0

I am trying to install ubuntu alngside windows 10 on an asus laptop. However, when I come to the partition screen the ubuntu installer only detects of the whole 900gb disk only the 400 mb partition on which windows is installed and does not see the 300gb free space I have allocated for the installation.

ubuntu installation screen

partitions in windows

I have a BIOS system and fast boot and secure boot are disabled. I am trying to install ubuntu 20 lts.

Simon Sudler
  • 3,931
  • 3
  • 21
  • 34
Fra
  • 1
  • UEFI or BIOS system? UEFI install of Windows? Windows fast start up must be off: http://askubuntu.com/questions/843153/ubuntu-16-showing-windows-10-partitions & https://askubuntu.com/questions/145902/unable-to-mount-windows-ntfs-filesystem-due-to-hibernation If UEFI: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/UEFI Shows Windows screens https://askubuntu.com/questions/221835/installing-ubuntu-on-a-pre-installed-windows-10-with-uefi – oldfred Jan 07 '21 at 21:43
  • Its BIOS system – Fra Jan 08 '21 at 18:14
  • You still have to have fast start up off. And Windows will turn it back on with updates. Make sure you also make a Windows repair/recovery flash drive as grub only boots working Windows and when Windows update (which you may not see) turns fast start up back on, then grub will not boot it. You have to temporarily restore Windows boot loader, fix Windows & then restore grub using Ubuntu live installer. UEFI bit easier. – oldfred Jan 08 '21 at 18:25
  • Please boot into a live CD and post the output of "sudo fdisk -l" from the command line. – leggewie Jan 12 '21 at 20:43
  • Can you update your question to include the model of notebook as well as which version of Ubuntu you're trying to install? This could have something to do with the storage device being unsupported by the installer if you're using an older version. –  Jan 13 '21 at 00:51
  • Start the system with a Live stick. Once the system is booted and up and running launch gparted - what does it tell you (@carles-mateo might be right!)? – mgw Jan 15 '21 at 19:12

3 Answers3

0

The first thing that comes to my mind is that maybe you have already 4 primary partition created. You can only have a max of 4 primary. If you need more partitions you need to use an extended partition.

If you boot with Ubuntu Live, can you execute from the terminal:

cat /proc/partitions

Did you resize your partitions?. That does not guarantee you to see all the space resized as available for a partition.

Windows does not fit in 400 MB, you wanted to say 400 GB or it can be a partition for manufacturer Windows installer.

Update: After seeing the images (sorry if you linked them in the first place I didn't click on those links) I can tell you why I think this happens. If you look at your windows partition manager screenshot you have the small partition, the windows partition, empty space, and space in use at the end (in blue). I understand that you rearranged partitions, but in this process something didn't like to Ubuntu installer.

I would like to know what is the space at the end. You should be able to see the partition table and if it's healthy to create a partition by booting Ubuntu Live and from a Terminal selecting:

fdisk /dev/sda

You can use h for help p for printing the partitions n for creating a new one. If you create a new one fdisk will offer you only the space that it has available. Resizing and moving partitions and creating new after is dangerous, please do a backup before continuing if you didn't.

Carles Mateo
  • 1,577
  • 6
  • 12
0

So in your case you can't see the free space so you can try this:- 1st - First allocate the free space by right clicking the free space and then merge it to your main partition where the windows is installed . 2nd - Now select ubuntu along side windows and select the partition where the windows is installed and you will see that you can partition the main drive there as you choice by dragging the line between the screen just like this enter image description here

((Image credit :- Linuxconfig.org)) OR if you care about your data and want to take safer way the make the unallocated space a named drive such as 'D Drive' and then select this drive during the installation of Ubuntu and do the same as shown in the image. 3rd - Now the space you didn't gave to Ubuntu will be left in D Drive or the name you gave. complete the installation. After you come in windows and open disk management you will see that the drive you named will have the space you left and a drive with no name, there the Ubuntu is installed.

Piyush Mhatre
  • 372
0

This is most likely due to a "hidden" SATA setting in the BIOS. The solution is a bit tricky, but this might just work for you:

In Windows

First you will need to enable "Safe Mode".

  1. Press Ctrl+R (It might be ⊞ Windows+R ... I haven't used Windows in years) to bring up the Run dialog
  2. Type: msconfig
  3. Choose the "Boot" tab, then down in "Boot options" select "Safe Mode", ensure "Network" is set, then [Apply] and [OK]

Thanks to Windows Central

Note: Even with "Network" selected, some people do not have a working WiFi connection in Safe Mode. Be sure to have a wired connection ready just in case.

  1. Reboot the computer and enter the BIOS by holding down the Shift key.

In the BIOS

Acer seems to have some "hidden" features for many of their newer machines. SATA mode, which you need, is one of them.

  1. Press Ctrl+S to bring up a hidden SATA Mode option
  2. Change "SATA Mode" to "AHCI"
  3. Save the change
  4. Boot back into Windows

Back in Windows ...

You will see "Safe Mode" messages in all four corners of your screen. This is fine, as you'll change this later. When you boot into Windows, you will need to install the AHCI driver so that the computer can properly read the storage device that you just put into AHCI mode.

This is how you do it:

  1. Open "Device Manager"
  2. Navigate to "IDE ATA/ATAPI"
  3. Navigate to "SATA AHCI Controller" and right click on the item
  4. Select "Update Driver Software"
  5. Once done, remove the "Safe Mode" option using the same process as described in "In Windows" above.

Install Ubuntu

With all the Windows stuff out of the way, you can now reboot the machine with the Ubuntu Live USB device plugged in, boot into "Try Ubuntu" (or "Install Ubuntu"), select the 293GB partition that you have set aside, and install the operating system.

Hope this gives you what you're looking for