This computer currently has no detected OS

[cloggyjohn]

I'm trying to install Linux Mint alongside Windows 10 but when I get to the point where I was expecting to have the choice to do that I get the message: "This computer currently has no detected OS"
As I was reluctant to proceed and risk messing up the W10 installation I cancelled the install. Can anyone advise how to proceed please. Thanks in advance for any help.

[SimonPeter]

I'm trying to install Linux Mint alongside Windows 10 but when I get to the point where I was expecting to have the choice to do that I get the message: "This computer currently has no detected OS"
As I was reluctant to proceed and risk messing up the W10 installation I cancelled the install. Can anyone advise how to proceed please. Thanks in advance for any help.

Please give more details - those might help solve your problems.

Boot to the Linux live USB, open the Terminal from the menu and run these codes, one-by-one, followed by Enter after each one.

inxi -Fxxxrz
sudo parted --list
sudo lsblk


Now, select everything shown in the Terminal, right-click, Copy.

Now, please paste that into this forum.

This information may help solve the problem.

( It would also be good to enclose the text you pasted between the [code] and [/code] tags )

[cloggyjohn]

Hi SimonPeter, I booted into the live session but for some strange reason I couldn't start a terminal session, either from the task bar or the menu, the cursor became a revolving disc for 5 seconds or so and then reverted to the normal arrow. I don't know if it helps but I booted into a live session of Zorin and was able to run the commands you mentioned, here is the output, hope it helps ( I'm afraid I didn't understand the last line about posting the output between code tags ):

Code: Select all

zorin@zorin:~$ inxi -Fxxxrz
System:    Host: zorin Kernel: 5.4.0-47-generic x86_64 bits: 64 gcc: 7.5.0
           Desktop: Gnome 3.30.2 (Gtk 3.22.30-1ubuntu4) info: gnome-shell dm: gdm3
           Distro: Zorin OS 15.3
Machine:   Device: desktop System: Hewlett-Packard product: HP ProDesk 600 G1 SFF serial: N/A
           Mobo: Hewlett-Packard model: 18E7 serial: N/A
           BIOS: Hewlett-Packard v: L01 v02.57 date: 12/11/2014
           Chassis: type: 4 serial: N/A
CPU:       Quad core Intel Core i5-4690 (-MCP-) 
           arch: Haswell rev.3 cache: 6144 KB
           flags: (lm nx sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx) bmips: 27934
           clock speeds: min/max: 800/3900 MHz 1: 1477 MHz 2: 1624 MHz
           3: 2211 MHz 4: 1643 MHz
Graphics:  Card: Intel Xeon E3-1200 v3/4th Gen Core Processor Integrated Graphics Controller
           bus-ID: 00:02.0 chip-ID: 8086:0412
           Display Server: x11 (X.Org 1.20.8 )
           drivers: modesetting (unloaded: fbdev,vesa)
           Resolution: 1920x1080@60.00hz
           OpenGL: renderer: Mesa DRI Intel HD Graphics 4600 (HSW GT2)
           version: 4.5 Mesa 20.0.8 (compat-v: 3.0) Direct Render: Yes
Audio:     Card-1 Intel 8 Series/C220 Series High Def. Audio Controller
           driver: snd_hda_intel bus-ID: 00:1b.0 chip-ID: 8086:8c20
           Card-2 Intel Xeon E3-1200 v3/4th Gen Core Processor HD Audio Controller
           driver: snd_hda_intel bus-ID: 00:03.0 chip-ID: 8086:0c0c
           Sound: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture v: k5.4.0-47-generic
Network:   Card: Intel Ethernet Connection I217-LM
           driver: e1000e v: 3.2.6-k port: f080
           bus-ID: 00:19.0 chip-ID: 8086:153a
           IF: eno1 state: down mac: <filter>
Drives:    HDD Total Size: 766.1GB (1.4% used)
           ID-1: /dev/sda model: SAMSUNG_SSD_830 size: 256.1GB
           serial: <filter> temp: 0C
           ID-2: /dev/sdb model: WDC_WD5000AAKX size: 500.1GB
           serial: <filter> temp: 0C
           ID-3: USB /dev/sdc model: DataTraveler_3.0 size: 7.9GB
           serial: <filter> temp: 0C
           ID-4: USB /dev/sdd model: Flash_Disk size: 2.1GB
           serial: <filter> temp: 0C
Partition: ID-1: / size: 3.9G used: 238M (7%) fs: overlay dev: N/A
           ID-2: swap-1 size: 8.59GB used: 0.00GB (0%)
           fs: swap dev: /dev/sda6
RAID:      System: supported: N/A
           No RAID devices: /proc/mdstat, md_mod kernel module present
           Unused Devices: none
Sensors:   System Temperatures: cpu: 32.0C mobo: N/A
           Fan Speeds (in rpm): cpu: N/A
Repos:     Active apt sources in file: /etc/apt/sources.list
           deb cdrom:[Zorin-OS 15.3 Core 64bit]/ bionic main restricted
           deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ bionic main restricted universe multiverse
           deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ bionic-updates main restricted universe multiverse
           deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ bionic-security main restricted universe multiverse
           deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ bionic-backports main restricted universe multiverse
           Active apt sources in file: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/zorin.list
           deb https://packages.zorinos.com/stable bionic main
           deb https://packages.zorinos.com/patches bionic main
           deb https://packages.zorinos.com/apps bionic main
           deb https://packages.zorinos.com/drivers bionic main restricted
           Active apt sources in file: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/zorinos-ubuntu-apps-bionic.list
           deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/zorinos/apps/ubuntu bionic main
           Active apt sources in file: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/zorinos-ubuntu-drivers-bionic.list
           deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/zorinos/drivers/ubuntu bionic main
           Active apt sources in file: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/zorinos-ubuntu-patches-bionic.list
           deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/zorinos/patches/ubuntu bionic main
           Active apt sources in file: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/zorinos-ubuntu-stable-bionic.list
           deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/zorinos/stable/ubuntu bionic main
Info:      Processes: 231 Uptime: 7 min Memory: 1143.2/7867.2MB
           Init: systemd v: 237 runlevel: 5 Gcc sys: N/A
           Client: Shell (bash 4.4.201 running in gnome-terminal-) inxi: 2.3.56 

Code: Select all

zorin@zorin:~$ sudo parted --list
Model: ATA SAMSUNG SSD 830 (scsi)
Disk /dev/sda: 256GB
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/512B
Partition Table: gpt
Disk Flags: 

Number  Start   End    Size    File system     Name                          Flags
 1      1049kB  524MB  523MB   ntfs            Basic data partition          hidden, diag
 2      524MB   629MB  105MB   fat32           EFI system partition          boot, esp
 3      629MB   646MB  16.8MB                  Microsoft reserved partition  msftres
 4      646MB   194GB  193GB   ntfs            Basic data partition          msftdata
 5      194GB   247GB  53.7GB  ext4            Basic data partition          msftdata
 6      247GB   256GB  8590MB  linux-swap(v1)  Basic data partition          msftdata


Model: ATA WDC WD5000AAKX-6 (scsi)
Disk /dev/sdb: 500GB
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/512B
Partition Table: msdos
Disk Flags: 

Number  Start   End    Size   Type      File system  Flags
 1      1016kB  500GB  500GB  extended               lba
 5      1049kB  500GB  500GB  logical   ntfs


Model: Kingston DataTraveler 3.0 (scsi)
Disk /dev/sdc: 7864MB
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/512B
Partition Table: msdos
Disk Flags: 

Number  Start   End     Size    Type     File system  Flags
 1      1049kB  7864MB  7863MB  primary  fat32        boot, lba


Model: Generic Flash Disk (scsi)
Disk /dev/sdd: 2097MB
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/512B
Partition Table: msdos
Disk Flags: 

Number  Start   End     Size    Type     File system  Flags
 1      1790kB  2097MB  2095MB  primary  fat32        boot, lba

Code: Select all

zorin@zorin:~$ sudo lsblk
NAME   MAJ:MIN RM   SIZE RO TYPE MOUNTPOINT
loop0    7:0    0   1.9G  1 loop /rofs
sda      8:0    0 238.5G  0 disk 
├─sda1   8:1    0   499M  0 part 
├─sda2   8:2    0   100M  0 part 
├─sda3   8:3    0    16M  0 part 
├─sda4   8:4    0 179.9G  0 part 
├─sda5   8:5    0    50G  0 part 
└─sda6   8:6    0     8G  0 part [SWAP]
sdb      8:16   0 465.8G  0 disk 
├─sdb1   8:17   0     1K  0 part 
└─sdb5   8:21   0 465.8G  0 part 
sdc      8:32   1   7.3G  0 disk 
└─sdc1   8:33   1   7.3G  0 part /cdrom
sdd      8:48   1     2G  0 disk 
└─sdd1   8:49   1     2G  0 part 
sr0     11:0    1  1024M  0 rom  
zorin@zorin:~$

[SimonPeter]

Code: Select all

zorin@zorin:~$ inxi -Fxxxrz
BIOS: Hewlett-Packard v: L01 v02.57 date: 12/11/2014

Code: Select all

zorin@zorin:~$ sudo parted --list
Model: ATA SAMSUNG SSD 830 (scsi)
Disk /dev/sda: 256GB
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/512B
Partition Table: gpt
Disk Flags: 

Number  Start   End    Size    File system     Name                          Flags
 1      1049kB  524MB  523MB   ntfs            Basic data partition          hidden, diag
 2      524MB   629MB  105MB   fat32           EFI system partition          boot, esp
 3      629MB   646MB  16.8MB                  Microsoft reserved partition  msftres
 4      646MB   194GB  193GB   ntfs            Basic data partition          msftdata
 5      194GB   247GB  53.7GB  ext4            Basic data partition          msftdata
 6      247GB   256GB  8590MB  linux-swap(v1)  Basic data partition          msftdata

I think you're :
1) Trying to boot a GPT disk with EFI partitions (ATA SAMSUNG SSD 830) -- this disk probably has both Windows and Linux on it.
2) Having a computer with Legacy BIOS firmware (or boot mode set to Legacy BIOS).

I think that is why you can't boot any OS.

Please set your computer's firmware to boot in EFI mode.
(the firmware menu can be accessed by pressing some key during booting, probably F12,F9,Esc,F2 etc.,)

( I'm afraid I didn't understand the last line about posting the output between code tags ):

Our kind moderators have done that for you.

Last edited by karlchen on Fri Jul 30, 2021 12:59 am, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: Enclosed each of the 3 blocks (commandline plus its output) in [code] [/code] tags (icon [</>] in the forum editor

[cloggyjohn]

Thank you kind moderators

[cloggyjohn]

By EFI mode I assume you mean with Secure Boot enabled, this indeed did the trick ( I had assumed I needed to disable it in order to install another OS ).
Thanks for the help.

[mikeflan]

I had assumed I needed to disable it in order to install another OS

I would have assumed that you needed to disable Secure Boot in order to install LM. I guess I will quit telling people that. Maybe just quit advising at all on these very confusing boot / install issues.

[cloggyjohn]

@mikeflan - Although, as I broke off the insatallation with secure boot disabled, I'm not sure it would have prevented the installation of LM. With SB disabled it seems to prevent the installer from seeing already installed OSes which was why I was reluctant to carry on. Once I'd re-enabled SB then the installer picked up the W10 installation and gave me the expected options of installing LM alongside it, wiping W10 or something else.

[mikeflan]

I just disabled secure boot on my new (2017) laptop. Now windows wants to chkdisk every time I boot up windows. It says press any key to prevent running chkdisk, and I do that. Then it starts up windows - veryyy slowlyyy, but it works fine.

I'm making an image of that 1TB SSD right now, just to preserve that copy of windows, and then if successful, windows is history. I've decided to put LM 20.1 on it. We'll see how that goes. I suspect very few if any problems. Duel booting has worked for me the one time I tried it, but I don't need windows and 100% LM is so much better for me.

It was so painful running windows even once this morning

[cloggyjohn]

Solved