The vendor could not install Win10 so they decided the mother board was bad. They replaced and were able to load Win10 so the T430S is back in the mail to me. I assume this has solved the Linux install issue.
The lesson I learned was that every laptop sold without a HDD/SSD and OS under the claim "...it boots to BIOS..." may not be 100% functional.
1/30/2019 Update
I will call this solved as I sent the T430S back for repair or replacement to the vendor. They'll install Win10 for me. Then maybe I can install a Mint version.
Thanks for all the suggestions and help.
1/23/2019: Update
Well the "solution" I outlined below did not last very long. Last night I was playing with a Mint install DVD (no luck) with Windows 10 up and running from my SSD.
The Solution I found. (Didn't last long)
I powered down but this AM when I powered up this morning the machine didn't boot into Windows. I removed the SSD and reformatted on my Windows machine. Put it back into the T430S and also my bootable windows.iso disk into DVD. Thinking this would work again, the DVD whirls, press any key as asked by the screen message, more DVD WHIRLING and the screen eventually shows the typical circle of dots indicating Windows is trying to do something (maybe). But the machine then TURN OFFS AND reboots and back into the DVD whirring, screen message hit any key ...the the reboot cycle continues. Not sure what is happening.
To rule out my USB stick as having something weird about it, I installed onto a old Dell the latest Mint version without issue. I then downloaded a Windows 10 iso onto the USB, and it also booted and installed on the Dell w/o issue.
I was never able to get Mint installed on my T430S.
In fact I could not get any Linux distro installed I tried(Ubuntu and Kubuntu). I tried installation with a bootable USB drive and a bootable DVD. In both cases the media was found and read. I was able to get to the install window and select what I wanted installed. In both cases the USB drive or DVD would become active, but after 10 seconds or so, the laptop would do a hard restart and reboot to the installation screen of the OS.
I could never get out of this loop. I tried this in UEFI mode and legacy mode. In both cases I would get to the install screen (they are different fonts for each). The result was the same with the boot-reboot cycle.
I did download a windows.iso [Windows 10] file from Microsoft and made both a bootable USB stick as well as a DVD. The USB iso would not finish an installation and would do the boot reboot cycle.
But there was success when I made a bootable DVD from the same windows.iso. I now have a Windows 10 Lenovo T430 operating with a 256G Samsung SSD. I only have 4 GB memory so will be upgrading to 8GB.
This wasn't what I wanted. I wanted a Linux machine, but I had also purchased an X220, with 8GB and 128G SSD with Ubuntu installed. So I can play with that.
A couple of points:
- 1. I wasn't able to ascertain what the error file "/boot/" not found error was in Mint. I didn't see a similar message in the other distros I tried. In any case they all had the same boot reboot loop issue after selecting the installation type.
- 2. I wasn't able to ascertain if the The BIOS screen indicating that a "Preinstalled OS License Win8 Pro DPK + PG
was originally installed. Maybe that had something to do with not being able to install Linux but to install another Windows version.
- 3. I found more people had a T430 than a T430S. I know the differences but the price was right and my needs matched the T430S too.
- 4. My machine has a rather recent bios. The bios version is: UEFI Bios Ver G7ET92WW (2.52). (2013-02-18.). The machine type is 23539MU.
- 5. I used both Etcher and Rufus to make the USB sticks. Results with both were the same.
Thanks to all that gave help suggestions.
The History
===============
I recently acquired a Lenovo T430S that came without a hard drive. The bios version is: UEFI Bios Ver G7ET92WW (2.52). The machine type is 23539MU. (2013-02-18.)
I created a bootable USB stick with Etcher and Rufus with the same results given below. I used new USB sticks and they work in other laptops.
I have secure boot disabled in Bios.
I have tried to run a live Ubuntu and Mint distro (I tried the most recent and an earlier version) via a USB stick, w/o a hard drive in the machine. I wanted to use the distribution without installing, just to check out the machine w/o a hard disk installed. I am focusing on Mint now as that is what I have on another machine.
With Mint right before I get to the Mint install screen the screen flashes very quickly: file “/boot/” not found. It's hard to see, I had to take a movie of the screen to capture and read it. But I do get to the install screen and can select any of the install methods. After selecting the install type, hitting return there is a blank dark screen (10 seconds or so), then laptop does a hard laptop restart and reboot and back to install screen.
Since I have tried different versions of Mint as well as Ubuntu I think it must be something in the laptop Bios but I have tried all the options w/o success. I have also tried modifying the grub script as listed in the Mint docs without success.
I tried these with no change in behavior well:
1. Start in compatibility mode
2. Replaced "no splash" in Grub script with:
a) nomodeset etc described in the installation documents.
PLEASE NOTE, I DID NOT Load WIN 10 successfully as I originally states
Another update: This machine did have windows 8 installed at one time as there is a Windows 8 sticker but no install sticker with installation code numbers. The BIOS information screen shows Preinstalled OS License Win8 Pro DPK + PG
I have read that Windows at one time wrote the OS installation code via an encrypted entry into the bios chip. Has anyone seen this or discovered away around it if this is true. I am unfamiliar with it.
1. Could I re-flash the Bios but would that even work?
2. Perhaps I could load WIN10 on the SSD and then do a complete install of Mint via the USB?
I am a bit of a loss on this.
Any ideas?
Dave
