How To Install LMDE onto a Computer running 8.1

[tlcmd]

The LMDE 201403 was released just in time. On 18 Feb, I purchased a new HP Envy (700) which had Windows 8.1 installed.

Question: How do I install LMDE for a dual boot.?

The dvd will not boot from a LMDE install disk the cd/dvd frive, nor will Unetbootin let me install it from an external HDD or a USB stick. I've tried rearranging BIOS so it will supposedly boot from the cd/dvd/usb drives first.

The return policy is 14 days, but this is otherwise a darned good unit, and now that I've got the XP start menu set up and my other files onto it, I hate to just return it.

Please help me out. If I can't be well on the way to a good install for a dual boot, it goes back at 10 AM tomorrow about 11 hours from now as I am on EST. And maybe one of their gurus can help me with this problem.

Thanks for any assistance and suggestions.
tlcmd (aka Dick)

[Ubulindy]

I just went through this. Just got a new MSI laptop. Came with Windows 8. You specify," "had" windows 8.1 installed." Ill now assume you wiped the hdd (hard drive disk). Ive used only Linux for years now, so that's what I did. If you haven't, first burn recovery discs in case you ever wish to reinstall windows, or, something goes wrong. Now we'll proceed.You'll need to go into your BIOS. I got into my BIOS by hitting the delete key. Models DO differ. Windows 8 & 8.1 come with UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface) enabled by default. Some even with Secure & Fast boot. You will normally find that option under "security" in the BIOS. Disable all of them and enable "Legacy". That is the most likely the reason the computer wouldn't boot. If your computer wouldn't boot from USB flash, note that most modern pc's/laptops now come with several usb 3.0 ports along with at least one 2.0 port. Look at your computer specs/diagram to determine which is which. Now determine if your usb flash drive is 2.0 or 3.0. Use the corresponding usb port for whichever flash drive you have. Change the boot order in the BIOS to whatever drive you will be booting. This is usually done by +/- keys. Your computer will not know about the usb flash drive until you place it into the corresponding port of course. You will need to place it in the port in order to change the boot order in the BIOS. If booting from DVD, put the dvd/cd drive first to boot from and likewise the usb flash drive. Now, save changes and restart. It should now boot. I'm going to also suggest that before you begin, if you haven't wiped the hdd and plan on dual booting, burn the "boot repair disc" before hand in case you run into any problems. The reason I say to burn it is, you might discover you have no grub when you boot back up like I did, and then discover you have no internet. Boot repair disc: http://sourceforge.net/projects/boot-repair-cd/files/ Keep the default settings. Let it do its thing. Take the disc out when finished, and reboot. You should now see grub/boot screen, and if is dual boot, you should now see 2 OS's. Good luck.

[tlcmd]

Mr Administrator,
Would y'all please offer a straightforward walk through for those of us with Windows 8.1 who wish to set up a dual boot with LMDE?
I have a brand new HP Envy 700-056/700-216 with 12 GB of RAM, an AMD A10 quad-core accelerated processor, and a two terrabyte HDD. Right now my computer is back at the store and their techies are having trouble with this install.
A step by step guide to the installation of LMDE into a computer with Windows 8.1 for a dual boot would really be appreciated.

Thank you very much,
tlcmd (aka Dick)

[xenopeek]

Topics merged as this is the same question. I'm not sure why you address the admins for this? Without you sending me money for it, I can't afford to buy a Windows 8.1 laptop, let alone--as a volunteer here--take time off from work to spend time figuring out how to install LMDE on it. Let me know if you want my paypal address for donating a few thousand euro's

Recommend instead you follow earlier topic: http://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.p ... 9&t=161318. There are laptops you can buy with Linux preloaded, so better chance of installing LMDE without a fuss: http://linuxpreloaded.com/

[tlcmd]

To all y'all,
First, I didn't want to "jerk"anyone's chain so I apologize if I have.
Secondly, this forum basically says that there are no dumb or stupid questins.
Thirdly, I posted this to the administrator since this might be a more appropriate post elsewhere on the Linux Mint site.
Fourthly, Windows 8.1 is the upcoming standard OS for most new computers and quite a different beastie from the previous Windows especially if the user prefers to have a dual boot with another OS. . Unless you build your own computer or have one built for you, you are pretty much going to get a computer at your local store with 8.1 on it.
Finally, between Windows 8.1 and Linux Mint Debian Edition (and almost all other Linux Distros) , there are install problems. It would be very nice to have some sort of up front guidelines to aid a fairly inexperienced computer user to use when trying to add LMDE as a primary OS and have a dual boot with Windows 8.1
Once LMDE is installed, it is very user friendly (far more so than Windows 8.1).

And I did choose a common computer knowing that parts, hard and software upgrades, and service will be readily available for the next few years and I can probably find a computer guru who is familiar with both Windows 8.1 and Linux distros. And I actually needed a desktop unit since I use it connected to my whole home sound system and use it as a jukebox as well as about everything else. Therefore I cannot really utilize a laptop for this purpose.

After browsing this and other Linux forums and seeing all the posts regarding problems with installing virtually any Linux distro onto a computer running Windows 8.1, I do not believe this to be unreasonable request. .Obviously someone has found a solution which they could share with the rest of us and could be posted prominently.

And yes, I do have two programs which will not run on Linux even using WINE and/or LinuxCrossover, and my wife occasionally uses my computer and she prefers Windows 8.1

Thanks for your at least reading my posts and those of others who share this common problem.
And once more my apologies for posting what has been apparently understood as a dumb, stupid, or redundant question, but the answer is not an obvious one as the associated posts reveal.
tlcmd (AKA Dick)

[xenopeek]

Perhaps you read my comment differently than I intended; let me rephrase it very shortly: the admins are just a group of volunteers keeping the forums functioning, not a group of LMDE + Windows 8.1 experts A call for help is fine, but help will need to come from forum members that are more experienced LMDE dual boot users and that actually have Windows 8.1. We as admins, and the rest of the Linux Mint forums moderation team, of course keep an eye out for questions that frequently come up and if somebody writes a good topic for that we will likely sticky it for others to find easily.

[Night Wing]

Since you have a desktop tower computer, have you thought about dual booting with "two" hard drives? Using two hard drives means you won't have to do any partitioning if you don't want to.

I have two HP desktop tower computers. Each desktop has two hard drives in it. In my older desktop, one hard drive runs Windows 7 and the second hard drive runs Mint 16 XFCE. With Windows 7, I'm lucky since I don't have to deal with UEFI and/or Secure & Fast boot which comes with Windows (8/8.1).

You could do the same thing with your desktop running one hard drive with Windows 8.1 and the second hard drive running LMDE. All you would have to do is go into the BIOS, disable UEFI, disable Secure & Fast boot (if it's there) and make sure to enable the Legacy setting.

Once that is done, turn off the computer, then unplug the sata and power cables to the hard drive running Windows (8.1). With the second hard drive hooked up with a sata cable and power to the drive, turn the computer on and immediately start pressing the DELETE key and it will bring up the Boot Menu. Follow the prompts. Then insert the live LMDE CD into the DVD drive and then press the key for the DVD drive. The computer will load LMDE and when you get to the Desktop, click the INSTALL icon. The computer will now install LMDE to the second hard drive.

Once the install is completed and you've done all your updates, turn off the computer and plug the sata cable and the power back into the first hard drive running Windows (8.1). Then turn on the computer and immediately start pressing the DELETE key and when the Boot Menu comes up, choose the hard drive to which computer operating system you or your wife want to use. By default, if you don't use the Boot Menu, when you turn on the computer, it will boot into Windows.

With two hard drives, if one hard drive fails for some reason, you won't lose two operating systems. Just the operating system on the failed drive.

[Tazdrumm3r]

I know at least from my perspective on my recent Toshiba purchased laptop, I had to disable secure boot and UEFI booting. Once I did that and changed the boot order in the BIOS, I could boot the DVD.

My problem now is how to partition my two hard drives during the install (I added an SSD). +

[kurotsugi]

could not agree more with night wing's advice :3
instead of messing up the HD where win 8.1 reside it will be better to install linux on another drive. indeed, it take more cost to buy the 2nd drive but the success percentage is higher and you can avoid the problem with window's update.

[tlcmd]

Thanks to all for your comments, but I did purchase a computer with a 2 terrabyte drive to avoid adding a second HDD. However, I did get this info from another Linux Forum where I asked this question. I hope it helps. Haven't tried it yet since my computer is still at the "service center." :

Seven ways to set up multi-booting with Windows 8 and Linux"

http://www.zdnet.com/seven-ways-to-s...ux-7000026392/

tlcmd (aka Dick)