BIOS and UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface) are two firmware interfaces for computers which work as an interpreter between the operating system and the computer firmware. Both of these interfaces are used at the startup of the computer to initialize the hardware components and start the operating system which is stored on the hard drive.
UEFI was introduced in Windows 8 to replace BIOS. UEFI firmware provides technical advantages over a BIOS system.
I am assuming that my laptop uses UEFI. How do I (if possible) see those settings?
Finished flashing the new USB Zorin 17.3, inserted it into 'off' laptop, turned laptop ON. It displayed the Lenovo logo, the Zorin logo underneath, but went to black screen, turning off when I pressed the 'on' button next.
I removed the (new/flashed) USB then pressed F2 as soon as laptop started. I was taken to the Lenovo Setup Utility page. I arrowed over to the Boot screen. It displayed -
Fast Boot [disabled]
USB boot Enabled
PZE boot to LAN Enabled
IPV4 PXE First Enabled
I closed this utility, turned off laptop, inserted (new, flashed) USB, turned on laptop and . . . right back to black screen.
The Lenovo Setup Utility has INFORMATION/CONFIGURATION/SECURITY/BOOT/EXIT as main headers (tabs) across the top of the page. I didn't see anything on other pages/screens that would seem to help. I am wondering if the basic problem is disk space. Any thoughts as to HOW I can get to see/change that?
I disabled Secure Boot, exited (all off), inserted boot USB, turned on - black screen Yes the USB was the (new) flashed Zorin 17.3. Did not see any 'e' for grub editing.
Is there any way I can look at disks to see which are how full? If so, is there a way to delete unwanted files without Zorin being loaded?
Yes, there is. The problem is...
The overfilled disk meant no space was available to write for grub - which led to your current "Minimal bash editing supported screen" - until we can get past that screen, we are rather stuck.
Sorry, I was not very clear.
I mean, was the USB what booted or was it booting your normal installed Zorin OS?
It sounds like it was booting Zorin OS, not Zorin LiveUSB.
I think concentrating on the Minimal bash editing could be most effective effort for my laptop.
The laptop was (self) booting into Zorin (16.?) for years - no USB involved except at initial download and boot to Zorin. At that time there was an option to 'try' Zorin (temp, via USB OR to permanently install Zorin as main & only OS. I chose to permanently install as main OS.
Yes and in order to do that - we need to repair grub - which means either accessing a terminal to unmount the drive and install grub - or LiveUSB Boot and use the terminal there to do it.
Lenovo.
The disk space needs fixing once that is repaired but it won't effect USB Boot because it does not write to disk.
OK - LiveBoot - how to do that?
I need to sign off for this evening (Pacific time) so dear husband can regain use of HIS computer! I will take up this gauntlet tomorrow morning.
This should boot you into Zorin's Live usb environment. Select the Try Zorin option and use Disks or gparted to analyse the hard drive's usage space. Then you may tinker around it with the file manger and check what need to be cleared to free up the space. And after that you also may need to run the boot-repair tool to fix the grub.
I am going through the Minimal BASH Like Line Editing as referenced by Aravisian. I got to this page by pressing F2 at start up. I did a 'ls' command, without the Zorin USB installed), getting this feedback -
(memdisk) (hd0) (hd0, gpt2) (hd0, gpt1)
Shutting down and then restarting with Zorin USB installed, the 'ls' command returned the same information.
Leaving the USB in place, I tried this command -
ls (hd0, memdisk) with reply being - invalid file name.
littlekun posted -
You need to access the Boot Manager Menu again and select the USB from here to boot from it.
I can NOT get the Boot Manager to respond - it will not show any other options except the (white letters) display of -
ubuntu (SAMSUNG MZALQ256HBJD-00BL2)
It seems that either the boot file is corrupt, missing or inaccessible?
Avarisan has suggested that perhaps the GRUB kernel needs repair/replacing. Any thoughts?
I read earlier that from your BIOS screen [F2 at startup] that USB Boot was enabled.
But Boot Manager [F12 at startup] does not list the USB.
So you cannot select and boot the Zorin Live USB.
I also read earlier that you formatted the USB with NTFS not FAT32. Others suggested FAT32 and so would I.
I am wondering if that is the reason for the USB not being seen by Boot Manager.
Thanks for your insight zabadadoo! I will remake the USB to FAT32.
I hadn't got a reply on my question of NTFS OR Fat32 so read online that NTFS was the 'superior' thus choosing that. Good ol' 50-50 = 100% wrong! The un-bricking goes on . . . .
where BigO shared this - This was the issue that I was having and a folder with my files that had multiple pdfs and some videos. I removed the linux-image-6.8.0-40-generic until 50, and kept the newest one. For the unsigned files, they were removed automatically as well. The OS still didn't boot properly. After restarting with the power button, holding shift, selecting the advanced option to boot (not the recovery option), holding down alt+control+f2 or f1 (a cs buddy of mine told me about this), I was able to launch the OS as a safe graphics mode I assume where I was able to access only the terminal and remove the folder with the most memory on it. Hope that my reply helps people with the same issue and thank you for your help Aravisian.
I gave a try at the holding of Shift+Alt+Ctrl+F2 and it got me to -
Advanced Options for Zorin! There seems to be 2 choices -
Played with the options and did manage to remove some unused files, but still will NOT boot. I have looked at the "Minimal BASH-like line editing" site linked in a reply by Aravisian, but am overwhelmed by HOW TO? (can I?) 'repair' the Grub on my laptop. When I typed "boot USB" in at grub> the reply was I 'needed to load kernel first'.
Thanks one and all for your helpful hints and suggestions! So far no joy, but I also continue to play around with new to me key combinations and what screens I can get to.
Another Option because You are on Windows would be to use the Creation Tool called Rufus. It will create the bootable USB Stick for You. and You can choose the Format.
Depending if Your BIOS is in UEFI or Legacy Mode, choose on the ''Partition Sheme'' Option GPT for UEFI or MBR for Legacy:
Thank you! Am flashing using Popsicle right now.
Yes the USB was the (new) flashed Zorin 17.3. Did not see any 'e' for grub editing.
