[vox-tech] Cannot install Ubuntu alongside Windows 7

Fri Nov 8 10:29:46 PST 2013

Oh right, try a CD/DVD

For some reason UEFI was broken on 64 bit usb sticks for a while. I
think 32 bit worked. I've dealt with this actually when trying to make
something that would boot on Mac.

Hence my suggestion to disable secure boot, then it will likely let you
toggle to BIOS Legacy mode, but it might break Windows booting to do so
(if it's Win 8).

Thanks,
Alex

On 11/08/2013 10:15 AM, Thomas Johnston wrote:
> My problem might having something to do with EFI/UEFI support. I was
> reading Roderick Smith's webpage on this topic:
> www.rodsbooks.com/linux-uefi/#isitefi
> 
> He mentions that: you can also try booting a boot medium that contains
> *only* an EFI-mode boot loader. The USB flash drive or CD-R image of rEFInd
> is a good choice for this test. I downloaded the rEFInd utility and burned
> it to a CD. When I tried to boot from the CD I get a blank screen and
> spinning fans.
> 
> 
> And according to Dell Support, I am running the most recent BIOS version
> (A12).
> 
> Interestingly, when I purchased the laptop in ~May of 2012, I had no
> trouble resizing the partition and installing Linux. I don't recall what
> BIOS version it had then, but I think it was A02. I wonder if the new BIOS
> is causing problems now.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> On Fri, Nov 8, 2013 at 9:50 AM, Thomas Johnston <trjohnston at ucdavis.edu>wrote:
> 
>> Alex, thanks for the reply.
>>
>> First, how would you even turn secure boot off? I don't see it listed as
>> an option the BIOS settings. Drop it to Legacy, how?
>>
>> I primarily use Linux for my personal endeavors; however, there
>> situations/applications for my work where I am forced to use Windows. And
>> although I could run Windows in a virtual environment, I don't know how
>> well that would work when I need to remote desktop into my office computer.
>>
>>
>> On Fri, Nov 8, 2013 at 9:37 AM, Alex Mandel <tech_dev at wildintellect.com>wrote:
>>
>>> Generally turning Secure Boot off makes life easier (Isn't supposed to
>>> be necessary after 12.10). Also turning fast boot off while working on
>>> an install generally helps make it easier to switch around settings when
>>> troubleshooting. UEFI should be ok, but if turning off Secure boot
>>> doesn't help you might have to drop it to Legacy.
>>>
>>> I've never encountered an issue where I couldn't see the existing
>>> partitions I made ahead of time but it could be secure boot related.
>>> I haven't done a recent Ubuntu fresh install but they usually have a
>>> choice to use the free space available and the advanced menu has always
>>> let me pick partitions and assign mounts.
>>>
>>> And yes if the hard drive is set earlier in the boot order you shouldn't
>>> expect other boot devices to work at all, even though some bios have a
>>> F12 boot menu it's not fool proof.
>>>
>>> Side track as others mentioned in the previous thread, what's the goal
>>> of this install? If you don't plan to primary boot linux all the time
>>> there are much easier ways (ie virtual machines).
>>>
>>> Thanks,
>>> Alex
>>>
>>> On 11/08/2013 09:19 AM, Thomas Johnston wrote:
>>>> I recently started a thread asking about partition schemes:
>>>> http://lists.lugod.org/pipermail/vox-tech/2013-November/016793.html
>>>>
>>>> After reading the numerous helpful comments, I decided to keep it simple
>>>> and go with an NFTS partition for Win7, and an extended partition that
>>>> contained partitions for / and /home (both in ext4 format).
>>>> Great. I used GParted to format the drive and create the partitions and
>>>> then installed Windows 7 and all the updates without a problem. Windows
>>> 7
>>>> is as happy as a pig in mud.
>>>>
>>>> I then created a live USB of Ubuntu 13.10 with the UNetbootin tool (in
>>>> Windows). I boot from the live USB and select the option to "Install".
>>> When
>>>> I get to the "Installation type" page, I see options for:
>>>> (a) Erase disk and install Ubuntu
>>>>     (i) Encrypt the new Ubuntu installation for security
>>>>     (ii) Use LVM with the new Ubuntu installation
>>>> (b) Something else
>>>>
>>>> No option to install alongside Windows.
>>>>
>>>> Clicking on "Something Else" would allow me to create a new partition
>>>> table, but it does not "see" the partitions that already exist.
>>>>
>>>> A Google search reveals that this installation dilemma is common. Some
>>> of
>>>> the problems were due to users having more than 4 primary partitions.
>>> That
>>>> is certainly not the case here.  I have also seen posts about the disk
>>>> system being "dynamic" and that causes problems with the Ubuntu
>>> installer.
>>>> Also not the case:
>>>>
>>>> Current partition table (according to Windows disk management tool):
>>>> C: 150 GB, Layout = simple, File System = NTFS, Status = Healthy
>>> (System,
>>>> Boot, Page File, Active, Crash Dump, Primary Partition), Free Space =
>>>> 108.57 GB, Fault Tolerance = No, Overhead = 0%
>>>> 315.76 GB unallocated
>>>>
>>>> Other posts discuss UEFI BIOS, BIOS options such as Secure Boot and
>>>> FastBoot. I cannot figure out if any of these would apply to me or
>>> not.In
>>>> Windows 7,dxdiag (direct X diagnostic tool) tells me:
>>>> System Model: Dell System XPS 15z
>>>> BIOS: Default System BIOS
>>>>
>>>> BIOS settings:
>>>> Intel Speedstep = enabled
>>>> Virtualization = enabled
>>>> Integrated NIC = enabled
>>>> USB emulation = enabled
>>>> USB powershare = enabled
>>>> USB wake support = disabled
>>>> SATA operation = AHCI (other option is ATA)
>>>> Adapter warnings = enabled
>>>> Function Key Behavior = Function Key
>>>> Charger Behavior = enabled
>>>> battery health = performing normally
>>>> miscellaneous devices:
>>>>     external USB ports = enabled
>>>>     eSATA ports = enabled
>>>>
>>>> Interesting thing about the boot order:
>>>> if I have the hard drive before the USB storage device, I cannot fully
>>> boot
>>>> into the live USB. I will see an initial splash screen that is most
>>> black
>>>> with two small icons on the bottom center that resemble a keyboard =
>>> stick
>>>> man surrounded by a circle. The system will then "hang" with a blank
>>> screen
>>>> and the fans going at about 50%. Disabling Intel Speedstep in the bios
>>> also
>>>> seems hang the live USB.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Motherboard Board:
>>>> Dell Inc.
>>>> Product: 00WW5M
>>>> Version: A00
>>>> Serial Number: .3SJSQS1.CN4864322A0095.
>>>> Bus Clock: 100 megahertz
>>>> BIOS: Dell Inc. A12 09/07/2012
>>>> example for sale on ebay: http://bit.ly/1gwcdX9
>>>>
>>>> Hard drive:
>>>> Seagate Momentus: ST500LX003-1AC15G (500.11 GB) --
>>>> drive 0, s/n W2003D1H, rev DEM3
>>>> This is a hybrid drive.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Any ideas?
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
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>>>
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>>
>>
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