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I'm trying to install Ubuntu 14.04 on my Dell XPS 15 9530, and I have a few questions.

What I've done so far:

  • Deactivated acceleration in Intel Rapid Storage Technology
  • Disabled Intel Rapid Start Technology
  • Turned off Fast Start Up option in Windows Power Options

I've followed this link for the installation, put Ubuntu 14.04 on a Live USB Stick, shrinked the Windows partition and tried to install it from there.

My problem is that to boot from the USB stick, I have to turn on the "Load Legacy Option Rom" in the UEFI, otherwise Windows doesn't show me the option to boot from it. (I use shift click on restart on my Windows 8.1, then choose the boot from device option).

Now, I've read that enabling the Load Legacy Option Rom is not a very good way to do this, since, as far as I understand it, you then use 2 systems at the same time (i.e. Uefi for Windows, and the old Bios for Ubuntu and you need to switch back and forth between them).

So is there a way to boot from my USB stick while disabling the Load Legacy Option Rom?

I've read here that you need to turn off Intel Smart Response and switch to AHCI. Is this safe? Because I get a warning that I'd have to re-install Windows if i'd do so.

What I'd ultimately want to achieve is that at start up, I can choose what OS to boot with.

Hope someone can help

Community
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Caligula
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  • This link says you have to leave legacy boot on, but still boot in UEFI mode. I did not think that was how it worked? http://en.community.dell.com/techcenter/b/techcenter/archive/2013/11/14/ubuntu-on-the-precision-m3800.aspx Best to have full backups of efi partition and your Windows so if issues you can easily restore system. – oldfred Mar 01 '15 at 19:11

1 Answers1

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You say:

I have to turn on the "Load Legacy Option Rom" in the UEFI, otherwise Windows doesn't show me the option to boot from it.

The problem with this statement is that Windows doesn't show you boot options, except from its own boot manager, which must be configured much like you'd configure GRUB. The computer's firmware probably has its own boot manager, which should give you an option to boot to an external medium, but that has nothing to do with Windows. This may sound like I'm splitting hairs, but the point is that you need to know which boot manager (the firmware's or Windows') you're seeing so that you know how to configure it. In most cases it's better to use the firmware's boot manager, but how to access that boot manager varies from one machine to another. In most cases, you do so by hitting a function key, such as F8 or F11, although sometimes you'd use Esc or some other key. I don't know offhand what Dells most often use for this. Posting a digital photo of the boot manager menu might enable us to identify what you're seeing.

My first suspicion is that you're using the firmware's boot manager but that it's configured to not fully initialize the USB port, which of course will prevent it from showing you options on USB flash drives. I recommend you go through your firmware options and disable anything that refers to "fast start" or something similar, and to enable anything that refers to USB activation. (I realize you've already made a couple such changes, but it won't hurt to look again.) Note that there's no standardization of names or menus, so you'll just have to dig in and judge the names for yourself.

Another option would be to install my rEFInd boot manager in Windows. It might be able to find your missing USB boot options.

Rod Smith
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