I recently installed Zorin 17.2 Core for dual-booting on a Beelink S12 minicomputer. Windows 11 is on the originally included NVME drive, while Zorin is installed on an SSD that I installed as a second drive. Windows 11 boots by default and on the 'boot' menu (via F7) I see:
When I select ubuntu, the GRUB menu comes up and allows me to start either Zorin or Windows both of which run fine. THE PROBLEM: I'd like to have the GRUB menu come up by default without having to press F7 and select the ubuntu option every time!
I'd like to make the ubuntu boot option the default, but unfortunately the boot order selection menu in the BIOS does not seem to include that option:
Is Your BIOS in UEFI or Legacy Mode? and when You installed Zorin, what Option during the Installation Process did You choose? ''Install Zorin alongside Windows'' or the ''Something else'' Option?
BIOS is in UEFI mode, and I chose ''Install Zorin alongside Windows''. Zorin then installed itself on the unallocated space of the second SSD. (This was all the space on that disk.) I believe that GRUB installed itself on the first SSD that contains Windows. However, when using F7 to boot from the second ("ubuntu") disk, the GRUB menu show up correctly.
Fast Boot and Quiet Boot are both OFF in the BIOS. The Fast Boot option is not available in Windows because, I believe, hibernation is disabled.
Is there a chance that the CMOS needs to be reset in order for the Boot Order to show the second ssd disk as an option? (As mentioned above, that disk is bootable without any problem via the boot menu - F7 on the Beelink system.)
Perhaps the problem was caused by booting & installing Zorin from Ventoy. It appeared that the installation went normally.
I used an identical Beelikink S12 system to create a bootable Ventoy flash drive and then copied the Zorin ISO to that drive. I can create a standalone boot version of Zorin via Rufus if you think that might work better!
Ventoy and Rufus are good Tools. But did You take care of the Partition Sheme? Because Your BIOS is in UEFI, You should take GPT. In both - Ventoy and Rufus - You can set up this. Here for Rufus:
Unfortunately, I don't have a Picture for Venty here what I could show You, but You can set up that there, too if You should prefer Ventoy. It is in the Settings.
I'm currently making a Rufus version using the settings that you suggested (except the flash drive is formatted as FAT32 rather that NTFS, but I can't see that is a problem...)
I'll "wipe" the current installation and reinstall using the Rufus version & will keep you posted!
I've booted the Rufus installation flash drive and have gotten to the point where I'm asked if I want to "Install Zorin OS alongside Windows Boot Manager" OR "Something else". Based on an earlier test, I assume that the fist option will install Zorin on the empty second disk and hopefully (this time) set up GRUB so that I can select the operating system when I boot the system.
Before I proceed, though, I'm hoping that you confirm that this is the correct choice!
Yes, FAT32. The Picture was only for showing the Partition Sheme Option.
Theoretically, You wouldn't need to make free Space on Your Drive because with the ''Install Zorin alongside Windows'' Option, You can choose how many Space You want use and then it will be set up with the Rest.
But, yes choose this Option should install it correctly. You could use the ''Something else'' Option, too. There You would have to do 2 Things:
On Your free Disc Space use / as Mounting Point and format it to ext4
Under ''Device for boot lader installation'' choose ''Windows Boot Manager'':
Well, the Zorin installation went as before and if I boot from the second disk (the one where Zorin was installed) I get the GRUB menu with the option to start Zorin or the Windows Boot Manager. (This is the same situation as with the Ventoy install.) The problem is that this second disk doesn't show up in the BIOS's boot order menu so I can't make that disk the default boot device! (As mentioned above that disk does show up as an F7 boot option and works fine that way!) This seems to be more of a Beelink computer problem than it is a Zorin one...
WONDERFUL! Your suggestion worked perfectly and I can now select either disk as the default for booting. Dual booting is therefore working fine. From what I've seen, the Beehive documentation for selecting/ordering the disk boot order seems lacking, and other users seem to be having the same problem trying to select the second disk as the default for booting!
