[Solved] Need Help Setting Boot Drive

[JerryC58]

I have a Dell Inspiron 5559 from which I intend to delete Win10 and install Mint 18.3 because my original Mint machine is in the process of dying. Trying to set a boot drive in BIOS. Right now the options are "Windows Boot Manager and the hard drive". It only allows me to switch them back and forth. On the same screen I have a choice of UEFI or Legacy and UEFI is checked.. On the Advanced Boot Options screen, there is one option "Enable Legacy Option ROMS" which is checked. What do I have to do to get it to boot from a USB drive?

[Mattyboy]

Have a read here

https://askubuntu.com/questions/726938/ ... l-inspiron

[michael louwe]

@ JerryC58, .......

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Please refer to ... viewtopic.php?t=267137 , eg use the Rufus program to create the Live LM USB-stick.

Also, ... http://www.rodsbooks.com/efi-bootloader ... ting-media (Creating EFI-Bootable USB Drives)

[JerryC58]

I may have misread but all of the suggested reading seems to be aimed at creating a dual boot machine. I have no intention of doing that. So, does it make any difference whether I use UEFI or BIOS? Which is easier? In the interest of full disclosure, I have no idea what UEFI is for.

[michael louwe]

Some info about UEFI vs Legacy BIOS ... viewtopic.php?f=46&t=267932

[JerryC58]

So am I correct when I say - if I switch my laptop to legacy mode and then create the USB install drive while in legacy mode, I should be able to install Mint smoothly with few or no problems?

[michael louwe]

@ JerryC58, .......

So am I correct when I say - if I switch my laptop to legacy mode and then create the USB install drive while in legacy mode, I should be able to install Mint smoothly with few or no problems?

Yes, for the Rufus program. For Legacy BIOS install mode, ensure that the hard-disk/drive is using MBR/ms-dos partition table, ie not GPT.

It makes no difference whether a computer is in UEFI or Legacy BIOS mode when creating a Live LM USB with the relevant ISO Writing to USB program. How the Live LM USB is created and how the target computer is set-up make the difference whether LM will be installed on the target computer in UEFI or Legacy BIOS mode.

You can also try the Etcher or Unetbootin program or LM's USB Image Writer, to create an 'agnostic' Live LM USB = will install automatically in either UEFI or Legacy BIOS mode depending on the target computer's BIOS setting and hard-disk mode.

[JerryC58]

Well, I held my tongue just right and switched BIOS to Legacy mode, and the install went well. I am running Mint 18.3 on my laptop now. (Happy Dance)

JC

[michael louwe]

@ JerryC58, .......

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