Hard Drive not appearing under installation

[WarWolf_96]

Hi all, new to this so please bear with me.

I have a HP Ultrabook and am trying to install linuxmint Mate v16 (64 bit) onto it. I downloaded the ISO file and checked the MD5 Sum (Which was identical to the Website). I then used UNetbootin to mount the ISO file to a USB Drive and rebooted, changing my Bios to boot from the USB. Linuxmint 16 then boots, I then click install linux Mint on the Desktop. It allows me to choose the language and the next screen relating to the preparation of installing linux (Disk Space, Power Souce and Internet). This where it gets wierd and does not ask me how I would like to intall linux mint (alongside, erase disk, or something else) and jumps straight to the install screen with the list of available drives (box 4 on the bottem). But in this screen my main HDD does not appear and no option seems to work. Please note that when I install windows 7 professional on this PC I had to add the driver for the hard drive, so that windows could pick up the hard drive. Its a SATA HDD and I have to download the ACHI SATA driver from the intel website and then use it to view this drive.
I have searched for similar threads but nothing is directly relate.

Thanks in advance for your time and assitance.

[gold_finger]

Windows 7 is already installed to the drive, correct?

Or is Windows installed to a different drive?

Is it a 32-bit or 64-bit version of Win 7?

Boot-up with your live Mint USB and when it's loaded open a terminal (Menu -> Accessories -> Terminal). Going to have you run a few commands; then copy/paste the output from them back here. Best way to paste output in your reply is to use the "Code" button, then paste it between the two code blocks. Just copy/paste these commands into the terminal and hit enter (one at a time).

To check what mode your Mint USB is booted in

Code: Select all

dmesg | grep -i EFI

To see what your current partition structure is

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sudo parted -l

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sudo fdisk -l

After posting those results, close terminal and shutdown Mint. Then reboot into your Windows and post back with a screenshot from its disk manager program showing a picture of your hard drive partitions.

Take note while in Windows disk manager -- if you see that it's partitions span the whole drive, then you'll need to shrink the main Win partition (probably "c:") to make room for Mint. Before you do that it is best to defragment the drive. So, if that's your situation, go ahead and defragment the drive and have Windows shrink it while you wait for our reply.

[WarWolf_96]

Yes Windows 7 is already installed on the drive.

No Windows 7 has not been installed to a different drive.

The WIndows 7 installed is a 64 bit version.

Going to begin the other tasks you requested momentarily.

[gold_finger]

EDIT #2: Read my next post also -- have a strange feeling that one may actually be the more applicable to your problem.

Forgot one thing:

If you haven't already done so, create Windows restore/recovery disks just in case you ever need them (now, or any time in the future). Unlikely that Mint install will break anything, but if you ever need them you'll be really glad you have them.

Don't bother with posting the output from other commands I asked for. I was trying to cover a few bases with those from the start, but I can tell from your picture what I wanted to know. The only thing I can't tell (for sure) is whether or not you have UEFI firmware for booting or not. Windows was installed in BIOS/Legacy mode though -- that much I can see. So, if you do have UEFI firmware rather than regular BIOS firmware, you need to just make sure that the live USB is booted in that mode as well before you install.

To check that, just boot the live USB, open a terminal and enter the first command I listed above. Quoting from this source, http://www.rodsbooks.com/refind/bootmode.html:

The result on a BIOS-based computer should be few or no lines of output. On an EFI-based computer, though, the output will be extensive:

EDIT #1: Just re-read your first post. The UEFI-mode is likely what's going wrong. That's what the symptoms you describe sound like to me at least. So definitely run that first command I listed to find that out. You'll need to change the mode for booting that USB in all likelihood.

If it shows you're in BIOS mode, you're good to go. You'll just need to have Windows disk manager shrink down that "C:" partition a bit more assuming you want more room than the 14.65GB unallocated space there now. You can install to that amount of space right now, but it won't allow for much expansion. If you're looking to just play around a bit with Mint until you decide how much you like Linux, maybe just give it another 15-35GB.

As far as installing goes, if you just want to do a standard installation, it will be easy and should go without a hitch. Once you've got "unallocated" space to install to, just pick the option to "Install along side Windows". It will automatically use the "unallocated" space; create and format partitions it needs; and install the grub bootloader to the beginning of the drive. If that's what you want to do, and you've confirmed that the USB has booted in BIOS mode, then just double-click the "Install" icon on the desktop after booting up the USB and follow the instructions.

If you had something else in mind, post back. If your boot-mode check revealed UEFI-mode, then go into your UEFI settings when computer firsts powers on and look for a menu item that changes the boot mode to BIOS/Legacy only. Reboot into USB and run that command again to double-check that the settings changed correctly. Then install.

Good luck and hope you enjoy Mint!

[gold_finger]

I'm adding one more thing here.

It's been a number of years since I've regularly used Windows, so I can't remember exactly how disk manager reports/shows different physical drives.

Looking at your picture, to me, when I see a designation of "Disk0" and another for "Disk1", I interpret that as meaning two physical drives. But I have a feeling that may not be the case since that second drive shows as only 4GB in size and says "Heathy (Hibernation Partition)".

If it is NOT a separate physical drive, then the problem you have is that Windows is using up the limit of 4 primary partitions. If that is the case, you need to definitely create your Windows restore DVD's, then you can delete that "Recovery (D:)" partition. Mint can't install to the drive if all 4 primary partitions are already taken. In that case you also would not get the option to "Install along side Windows".

[WarWolf_96]

This is the output for the mode mint booted in.

[ 0.000000] ACPI: UEFI 00000000aaffd000 00236 (v01 HPQOEM INSYDE 00000001 HP 00040000)
[ 8.732827] tsc: Refined TSC clocksource calibration: 1696.149 MHz

Does this mean that it is in UEFI-mode?

I believe the 4gb refers to my virtual memory

[gold_finger]

If that's all it outputted, then "No". It looks like you have UEFI firmware, but it is booted in BIOS mode, so that is not the source of the problem.

Do you have 2 physical hard drives in the computer?

If not, then the problem is most likely my other post pointing out that 4 primary partitions are already in use. Since that is the case, there is nowhere for the Mint installation to go unless you tell it to wipe-out what's there (your Windows installation); or delete one of the partitions to make room for Mint. You have unallocated space that would fit Mint right now; but can't use it because 4 partitions are already on the disk.

I don't remember how to do it, but there should be a method to create Windows restore disks somewhere in your Windows program menu. Do an internet search for how to do that if you need to. Once you've made those DVD's, you no longer need the "Recovery" partition and can delete it from the hard drive. That will solve the problem and allow you to install Mint.

[WarWolf_96]

I've created the windows recovery disc's and merged the 20gb into the 15gb set aside for linux. Regardless of the merge of the drives the same issue is still occurring.

[gold_finger]

Ok, at this point boot the live USB open a terminal and post back the output of the two commands I posted before but told you not to bother with. Maybe there is something else going on that they might reveal.

Code: Select all

sudo parted -l

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sudo fdisk -l

(Note: both commands end with lowercase "L", not number 1.)

Just to let you know, going to be busy today and likely won't be able to respond back until tomorrow.

[WarWolf_96]

I hope this helps.

Copied from Terminal:
mint@mint ~ $ sudo parted -l
Model: ATA Hitachi HTS54505 (scsi)
Disk /dev/sda: 500GB
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/4096B
Partition Table: msdos

Number Start End Size Type File system Flags
1 1049kB 210MB 209MB primary ntfs boot
2 210MB 463GB 463GB primary ntfs
3 479GB 500GB 21.1GB primary ntfs


Model: ATA SAMSUNG MZMPC032 (scsi)
Disk /dev/sdb: 32.0GB
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/512B
Partition Table: msdos

Number Start End Size Type File system Flags
1 1049kB 4294MB 4293MB primary


Model: Verbatim STORE N GO (scsi)
Disk /dev/sdc: 16.0GB
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/512B
Partition Table: msdos

Number Start End Size Type File system Flags
1 4129kB 16.0GB 16.0GB primary fat32 boot, lba


mint@mint ~ $ sudo fdisk -l

Disk /dev/sda: 500.1 GB, 500107862016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 60801 cylinders, total 976773168 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 4096 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 4096 bytes / 4096 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x81fa214a

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 2048 409599 203776 7 HPFS/NTFS/exFAT
/dev/sda2 409600 904792063 452191232 7 HPFS/NTFS/exFAT
/dev/sda3 935514112 976762879 20624384 7 HPFS/NTFS/exFAT

Disk /dev/sdb: 32.0 GB, 32017047552 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 3892 cylinders, total 62533296 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x05a85e4a

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sdb1 2048 8386559 4192256 84 OS/2 hidden C: drive

Disk /dev/sdc: 16.0 GB, 16013852672 bytes
78 heads, 14 sectors/track, 28641 cylinders, total 31277056 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0xc3072e18

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sdc1 * 8064 31277055 15634496 c W95 FAT32 (LBA)
mint@mint ~ $

[gold_finger]

I've created the windows recovery disc's and merged the 20gb into the 15gb set aside for linux. Regardless of the merge of the drives the same issue is still occurring.

The output you provided after this post shows that the recovery partition still exists on the drive. Apparently, whatever you did was not fully applied.

I hope this helps.

Copied from Terminal:
mint@mint ~ $ sudo parted -l
Model: ATA Hitachi HTS54505 (scsi)
Disk /dev/sda: 500GB
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/4096B
Partition Table: msdos

Number Start End Size Type File system Flags
1 1049kB 210MB 209MB primary ntfs boot
2 210MB 463GB 463GB primary ntfs
3 479GB 500GB 21.1GB primary ntfs

That last line shows that you did not succeed in deleting the recovery partition. Try deleting it again. Not familiar with Windows disk manager, but maybe you need to hit some kind of "Apply" button after selecting it for deletion. (That's how GParted in Linux does it.)

As far as the installing problem goes, I'm really not sure what to make of it. Your output doesn't show anything unusual. Can only think of two possibilities myself (there could be others I'm not aware of):

1. Your USB is booting in EFI/UEFI mode -- it needs to boot in BIOS/Legacy mode. When using your boot menu to boot from USB, look carefully to see if there are two distinct modes to choose from.

2. From reading this page on HP Ultrabooks, I'm wondering what the "Rapid Start" feature is? If that is some means of hibernating the system vs. doing a full shutdown so that you can be up and running faster, then that might be what's causing the problem. Look for a way to disable that. Then do a full shutdown of Windows. Don't know if disable that while in Windows or through some setting in your UEFI/EFI/BIOS settings menu.

Have a feeling option #2 above is what's causing the problem. Search for user manual for your model to find out how to turn that feature off if you don't know how.