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So I can no longer install Linux from USB drive. I have previously, using the same ISO's and unetbootin been able to install Kubuntu, linux mint, ubuntu gnome. I'm using a Dell Inspiron 15 7000 series laptop. After buying it, I went through the process of changing UEFI boot settings to install a dual boot with kubuntu. Eventually I just deleted the windows partition and reincorporated it into the linux. However, I'm now taking a class about programming in C#, and require Visual studios, hence I re-installed a dual boot with windows 8.1. At this point Bios is in legacy mode when I installed it. I was following another post here on ubuntu stack exchange about installing windows after linux, then using a linux liveusb to fix grub. After installing windows however, I can now not install linux from usb at all. Windows will install from usb, but when a linux drive is in, it will boot past bios, but won't detect anything. I've wiped the hard drive completely, and reset the BIOS to UEFI boot mode, but it still detects ubuntu in the UEFI boot order.

As it stands, I have a completely fresh hard drive with no OS at all (having to use windows usb install to format HDD). Install from USB will work with windows when in legacy mode, but not when in UEFI. Linux won't work in either UEFI or legacy mode. When reset to UEFI mode, it says something along the lines of "no boot system detected, press any key to restart". Has anyone else encountered this problem and been able to solve it? Obviously, I can install windows and work with that, but I much prefer linux and would like to revert to that as my main and only use windows for the C# development.

NathanielJPerkins
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    Does your laptop have a DVD drive? It might be easier to perform installations from DVD. – user300458 Feb 26 '15 at 11:37
  • follow this answer http://askubuntu.com/questions/221835/installing-ubuntu-on-a-pre-installed-windows-8-64-bit-system-uefi-supported/228069#228069 – Prasad RD Feb 26 '15 at 12:09
  • The laptop doesn't have a dvd drive unfortunately. PRasad RD: I've looked at that method and it is impossible to follow. It mentions that UEFI has to be enabled for this method. Enabling UEFI means I can no longer boot into anything, not even if an install of windows is present. This includes any USB install, windows or linux. – NathanielJPerkins Feb 26 '15 at 13:17
  • @Thallazar you can use vbox instead of a dualboot setup. It's much easier and efficient in every way(only if you have enough memory). I am also using vbox. http://i.imgur.com/3p3ZG66.jpg << kubuntu 14.10 X64 with 8GB ram, 3.5GB shared with windows guest – Prasad RD Mar 05 '15 at 08:04
  • I've never had any experience running a virtual box. Is it hard to setup and run? What's the overhead like, do programs run a lot slower? – NathanielJPerkins Mar 06 '15 at 09:31
  • it's not hard to setup and if you have enough ram and have a good CPU, you can't notice any slowness of a vbox guest OS. sometimes programs run much faster on Vbox – Prasad RD Mar 06 '15 at 10:48
  • Hmm interesting. Is it possible to setup permanent programs in a virtual box? – NathanielJPerkins Mar 06 '15 at 11:25
  • of course yes... it's like two systems running simultaneously. – Prasad RD Mar 06 '15 at 11:32

2 Answers2

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okay...here is what has happened...

you have created a non-efi capable linux installation medium (your linuxu usb disk) and a windows installation medium so that's why it doesn't work on EFI mode ON

(apparently your linux usb-disk is corrupted, you need to recreate it. please keep reading)

so you have two choices

  1. leave EFI mode OFF and install both OSes
  2. install both OSes in EFI mode

1. leave EFI mode OFF and install both OSes

since you have a windows installation disk already, you can try this method... install windows, then recreate the live usb using the app rufus

Rufusmbrmode

remember to use MBR PARTITION SCHEME FOR BIOS OR UEFI COMPUTERS parameter while creating the usb disk. just select the device and the image file and other settings will automatically generated by the app

now try to install linux...it will work flawlessly

2. install both OSes in EFI mode

this method is bit complicated for a regular user...in EFI mode, Disk scheme get changed to GPT scheme from MBR (dos-type) scheme. so you may need to re-format the whole disk to convert into GPT mode

  1. use another PC and recreate the windows installation medium. Remember to use GPT PARTITION SCHEME FOR UEFI COMPUTERS parameter.just select the device and the image file and other settings will automatically generated by the app
  2. in the target PC, turn ON EFI mode and turn OFF CSM (compatible mode) or legacy mode.also turn off secureboot function
  3. install windows
  4. generate a linux installation disk by the same rufus app settings as windows and reboot to install linux (to avoid hibernation,don't shut down from windows, only restart )

rufusefi

(if you need to make sure you are on EFI mode when installing linux...try these links How can I tell if my system was booted as EFI/UEFI or BIOS? , https://unix.stackexchange.com/questions/148356/how-to-know-if-im-booting-using-uefi)

done!

when installing on EFI mode, install windows first....because windows creates the EFI partiton automatically so you don't need to create it while installing. and better turn off secure-boot function in efi-firmware prior installing.

Community
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Prasad RD
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  • The First method worked and I've got grub installed again detecting both windows 8.1 and Linux mint. I'll probably do the second method tonight or tomorrow when I have time. In 2.1, do I again use Rufus to create a windows usb with GPT partition scheme for UEFI computer? – NathanielJPerkins Feb 27 '15 at 05:48
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    I'm happy it worked :)...yes you need to recreate the live USB even it worked in the Compatible mode (CSM). those two system types has two different ways of booting, so a EFI-capable USB disk won't boot with MBR mode (CSM/compatible mode - ON) – Prasad RD Feb 27 '15 at 08:46
  • Thanks for all your help. Out of interest, what was the difference such that loading an ISO through unetbootin would not be detected, but the same ISO through rufus would? – NathanielJPerkins Feb 27 '15 at 12:48
  • I think unetbootin is only for MBR systems. there is no option to switch between those two system types in it (in rufus you can switch the system type as "MBR PARTITION SCHEME FOR..." or "GPT PARTITION SCHEME FOR...") as I said before,the installation medium used for the EFI system and the installation medium used for the BIOS system are completely two different booting approaches to each system. EFI capable disk has additional folders to boot with efi firmware. that is why unetbootin did not work. learn more about UEFI here >> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unified_Extensible_Firmware_Interface – Prasad RD Feb 27 '15 at 15:25
  • Alright. So now I've installed windows using UEFI GPT options, but through my own idiocy, failed to see your part about disabling CSM/Legacy rom. So atm it's UEFI, secure boot disabled, legacy enabled. I was going to just reinstall it with those options changed so it was UEFI, SB and legacy disabled, but it will no longer boot into USB and there are no options to do so. I can probably just load an ISO into legacy mode and use it to format the HDD and then restart but I'd rather know what's going on. Any idea on that? – NathanielJPerkins Feb 28 '15 at 02:58
  • if the EFI firmware detects no efi capable boot medium it will fallback to compatible mode and try a MBR capable device, that's why I recommended to turn off compatible mode so you will notice that your USB disk is not working with EFI mode. if you turn both of them ON (EFI, Compatible mode) and your bootable USB did not work with EFI mode then the system will try to boot it with the compatible mode instead. if it worked and booted to the installation setup, you can't tell which way it booted up, EFI or Compatible mode. so better turn the other guy before using. – Prasad RD Feb 28 '15 at 05:36
  • unlikel windows, linux can be converted between EFI mode and MBR mode by just executing some commands while running the OS.so don''t get bothered with the linux installation.just install windows correctly... as I understood, your USB disk is not EFI-capable...please make sure you use "GPT PARTITION SCHEME FOR UEFI COMPUTERS" parameter while creating it.other settings (except device) will be generated automatically. – Prasad RD Feb 28 '15 at 05:40
  • check your windows system http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/29504-bios-mode-see-if-windows-boot-uefi-legacy-mode.html – Prasad RD Feb 28 '15 at 06:11
  • BIOS mode is definitely in UEFI for the install. Both of my USB drives for linux and windows are both formatted for GPT partition for UEFI mode. I"m just in the process of putting on a legacy USB install for windows which I'll use to format the HDD and then start again but now with UEFI enabled, secure disabled and legacy disabled. – NathanielJPerkins Feb 28 '15 at 09:50
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It does not answer your question but may solve your problem.

You can develop C# under Ubuntu using mono http://www.mono-project.com/ (it's cross platform)

Andy T
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  • Just keep in mind that while mono allows you to write c# programs, parts of the .net library isn't available in mono. If your programming course expects you to use them, you are out of luck. http://www.mono-project.com/docs/about-mono/compatibility/ – MadMike Feb 26 '15 at 13:06
  • The assignments have to be submitted as visual studio project folders. – NathanielJPerkins Feb 26 '15 at 13:13
  • In which case its not much help then - worth a shot. – Andy T Feb 26 '15 at 14:03