Can't get Ubuntu to install in Windows 8

Question

I saw Ubuntu today on my friend's laptop, and I immediately fell in love. I then decided to try installing Ubuntu reading the guide on the official Ubuntu website (which included downloading an .iso image and setting it up for booting from my USB drive). After attempting for five hours, I have still not been able to install Ubuntu.

I use an HP Envy M6 with an existing installation of Windows 8.

Things I have tried:

Disabling Secure Boot in the BIOS
Disabling fast booting in Windows 8
Changing the boot order in the BIOS so that the USB boots first (causing a BSOD, which I eventally solved)
Using the UNetbootin tool to create my bootable USB (from the .iso image I downloaded earlier)

This has really been frustrating. I had thought the whole process would be as easy I read on the official Ubuntu website.

Could you provide us a photos of bios screen and booting order? Thanks! — Dusan Milosevic, Apr 29 '14 at 10:23
You can also try using CD instead of USB. Also, if you cannot get ubuntu to install, try installing it inside windows, by running wubi.exe in USB. — Dusan Milosevic, Apr 29 '14 at 10:26
Thank you so much guys, I really didn't take any pictures of my pc's bios settings but here's what has been happening, everytime I restart my pc in advanced start up mode to have it allow me choose to boot from my usb, it keeps booting back into windows. I have no idea what I did wrong. @Milosevic .. Where do I find wubi.exe ? — Feyisayo Sonubi, Apr 29 '14 at 10:39
@Aditi-K I can't see anything Ubuntu on startup of my pc asking me to install anything, my PC just boots right back to windows every time I restart it. — Feyisayo Sonubi, Apr 29 '14 at 10:42
@Feyisayo still problem in BIOS setting ..I had same problem .So please connect your USB and restart PC/LAPTOP .press for BIOS setting check whether your USB got detected (ex: transcent JET flash) this is how your usb should get detected by its name select that and save exit..boot again — Aditi K, Apr 29 '14 at 10:46
possible duplicate of Installing Ubuntu on a Pre-Installed Windows 8 (64-bit) System (UEFI Supported) — user68186, Apr 29 '14 at 12:59
For dual boot, try following the method shown here. Wubi is not currently working in Windows 8/8.1. you have create a partion or resize an existing one. Follow the manual method from the above link — ray, Apr 29 '14 at 12:35
Hi. I'm sure I've got the 64-bit iso file. And I also took a picture of my bios' at the boot device options screen. http://imgur.com/aqFMs0j — Feyisayo Sonubi, Apr 29 '14 at 16:02
Wubi.exe is a installation file located in your flash drive, if you used pen drive tool to create bootable USB. It installs ubuntu inside windows, but it's kinda like dual boot except when you delete windows, ubuntu is also gone. — Dusan Milosevic, Apr 30 '14 at 09:20
No I don't have access to any CD or DVD's right now :( .. And windows came as the stock OS from my PC's manufacturer HP. — Feyisayo Sonubi, May 01 '14 at 00:12

score 0 · Answer 1 · answered Apr 29 '14 at 10:56

You seem to have problem not with installing the system per se, but with starting installation.

If you're sure, you've disabled fastboot, you need to get to "boot menu".

Before windows start kicks in you probably see either full screen HP logo, or some hardware information - look for information that reads "Boot menu - [KEY]". Then press that before Windows starts. you should be presented with menu where you'll be able to choose a device you want to boot from (usual suspects are keys F2, F11, F12 and DEL).

Now, you might get 2 options for the USB drive - UEFI and some other (it might be named "old", "standard" or something else. But you'll most probably want to use the one that starts with UEFI (thats - in short - the way the drives will be accessed).

After that you should be able to start *ubuntu installer.

score 0 · Answer 2 · answered Apr 29 '14 at 13:17

0

Are you using a 32-bit or a 64-bit ISO? My laptop refused to boot from the USB and when I switched to a 64-bit ISO it worked just fine

answered Apr 29 '14 at 13:17

mt96ca

1

score 0 · Accepted Answer · answered May 07 '14 at 15:54

Just in case, someone stumbles on this kind of issue installing Ubuntu with an existing installation of UEFI Windows 8, I finally got Ubuntu installed by using a DVD instead.

I came across this solution by reading a comment on some forum where someone had the same issue starting installation from a USB just like me, I think the issue is with Windows 8 not playing nicely with USB drives on start-up.

I got myself a dvd, burnt the ubuntu iso image on it with InfraRecorder and restarted my pc, then chose to boot from the DVD from my PC's boot device options and the installation process was smooth.

I didn't even have Legacy Mode enabled which wasn't the case when I was trying to install from a USB.

Before I decided to use a LiveDVD, I would have to enable Legacy mode in my PC's BIOS before I can get options to boot from a USB, which still never worked though.

So I'll recommend anyone out there trying to install Ubuntu from a USB with issues to also give installing from a LiveDVD a shot before giving up on the whole process. Hope this helps.

score -1 · Answer 4 · answered Apr 29 '14 at 11:05

-1

If you want to install it alongside windows 8, you can just use WUBI.exe which is in the iso file (it installs it inside windows' partition, in folder C:\Ubuntu if you won't change it.

answered Apr 29 '14 at 11:05

aastefanov

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I advise against this, as Wubi is discontinued. – Malte Skoruppa Apr 30 '14 at 09:10
But there's Wubi in Ubuntu 14.04.. – aastefanov Apr 30 '14 at 11:15
Check this answer concerning the status of Wubi. Yes, it is officially still supported; it ships with Ubuntu 12.04 (Precise), and Precise has more than three years of support. It is also still contained on all ISOs of later Ubuntu versions (except 13.04). But it has some severe issues (particularly with Windows 8), and its use is discouraged nowadays. – Malte Skoruppa Apr 30 '14 at 12:19
Hmm.. After hours of misery trying to get ubuntu installed on my PC, do you guys suggest I try earlier versions of ubuntu, 13.0.4 maybe? The entire installation procedure has taken so much of my time, I'm this close to giving up on the whole process. – Feyisayo Sonubi Apr 30 '14 at 23:50

Can't get Ubuntu to install in Windows 8

Things I have tried:

4 Answers4