3 Likes
i’ll try that and get back to you in a bit. I think this might be important so i’m mentioning it, Whenever i go into the boot selection screen, If on the primary laptop where the os was installed, i get 3 options. 1 for my windows on ssd, 2 for garuda interface also on ssd, 3 my actual os on the external hdd. I can click on the 2nd option and i get into a panel with garuda linux and other options. if i click the 3rd option i’m met with “Preparing to repair” msg.
No. Just plug the external drive where it can boot and work properly.
From Garuda, you can re-install grub as suggested (--removable).
No need for chroot, since it works on the laptop 
@VOTMAN boot to Garuda and provide information for your drives/partitions and /etc/fstab contents.
Administering Linux, as a Windows user will be a difficult task.
You need to become a Linux user, for your convenience (reading technical articles).
Else, don’t try things on Linux, that you can’t do on Windows. For example, can you (or have ever done it) install Windows on an external disk drive and then use it on any other computer, without reading technical articles about the required procedures?
3 Likes
Hey i’ve set the external drive as the first entry in the boot sequence but still i’m going into windows trouble shooting. “Preparing Automatic Repair” Page
one moment i’m using the same laptop i run garuda on so i’ll be back in a min with the drive info
Although i would love to completely switch over to linux i dont think i am convinced i will get everything that windows offers to me although paying the price by being data mine.
390 gb is where the os is installed
Yes. Why not? It’s a personal choice after all. 
No big deal paying for hardware and software, and you will never own them. 
2 Likes
Start a terminal (konsole) and run these commands. Then copy and post terminal contents.
grep . /etc/fstab
lsblk -fo +PARTUUID
efibootmgr
2 Likes
NAME FSTYPE FSVER LABEL UUID FSAVAIL FSUSE% MOUNTPOINTS PARTUUID
sda
├─sda1
│ ntfs Windows RE tools D0B005EDB005DB3C 7648caff-1d83-4e9a-838d-a48a51dab8d5
├─sda2
│ vfat FAT32 SYSTEM 3C08-5764 cd5a7933-7a49-427d-a4b1-278c9fa8de1d
├─sda3
│ 4110077f-d1c1-4d96-bc0a-598a9bd68881
├─sda4
│ ntfs E0C6DBA3C6DB786C b90aef66-4e07-4de4-a23d-7366269bc03d
├─sda5
│ ntfs 085C7D3F5C7D2898 b54fdfe8-af06-4aae-9122-973909a9549f
├─sda6
│ btrfs 0d9f8061-6ec3-410f-a580-2e0a3dd1e49b /home e689b12f-266d-4769-ad3e-9a0825fa99eb
└─sda7
ntfs Recovery image 80CC0A9ACC0A8A9C 707ad51e-741a-4728-9bdf-f1c62807fb67
zram0
[SWAP]
nvme0n1
│
├─nvme0n1p1
│ vfat FAT32 SYSTEM 0880-FB96 173.6M 32% /boot/efi af020de1-2772-47fb-b968-a00453318590
├─nvme0n1p2
│ 316da94a-a7ab-4ede-b5cd-7fb989e144dd
├─nvme0n1p3
│ BitLoc 2 69bb6a6b-ee06-43eb-b22e-ae12a22e3c30
└─nvme0n1p4
ntfs 7206BD1906BCDF73 fac11ce3-fc79-432a-90b6-311aac0f7650
BootCurrent: 0000
Timeout: 0 seconds
BootOrder: 0001,0000,0002,0003
Boot0000* Garuda HD(1,GPT,af020de1-2772-47fb-b968-a00453318590,0x800,0x82000)/\EFI\Garuda\grubx64.efi
Boot0001* Windows Boot Manager HD(1,GPT,af020de1-2772-47fb-b968-a00453318590,0x800,0x82000)/\EFI\Microsoft\Boot\bootmgfw.efi57494e444f5753000100000088000000780000004200430044004f0042004a004500430054003d007b00390064006500610038003600320063002d0035006300640064002d0034006500370030002d0061006300630031002d006600330032006200330034003400640034003700390035007d00000026000100000010000000040000007fff0400
Boot0002* Internal Hard Disk PciRoot(0x0)/Pci(0xe,0x0)/NVMe(0x1,AC-E4-2E-00-2A-02-95-CC)/HD(1,GPT,af020de1-2772-47fb-b968-a00453318590,0x800,0x82000)0000424f
Boot0003* USB Drive (UEFI) - WDC WD10JPVX-75JC3T0 1.02 PciRoot(0x0)/Pci(0x14,0x0)/USB(12,0)/HD(2,GPT,cd5a7933-7a49-427d-a4b1-278c9fa8de1d,0xe1800,0x32000)0000424fNAME FSTYPE FSVER LABEL UUID FSAVAIL FSUSE% MOUNTPOINTS PARTUUID
sda
├─sda1
│ ntfs Windows RE tools D0B005EDB005DB3C 7648caff-1d83-4e9a-838d-a48a51dab8d5
├─sda2
│ vfat FAT32 SYSTEM 3C08-5764 cd5a7933-7a49-427d-a4b1-278c9fa8de1d
├─sda3
│ 4110077f-d1c1-4d96-bc0a-598a9bd68881
├─sda4
│ ntfs E0C6DBA3C6DB786C b90aef66-4e07-4de4-a23d-7366269bc03d
├─sda5
│ ntfs 085C7D3F5C7D2898 b54fdfe8-af06-4aae-9122-973909a9549f
├─sda6
│ btrfs 0d9f8061-6ec3-410f-a580-2e0a3dd1e49b /home e689b12f-266d-4769-ad3e-9a0825fa99eb
└─sda7
ntfs Recovery image 80CC0A9ACC0A8A9C 707ad51e-741a-4728-9bdf-f1c62807fb67
zram0
[SWAP]
nvme0n1
│
├─nvme0n1p1
│ vfat FAT32 SYSTEM 0880-FB96 173.6M 32% /boot/efi af020de1-2772-47fb-b968-a00453318590
├─nvme0n1p2
│ 316da94a-a7ab-4ede-b5cd-7fb989e144dd
├─nvme0n1p3
│ BitLoc 2 69bb6a6b-ee06-43eb-b22e-ae12a22e3c30
└─nvme0n1p4
ntfs 7206BD1906BCDF73 fac11ce3-fc79-432a-90b6-311aac0f7650
BootCurrent: 0000
Timeout: 0 seconds
BootOrder: 0001,0000,0002,0003
Boot0000* Garuda HD(1,GPT,af020de1-2772-47fb-b968-a00453318590,0x800,0x82000)/\EFI\Garuda\grubx64.efi
Boot0001* Windows Boot Manager HD(1,GPT,af020de1-2772-47fb-b968-a00453318590,0x800,0x82000)/\EFI\Microsoft\Boot\bootmgfw.efi57494e444f5753000100000088000000780000004200430044004f0042004a004500430054003d007b00390064006500610038003600320063002d0035006300640064002d0034006500370030002d0061006300630031002d006600330032006200330034003400640034003700390035007d00000026000100000010000000040000007fff0400
Boot0002* Internal Hard Disk PciRoot(0x0)/Pci(0xe,0x0)/NVMe(0x1,AC-E4-2E-00-2A-02-95-CC)/HD(1,GPT,af020de1-2772-47fb-b968-a00453318590,0x800,0x82000)0000424f
Boot0003* USB Drive (UEFI) - WDC WD10JPVX-75JC3T0 1.02 PciRoot(0x0)/Pci(0x14,0x0)/USB(12,0)/HD(2,GPT,cd5a7933-7a49-427d-a4b1-278c9fa8de1d,0xe1800,0x32000)0000424fIt seems you forgot the first command (while posting the rest in double).
Post the missing command output.
Format terminal output in the forum post, using preformatted button (or select all and press Ctrl+E).
NAME FSTYPE FSVER LABEL UUID FSAVAIL FSUSE% MOUNTPOINTS PARTUUID
sda
├─sda1 ntfs Windows RE tools D0B005EDB005DB3C 7648caff-1d83-4e9a-838d-a48a51dab8d5
├─sda2 vfat FAT32 SYSTEM 3C08-5764 cd5a7933-7a49-427d-a4b1-278c9fa8de1d
├─sda3 4110077f-d1c1-4d96-bc0a-598a9bd68881
├─sda4 ntfs E0C6DBA3C6DB786C b90aef66-4e07-4de4-a23d-7366269bc03d
├─sda5 ntfs 085C7D3F5C7D2898 b54fdfe8-af06-4aae-9122-973909a9549f
├─sda6 btrfs 0d9f8061-6ec3-410f-a580-2e0a3dd1e49b /home e689b12f-266d-4769-ad3e-9a0825fa99eb
└─sda7 ntfs Recovery image 80CC0A9ACC0A8A9C 707ad51e-741a-4728-9bdf-f1c62807fb67
zram0 [SWAP]
nvme0n1
├─nvme0n1p1 vfat FAT32 SYSTEM 0880-FB96 173.6M 32% /boot/efi af020de1-2772-47fb-b968-a00453318590
├─nvme0n1p2 316da94a-a7ab-4ede-b5cd-7fb989e144dd
├─nvme0n1p3 BitLocker 2 69bb6a6b-ee06-43eb-b22e-ae12a22e3c30
└─nvme0n1p4 ntfs 7206BD1906BCDF73 fac11ce3-fc79-432a-90b6-311aac0f7650
BootCurrent: 0000
Timeout: 0 seconds
BootOrder: 0001,0000,0002,0003
Boot0000* Garuda HD(1,GPT,af020de1-2772-47fb-b968-a00453318590,0x800,0x82000)/\EFI\Garuda\grubx64.efi
Boot0001* Windows Boot Manager HD(1,GPT,af020de1-2772-47fb-b968-a00453318590,0x800,0x82000)/\EFI\Microsoft\Boot\bootmgfw.efi57494e444f5753000100000088000000780000004200430044004f0042004a004500430054003d007b00390064006500610038003600320063002d0035006300640064002d0034006500370030002d0061006300630031002d006600330032006200330034003400640034003700390035007d00000026000100000010000000040000007fff0400
Boot0002* Internal Hard Disk PciRoot(0x0)/Pci(0xe,0x0)/NVMe(0x1,AC-E4-2E-00-2A-02-95-CC)/HD(1,GPT,af020de1-2772-47fb-b968-a00453318590,0x800,0x82000)0000424f
Boot0003* USB Drive (UEFI) - WDC WD10JPVX-75JC3T0 1.02 PciRoot(0x0)/Pci(0x14,0x0)/USB(12,0)/HD(2,GPT,cd5a7933-7a49-427d-a4b1-278c9fa8de1d,0xe1800,0x32000)0000424fNAME FSTYPE FSVER LABEL UUID FSAVAIL FSUSE% MOUNTPOINTS PARTUUID
sda
├─sda1 ntfs Windows RE tools D0B005EDB005DB3C 7648caff-1d83-4e9a-838d-a48a51dab8d5
├─sda2 vfat FAT32 SYSTEM 3C08-5764 cd5a7933-7a49-427d-a4b1-278c9fa8de1d
├─sda3 4110077f-d1c1-4d96-bc0a-598a9bd68881
├─sda4 ntfs E0C6DBA3C6DB786C b90aef66-4e07-4de4-a23d-7366269bc03d
├─sda5 ntfs 085C7D3F5C7D2898 b54fdfe8-af06-4aae-9122-973909a9549f
├─sda6 btrfs 0d9f8061-6ec3-410f-a580-2e0a3dd1e49b /home e689b12f-266d-4769-ad3e-9a0825fa99eb
└─sda7 ntfs Recovery image 80CC0A9ACC0A8A9C 707ad51e-741a-4728-9bdf-f1c62807fb67
zram0 [SWAP]
nvme0n1
├─nvme0n1p1 vfat FAT32 SYSTEM 0880-FB96 173.6M 32% /boot/efi af020de1-2772-47fb-b968-a00453318590
├─nvme0n1p2 316da94a-a7ab-4ede-b5cd-7fb989e144dd
├─nvme0n1p3 BitLocker 2 69bb6a6b-ee06-43eb-b22e-ae12a22e3c30
└─nvme0n1p4 ntfs 7206BD1906BCDF73 fac11ce3-fc79-432a-90b6-311aac0f7650
BootCurrent: 0000
Timeout: 0 seconds
BootOrder: 0001,0000,0002,0003
Boot0000* Garuda HD(1,GPT,af020de1-2772-47fb-b968-a00453318590,0x800,0x82000)/\EFI\Garuda\grubx64.efi
Boot0001* Windows Boot Manager HD(1,GPT,af020de1-2772-47fb-b968-a00453318590,0x800,0x82000)/\EFI\Microsoft\Boot\bootmgfw.efi57494e444f5753000100000088000000780000004200430044004f0042004a004500430054003d007b00390064006500610038003600320063002d0035006300640064002d0034006500370030002d0061006300630031002d006600330032006200330034003400640034003700390035007d00000026000100000010000000040000007fff0400
Boot0002* Internal Hard Disk PciRoot(0x0)/Pci(0xe,0x0)/NVMe(0x1,AC-E4-2E-00-2A-02-95-CC)/HD(1,GPT,af020de1-2772-47fb-b968-a00453318590,0x800,0x82000)0000424f
Boot0003* USB Drive (UEFI) - WDC WD10JPVX-75JC3T0 1.02 PciRoot(0x0)/Pci(0x14,0x0)/USB(12,0)/HD(2,GPT,cd5a7933-7a49-427d-a4b1-278c9fa8de1d,0xe1800,0x32000)0000424f