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I am using Windows 10 and I'd like to install Ubuntu as a secondary OS (I want the first option in the "boot-up" screen to be Windows). I am a noob so please bare with me. A couple of years ago I somehow managed to do this, but I was only using one HDD at that time and didn't run into these issues.

Windows 10 is installed on an SSD on my laptop. I also have a HDD inside and I shrunk this partition and freed up 50 GB to create a partition specially for Ubuntu on my HDD.

I flashed a USB stick with Ubuntu on it and I am unsure how to proceed.

My problem is that inside the Ubuntu installer I don't know whether I should choose Primary or Logical and which Mount point is correct. I tried Logical (which is the default option) and "/" as a mount point and the partition got created as 'Ext4', however, I don't know what option I should choose for "Device for boot loader installation". I tried /dev/sda as suggested in another thread here but the installer said "No EFI system partition was found" and it warned me that the installation might fail.

In msinfo32 it says the BIOS mode is Legacy, if that is of any help. Also, here is a picture showing all the partitions available (the last one is the free space that I left after shrinking the HDD which isn't visible in this picture, but it's the 50 GB free space):

Image of available partitions as shown in the Ubuntu installer

Other steps I've done after reading How to Install Ubuntu on separate hard drive in a dual boot With Windows 7?

I shrunk my HDD using Disk Management inside Windows. Also, Ubuntu Live USB gives me two options only: "Erase disk and install Ubuntu" or "Something else" (I chose "Something else"). After I created a partition from the 50 GB free space and chose /dev/stb as "Device for boot loader installation", it still tells me: "No EFI System Partition was found. This system will likely not be able to boot successfully, and the installation process may fail. Please go back and add a EFI System Partition or continue at your own risk." So I created a 256 MB EFI partition from the 50 GB free space as suggested in one of the related threads and the installer accepted that as a device for boot loader installation and Ubuntu was installing, but at the end it said: "Executing 'grub-install/dev/sdb5' failed. This is a fatal error" (sdb5 is the EFI partition I made). It prompted me to report the error to the developers but I didn't do that. I restarted my PC and it straight-up booted into Windows. No option to switch to Ubuntu. This is one of the most frustrating things I've ever done and I don't understand what I'm doing wrong.

Thank you in advance!

hexoral333
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  • Try this: Boot Windows. Using the partition management software in Windows, create a 50 GB unallocated space in your HDD. Do not format it. Turn off fast boot option in Windows as well. Now boot from the Ubuntu Live USB. Select install Ubuntu side by side with Windows. The installer should find the unallocated space and install Ubuntu there. The installed will show you a "Confirm" screen before proceeding. Make sure that Ubuntu will be installed in /dev/sdb, the HDD, and not in dev/sda the SSD. If you get a prompt to shrink partitions, then something went wrong. – user68186 Mar 06 '21 at 22:02
  • Thanks for your answer! I edited my question. Please read after "Other steps I've done". It's the additional steps I've done after reading what you recommended, as well as some related threads. This is just doing my head in. – hexoral333 Mar 07 '21 at 01:53
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    It sounds like your windows is in legacy BIOS while Ubuntu live USB is booting in UEFI mode. Try booting from the USB in BIOS mode and then install. – user68186 Mar 07 '21 at 03:32
  • See this answer for clues about Ubuntu boring in UEFI mode. https://askubuntu.com/questions/1134678/installation-problems-with-grub-can-only-install-by-reinstalling-windows-in-leg/1134955?r=SearchResults#1134955 – user68186 Mar 07 '21 at 03:36
  • That's exactly what I've done. I went into BIOS and set the USB drive as the first option to boot from and I'm not getting any joy. I used BalenaEtcher, but I'm using Rufus now to see if that's gonna change anything. – hexoral333 Mar 07 '21 at 13:09
  • Still the same. I don't know how to get the Ubuntu Live USB thing to boot into BIOS/Legacy or whatever you call it. My computer is definitely BIOS/Legacy, Ubuntu Live USB keeps asking for an EFI partition (which I did create anyway) and it still gives me "Executing 'grub-install/dev/sdb5' failed. This is a fatal error" (sdb5 is the EFI partition I made). I am really lost and have never spent so many hours just trying to install an OS. – hexoral333 Mar 07 '21 at 13:57
  • Try the press to select boot device option when the computer starts up with the USB plugged in. The varies by computer. It can be Escape, or F10, or something else. Once you press that button, you should see two options to boot from the USB. Select the option that does not contain the word UEFI. – user68186 Mar 07 '21 at 14:15
  • Let us continue this discussion in chat. – hexoral333 Mar 07 '21 at 14:39

2 Answers2

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if you want to know more of linux OS i recommend you create a virtual machine with virtual box is easily that you create a partition, select partitions and etc... virtual machine is the vest way for learn and work on, in my windows 10 i have create 2 virtual machines(Kali, SteamOS), pretending create more 3 machines and this will not be a a problem or complication, this my words for you.

Gustavo Felix
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After user68186 gave me plenty of suggestions, I managed to find something in BIOS called "Boot Override" and that allowed me to choose to boot from USB without it being UEFI USB, therefore Legacy (aka BIOS), which is just what I needed. My Ubuntu Live USB kept booting into UEFI, which messed up everything. Many thanks to them!

hexoral333
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