Grub is not loading properly

Question

So, I am fiddling with a Windows 7 and Linux Mint 15 dual boot setup for hours now. I have the following hardware setup:

HD1: 15GB SSD, unpartitioned
HD2: 1TB Disc
     Part 1 (sdb1): 100GB NTFS with Windows 7
     Part 2 (sdb2): 100GB Linux Mint
     Rest unpartitioned

I installed Windows 7 first and it boots just fine. I then installed Linux Mint, which brings Grub, and ran into the following problem: Before the grub device list appears, the screen stays black and the fan starts spinning heavily. So it somehow hangs somewhere while loading grub. I did try to partition everything cleanly (including setting new partition tables) and I did try to rewrite the MBR several times.

Just now, I downloaded the Ubuntu security remix as suggested here, wrote it onto a USB drive and tried booting it: Despite the fact that it doesn't work, it now shows the Grub menu and I can boot both into Mint and Windows.

So right now, grub only works properly when the USB device containing the Ubuntu Security Remix is attached to the computer.

What is happening here? What may cause these troubles? It's a Lenovo Ideapad Y500 and the BIOS settings are VERY limited. Of course, EFI boot is disabled.

Thank you!

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EDIT 1

I must correct myself: Grub loads successfully when I press F12 during startup, so that the boot menu appears, and then select the USB device containing the Ubuntu Security Remix. Instead of the expected Ubuntu boot, the grub menu appears and I can choose one of the OS on the disc.

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EDIT 2

Ok, now I changed a setting in the BIOS (Boot order to UEFI first, then legacy) and changed it back again. However, now the grub menu appears without the USB device. This is odd, since the settings are the same, but for some reason it works now. I am really confused.

Answer 1

Ok, now I changed a setting in the BIOS (Boot order to UEFI first, then legacy) and changed it back again. However, now the grub menu appears without the USB device. This is odd, since the settings are the same, but for some reason it works now. I am really confused.

It is certainly possible that BIOS settings were corrupted somehow, and when you changed that setting, it got reset to the way it was supposed to be stored in CMOS memory.

I would strongly suggest going into the BIOS setup and performing a reset to factory settings, then set things back up the way you want them. It might not be a problem now, but if there is corruption in one place there might be in others which will come back and haunt you in other mysterious ways.