If you really would like to install to disk 0 you should read:
After performing all these steps, boot into the live image, open gparted [disks] (administration or system menu category). Select the windows partition (not efi, system or recovery), right click n choose resize and drag it from the right to the left. You may also be able to divide the offered number by 2 and type in the size. In the unallocated area (you may have to write the changes first) right click and create partition. It will default to the full size, format as ext4. Close disks and hit install. Use the something else method. Same as above, choose the 100 mb efi for bootloader. In top window choose disk 0 ext4 partition and mark as root (/). No need to format. Scroll down and delete disk 2 532mb and the ext4 partition, create partition there and format as ntfs, don't mount. This will get you a you want it, but nothing will be in that partition you just created. That data is gone.
I finally have had time to work on this project. Didn't go well at all. I have taken screenshots to show what I got that was way different looking to me than as described above. I will get these up sometime on Saturday. I now have to reinstall Windows or do an install backup to get windows able to boot. I have orders to process and a bunch of sales brochures to print out.
I think it will be faster to just put everything back as it was, to begin with then install again correctly. I have got to find out how to find Secure Boot to turn off. I have a Gigabyte AX370 5 gaming and do not find anything that disables this and it will turn off secure boot. I read the manual and it does not mention secure boot at all in the Bios area.
My Disk 0 is SSD and I would rather have both OS on the same drive. I have not lost any files on (F:) Zorin just made space on the on (F:) It won't take very long at all to put (F:) back as it was.
I have My (F:) drive redone as it was before. I am now ready to install Zorin16 Pro on (C:) drive as dual boot with windows 10. Is it my understanding you do not use the choice dual boot use the something else choice?
Here is My Gigabyte AX370 dealing with I assume Secure Boot: Notice that the choices are Disabled, Enable, or Legacy Only. Which ones should I change and select? Is changing this a must or can I wait and do it after I get Zorin running to where I can dump windows? If this is changed does Drive 0 (C:) need to be changed from GPT to MBR?
>>Windows 10 Features
Allows you to select the operating system to be installed. (Default: Other OS) >>CSM Support
Enables or disables UEFI CSM (Compatibility Support Module) to support a legacy PC boot process.
eEnabled Enables UEFI CSM. (Default)
eDisabled Disables UEFI CSM and supports UEFI BIOS boot process only.
This item is configurable only when Windows 10 Features is set to Windows 10 or Windows 10 WHQL. >>LAN PXE Boot Option ROM
Allows you to select whether to enable the legacy option ROM for the LAN controller. (Default: Disabled)
This item is configurable only when CSM Support is set to Enabled. >>Storage Boot Option Control
Allows you to select whether to enable the UEFI or legacy option ROM for the storage device controller.
eDisabled Disables option ROM.
eUEFI Only Enables UEFI option ROM only.
eLegacy Only Enables legacy option ROM only. (Default)
This item is configurable only when CSM Support is set to Enabled >>Other PCI Device ROM Priority
Allows you to select whether to enable the UEFI or Legacy option ROM for the PCI device controller other than the LAN, storage device, and graphics controllers.
eDisabled Disables option ROM.
eUEFI Only Enables UEFI option ROM only. (Default)
eLegacy Only Enables legacy option ROM only.
This item is configurable only when CSM Support is set to Enabled.
IF Windows is installed as EFI, not as Legacy, then:
Disable
This suggests Windows is installed as EFI, so Zorin should also be installed as EFI, not as Legacy (MBR).
You should set the EFI settings first, then install Zorin OS. If you need, you can change the EFI settings later.
If Secure boot is not listed, the motherboard may not support it...
This is entirely your choice. If you want Windows and Zorin OS to be divided equally on the drive, you can choose "Install alongside". If you want to take control over how much of the drive each installation gets, giving the lions share to one OS over the other, choose the "Something else" option and size the partitions as you want them to be.
Still no install Zorin OS. I get the "No root file is defined" error when selecting my (C:) drive. This drive is 1 TB Disk 0, GPT, Primary. Has Fat32 100 MB Healthy EFI Sys Part., (C:) 930.90 NIFS, Last 500 MB Recovery also Fat32.
On Installing Zorin it will pick a drive with free space that is MBR and will install there (this is what happen the first time) If you select Disk 0 which is GPT you will end up getting the NO Root error due to the Fat 32 windows boot partition.
This is a bug in the Zorin installer software that should be fixed.
I have not tried this yet but I bet if I change Disk 0 from GPT to MBR (using EasyUS Master Partition tool) that Zorin will install as Dual Boot with no problems. What I don't know is will the computer now boot into windows using MBR. I would guess EasyUS builds the proper boot file to boot the computer otherwise what would be the purpose. I will try making the change to MBR and see it Windows will boot. If it does I will try to install Zorin.
It has nothing to do with gpt or mbr. Do not switch to mbr, you'll have more issues. Stay with gpt.
In the installer, where it asks for the bootloader with the partitions above, you want to select the efi partition (100MB) that windows uses, otherwise you'll be switching boot devices to change os, it's not practical.
In the window of partitions, above where you choose the bootloader location, in something else, scroll down till you see your partition, will have to be by size since drive letters are in the os only. Select it. Immediately under the window on the left you'll see a + - and gear icons, choose the gear (modify partition).
Make sure it's the right partition. The size will be in MB. Divide 1024 from GB amount to get MB.
The mount point will be / ... that's root.
Format it as ext4. Hit ok. It will warn you that it has to be written to disk to continue. Click ok.
If you have a data partition, somewhere setup to store files to be shared between the os's, it should be ntfs and mounted on /mnt/[your- name-for-dtorage]. Make sure you change the bracketed text to whatever you want to name it.
I did switch but felt years ago that it was a better boot system. Glad to hear you say do not do it. I will switch back to gpt. When the boot record is kept in a different partition just makes good sense you have less chance getting it corrupted than mbr where boot record occupies the first part of Drive C:
I do want the Linux boot loader to be separate I will use EasyBDC to tie Windows and Zorin as Dual Boot, that is the easy part.
I have no problem selecting the correct partition to install Linux in. The problem I have is I see the + , - and the word Change all of which are grayed out. There is no Gear to click on. Do you think there is something wrong with my zorin image?
What I have now is a GPT Disk 0 a 298 Mb EFI Fat32, My PC (C:) Windows 10 488.29 GB NTFS leaving 442 GB unallocated space for Zorin. I will boot into Zorin and try to install it.
It looks like this installer does not like unallocated space. I have quit and will make two partitions one about 100 MB Fat 32 the other NYFS what's left. Then try again.
Although it is not common, I have seen it happen where the Ubiquity Installer has trouble with Free Space- Formatting that free space first to ext4, just as a blank format, then running the installer seems to work.
It's worth a shot.
Selecting a partition in the top window will give you access to the add, remove and change options under the window. Without a selection they will be greyed out.
Need Help Please: Have tried everything in my tool closet and have been able after about 15+ installs, to install Zorin 16 Pro, and now on startup will boot into a Zorin Dual Boot Menu. It will boot into Windows 10 but will not boot into Zorin.
What I have done is installed the Linux EFI bootloader to the newly created EFI partition. My computer at this point is supposed to boot into Zorin unless I pick Windows 10.
What I have not done is alter Windows 10 install or Bootloader or even so much as touch the Windows 10 10 EFI partition.
When Zorin is selected it attempts to boot and finally locks up in Gigabyte's boot screen. Acts as if no boot record. On the Installation menu I told it to put the boot file in the new EFI partition.
By placing the bootloader in another partition, the only way to boot into zorin is by changing the boot order/device each time. It cannot find the bootloader because it's looking for it in the windows efi partition. You must either install grub into the windows efi or change boot order/device on each boot.
Like booting into the live image, you have to choose which "device" to boot from... even if it is only a different partition. Hit f12 (may be different for you) to choose the boot location. If that doesn't work, go into the bios and change it there, it will be listed. But you will have to do that every time you boot.
I gave up trying to keep Boot records separated. It is my understanding putting Linux BootRec in with Windows boot record is. if one goes down both are down, is that correct? Anyway did it 337harvey way and works like a charm.
Over on Ubuntu and on UTube they are several articles step by step doing it the other way. I would like to know why the Ubuntu group can do it. Is it a Zorin thing? I was going to use EasyBCD but they put a flag to catch GPT disk and would gray out Linux. I converted my disk back to MBR and I could created a Dual Boot menu. As soon as I went back to GPT something deleted the 2nd entry the Linux boot record. This was the free version, I don't know if the paid master version worked or not. They are many U tuber's demonstration how to and they were not getting flagged.
I really don't think it created a boot record, cause I could F12 into Motherboard Bios section and Ubuntu boot would be listed. When I selected it Zorin could not boot up it would finally give me some grub message. When you say to disable Fast Boot I found out their are Two fast boots. One in Windows 10 and one built into the motherboard. It is my understanding the one to be sure to disable is the Windows one. The motherboard one does something different.......
Thanks to all of you for the help. On to the Zebra printer driver problems.