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2014-11-04 05:05:14

On a Dual Boot Ubuntu and Windows PC How to Modify Grub Boot Menu Screen Resolution

I dual boot Ubuntu 12.04 with Windows 8.1. I found that I can get it to work if I install Windows first, then install Ubuntu second and let ubuntu’s grub boot loader do the work of presenting me on startup with the grub menu of which OS to boot into.

But there’s a problem. I Install Windows, then install Ubuntu and everything is OK *except* that on my monitor I see a screen resolution error *during when it should be displaying the grub boot menu*. With my Compaq Presario with nvidia geforce graphics, with an HP W2072a monitor, the message is: “Input Signal Out of Range Change Settings to 1600×900 -60Hz”.

So I assume the PC is presenting the boot menu to the graphics card and/or monitor *BUT* I can’t see it. At this point, after about 10 seconds, by default it then proceeds to boot into Ubuntu and once Ubuntu loads, I see everything fine on my monitor. At this point, alternatively (before the 10 seconds elapses) I have learned through experience that when the boot screen is comes up (although my monitor is blank so I can’t see the boot menu choices with my eyes) if I press the down arrow on my keyboard four times and press enter, it boots into Windows fine, at which point windows loads the proper graphics software and I can see everything fine on the screen.

In other words its only in the grub boot menu screen that my monitor goes blank. It’s very frustrating to not have the boot screen options show on my monitor!

So anyways, the solution I found is here:
How do I safely change grub2 screen resolution?

In short, in uxterm or any shell, type:

sudo nano /etc/default/grub

Then uncomment this line: (remove the # )

#GRUB_GFXMODE=640×480

Then click ctrl+o, then enter then ctrl+x to save and to exit nano.

Then back in shell type:

sudo update-grub

And hit enter.

Then reboot.

Done!

With this change in place, now when booting the computer it makes the grub menu options come up visible on the screen! (even though it is stretched wide, at least i can see it .) That is how, on a dual boot Ubuntu and Windows PC, to modify the grub boot menu screen resolution.

*2014-12-05 edit: previously published at http://w̶i̶e̶l̶d̶l̶i̶n̶u̶x̶.̶c̶o̶m̶/?p=879
*2015-07-31 edit: edited whitespace to improve this post’s readability


[2020 edit: Moved to: https://i̶n̶v̶e̶s̶t̶o̶r̶w̶o̶r̶k̶e̶r̶.̶c̶o̶m̶/2014/... .html.]