[SOLVED] LM live boot usb drive doesn't start on Win10 pc

[NoHo Hank]

Hi all.
We've spent an awful lot of time to install w10 on a new SSD in EFI mode. Now opting for 21.1 cin to install as dual boot.
Used balenaEtcher-Portable-1.14.3.exe to make a LM live boot usb drive.
In the BIOS set all boot options, usb + EFI boot files, before win boot man. Secure boot is disabled/ enabled no difference.
EFI is enabled. Still W10 takes over. The usb drive does live boot on another pc.
What the hell can we do to get LM installed?!

[NoHo Hank]

So the live boot works on a LM 21.1 singleboot pc and on a W10+LM 20.3 dual boot pc.
On the 3rd pc it can only live-boot when in legacy mode.
In that mode Win10 does not boot since it is installed in UEFI mode. It gives the

Code: Select all

PXE-MOF exit PXE ROM. No bootable device

When entered the live usb into the pc The cursor starts blinking and thats it.

We don't want to install LM 21.1 in legacy mode because we have to go through the BIOS every time when changing the OS.

What to do???

[AndyMH]

Instead of balenaEtcher try ventoy.
viewtopic.php?t=391116

[NoHo Hank]

Instead of balenaEtcher try ventoy.

Thanks AndyMH that ventoy is working. Only don't understand where to put the 'device for bootloader'
OPTIONS:

Code: Select all

/dev/nvme0n1  = the SSD in the PC
/dev/nvme0n1P1 = EFI win boot man 
/dev/nvme0n1P2  = 16MB unknown
/dev/nvme0n1P3  = NTFS WIN10
/dev/nvme0n1P4  = where LM will be installed WE'VE SELECTED THIS ONE V
/dev/nvme0n1P5  = NTFS 555MB  460used

The install guide mentions 'mountpoint' / Cant see that here.
https://linuxmint-installation-guide.re ... tition.png

Is it

Code: Select all

/dev/nvme0n1

or

Code: Select all

/dev/nvme0n1P4

= where LM will be installed

[AndyMH]

Sounds like you are doing a "something else" install. On that screen you select nvme0n1p4, click the change button and tell it to use it for /.

At the bottom of the screen where it asks where to put the bootloader:

You specify the device, so nvme0n1, not a partition. Mint will find your efi partition nvme0n1p1 all by itself and put grub in it alongside the win bootloader.

With UEFI boot (what you and most people have), the bootloaders all live in an EFI partition, your firmware (BIOS in oldspeak) understands EFI partitions and searches in them each time you boot looking for bootloaders. What it finds gets added to your BIOS boot list, so you see entries in there like "windows boot loader" and "ubuntu" (=mint).

There is also legacy boot, by definition older computers. but that's a different story.

[NoHo Hank]

You specify the device, so nvme0n1, not a partition.

Thanks Andy, we think we are almost there. Only one small question about Ventoy left. Will open a new topic for that.