Turn off RST before installing Linux Mint on HP Pavilion 15cs

[jawallac27]

I am trying to install Linux Mint Cinnamon on a 2020 HP Pavilion 15 cs (2020.) I've gotten as far as installing from a USB, but stopped the install due to the following message:

This computer uses Intel RST (rapid storage technology) you need to turn off RST before installing Linux Mint. help.ubunt.com/rst

I followed the instructions on that page and updated registry keys. Then I rebooted to the BIOS. Unfortunately, when I am in the BIOS I do not seen an option to change to Standard SATA AHCI Controller. And heavens knows I'm not BIOS-savvy so may be looking in the wrong area of the BIOS!

In the BIOS I am on System Config and see

UEFI Device Config
Intel(R) Rapid storage technology)
Intel Optane, 931.5GB
after pressing enter, options are:
a. disable mode > safe
b. size: 931.5gb
disable
volume number disks
sata 0.0, WDC WD10SPZX-6OZ10TO WD-WXG1A5934XT2, 931.5 GB
PCLE 1.0, INTEL MEMPEK1J016GAH PHBT910102SB016N 13.4GB

when I press enter on SATA, I see controller type is AHCI (So there is a SATA AHCI Controller, but is it the right one? I can't change it....)
when I press enter on PCLE, controller type is NVMe

-----
I'm really not sure what to do. Any google-fu I've tried has come up short, and mostly points to dual booting. I do not want to dual boot; I plan to wipe Windows and replace with Mint...

Also, having read through Forums, I wonder if I have something like this going on and will not be able to install anything other than windows? viewtopic.php?f=46&t=356883

What do I do from here?

[pdc_2]

using a search engine, one finds ubuntu references such as this

https://askubuntu.com/questions/1233623 ... st-systems

and a video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSn34Gv3-D4

would either of these help guide you? Choice 2 in the first reference provides good details it would seem

[jawallac27]

Ooo, these are both good references, thank you. I will try one of them out and report back... can't say it will be today. Thank you!

[jawallac27]

Tried the tip in the video (CNTRL-S) and all I got was a loud beep.

Moved on to the instructions at askubuntu. There are two possible solutions; I tried the second option:
1. Ran the bcdedit command and rebooted into the BIOS
2. Went to System Config > UEFI Device Config > Intel Rapid Storage Technology > Intel Optane > Volume Number Disks > SATA
3. Status is non-RAID, Controller type is AHCI
4. There is no way to make any changes.
5. I looked around the BIOS to see if there was anything I was missing, and exited back into windows, undid the bcdedit command, and here I am again.

The instruction is to Change the SATA Operation mode to AHCI from either IDE or RAID.

I read through the first option, but am wary of doing anything that might bork the computer in a way that I'd have to get someone to help. I'm good with computers, but not that good. I may have a work colleague that can help, and will ask him on Tuesday.

Any other suggestions?

[jawallac27]

After I posted the above response, I went looking for answers. I searched Turn off RTF HP and found this answer in the HP forums:

System Configuration > disable RST

https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Notebook- ... -p/7703872

I headed back to the BIOS, drilled down to where I could disable RST and did so. Got a big ol' warning that doing this was dangerous. Said yes anyhow. Saved and exited the BIOS.

Got to the HP splash screen, and then nothing but blackness. Eventually the HP Automatic Repair kicked in. It repaire disk errors, and booted up to Windows.

I figured that was it, so I tried to install Linux again. And got the same darned prompt that started this thread. Sigh.

I left the installation and went back into the BIOS again. RST is NOT turned on now. Or, I'm assuming that's true as there is no way to turn it off now.

UEFI Device Configuration
Intel Rapid Storage Technology
Intel (R) RST 17.0.0.3720 RAID Driver

Non-raid physical drives:
SATA 0.0 - this is non-raid and does use AHCI
PCIe 1.0 - this is non-raid and uses NVMe.

Sigh. Computer still boots into windows, though it's slower than it used to be. Calling it a night for now and will talk with co-worker and check this forum tomorrow.

[opjose]

The Boot repair will restore RST functionality.

You'll need to put it back to how you had it but immediately boot from the USB media to install Linux.

You will loose your Windows partition and ability to boot into Windows though.

[Pierre]

at the point where you had that Black Screen,
if you can get back to that same point, again,

then try booting up with an LinuxMint Live Media,
to see if it will work, or not,

then you will have to make an executive decision about the existing Windows System,
and whether you still wish to keep the HPs version, or whether to goto an plain Windows System instead.

in this case, you could erase the existing drive,
and setup 1 - 2 partitions for each system, from the Gparted program,
that is on the LinuxMint Live Media.

do let us know, just what you would like to do, if you do wish to erase the existing Windows System.
.

[jawallac27]

Thank you both. I will try this again... probably this weekend. Will report back on how it goes.

[jawallac27]

Back at it again for another try on September 26. Truly appreciate the advice given thus far as it's giving me more and more confidence each time

Summary
Spent another couple of hours working on this and the results are the same: RST is still turned on. Documented all info here. My next step is to consult with a couple work colleagues.

I am OK with erasing the existing Windows system.

Articles consulted:
1. You can look at the RST settings while in windows: https://www.thewindowsclub.com/system-a ... gy-enabled
2. BIOS update info: https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Desktop-O ... -p/6240194
3. How to boot and install Linux on a UEFI pc with secure boot: https://www.howtogeek.com/175641/how-to ... cure-boot/
4. Ubuntu Intel RST help: https://help.ubuntu.com/rst/
(I am stuck at the point where it says to "change the hard disk controller type to AHCI" when looking at the BIOS. I don't see those options.)
5. Super short reddit thread asking about the same thing. OPs BIOS screenshots are very similar to mine... It seems like settings are hidden. (https://www.reddit.com/r/techsupport/co ... ller_type/
Screenshots are here: https://imgur.com/gallery/x6Vg8Yo

Steps
1. re-enabled the Intel Optane Memory, rebooted
2. cmd > bcdedit / set safeboot minimal
3. verified my USB with Linux was ready to roll
4. went back into the bios, disabled RST, saved, exited the BIOS
5. expected to see HP Splash screen and blackness., did so
6. windows opened
7. start > settings > recovery > restarted
8. booted into linux from USB
9. started install
10. same error message: Your computer uses Intel RST. You need to turn off RST before installing Linux Mint. All the sighs.
11. Went to help.ubuntu.com/rst and walked through those commands again
12. Device Manager > Storage controllers
a. Intel Chipset SATA Ple RST Premium Controller
b. Microsoft Storage Spaces Controller
13. Edited Registry per ubuntu.com/rst. This time I did have to change numbers - from 3 to 0 (didn't have to do that the first time I tried this.)
14. restarted, booted into bios,
15. on security, set an administrative password (which was a suggestion from here: https://www.reddit.com/r/techsupport/co ... ller_type/)
16. went to hp and found out I have an old bios.
17. download and installed updated bios
18. restarted
19. looked at bios again
20. still no place to adjust the controllers as suggested in ubuntu.com/rst
21. More sighing.

[Boxer Fan]

Wow, I can relate to the pain you've had with the HP Pavilion.
I have Pavilion 15-cs3065st, and have battled this problem on and off since last year. I've seen all your screens over and over.

My ad hoc fix has been to plug in a persistent Mint USB, which really isn't what I want. But when Linux comes alive, I can click the "Install" icon and quickly remember that RST needs to be turned off. I did create a 293 GB ext4 partition on the 1 TB drive (using GParted as I recall), but that didn't help on the installation.

Clue: I recently tried a fresh attempt using SUSE Leap 15.3, and the install screen was wonderful, and I answered config questions thinking it would really work. At the point of actual installation, fatal error "creating btrfs on /dev/sda4 (290.7 GiB)" stderr: unable to open /dev/sda4: Device busy. Clearly the RST is blocking any writes to the drive.

I'd like to keep the Windows OS in the remaining 638 GB partition. If I need to blow Windows away to get both Win10 and Linux to nicely dual boot, fine. BUT, I don't want to have a 1 TB drive that can't boot either at the end of the day. Hopefully, the Win10 backup would mend a clear partition (and not install RST again!)

I had given away a couple old desktops ... how easy it was to install Linux. And the new models? Not so much!

So what's the latest? Did you get past the 21st sigh? Did you find a fix to this mess.