I installed from a thumb drive, same drive I used for my desktop without issues. I followed the instructions, disabled secure boot, UEFI etc. and let the zorin installer replace the windows partitions. Once install was finished and the laptop rebooted, the computer just endlessly reboots. I get the BIOS screen, then "System restart" almost instantly, and it just keeps going.
I googled the issue and it apparently does tend to happen with Acer. I followed the instructions, booted with "try zorin" to repair boot etc. but still the same
This is when Ventoy comes into it's own. I had to install Linux Mint for a client who did not want to extend their Windows 10 for another year to put off migrating to GNU/Linux.
Ventoy includes MOK key to enrol the GNU/Linux key into the BIOS UEFI settings.
For you I searched with Ubuntu 24.04 as that is what Zorin 18 is a fork of:
" If your Acer Aspire is stuck in a boot loop after replacing Windows 11 with Ubuntu 24.04, the issue is likely due to UEFI Secure Boot and missing trusted boot entries . Acer laptops often require manual configuration to trust the Ubuntu boot files.
Primary Fix: Trust the Ubuntu UEFI Boot File
Restart the laptop and enter UEFI/BIOS settings (typically by pressing F2 , F10 , or Del during boot).
Set a Supervisor Password if prompted—this is required to access advanced UEFI settings on many Acer models.
Navigate to the Security tab and select "Select an UEFI file as trusted for executing" .
Browse to:
HDD0 → EFI → ubuntu → shimx64.efi
Select shimx64.efi and confirm (press Yes ).
Save changes and exit (F10 ).
This step explicitly trusts Ubuntu’s bootloader, allowing it to boot when Secure Boot is enabled.
Alternative Fix: Use Default Boot File (If Trust Option Fails)
If the "Select an UEFI file" option is missing or not working:
In the Boot tab , ensure Secure Boot is enabled .
Use a live Ubuntu USB to boot into a terminal.
Run the following commands to copy the GRUB file to the default UEFI boot location:
Does this mean, You have disabled the UEFI Mode, too or that You only checked if the BIOS is in UEFI Mode? What Tool did You use to create the Bootstick? Did You checked the Checksum of the ISO?
The BIOS is in UEFI mode, I haven't disabled it?
I used rufus for the bootstick. Didn't check the cheksum. It did work fine for installing on my desktop though.
I haven't tried the last step on the previous response, I will test that when I get home.
I only asked because of the Way how it was formulated. But okay. In UEFI Mode. and You used Rufus. Did You set up in Rufus on the ''Partition Sheme'' Option GPT for UEFI BIOS?
I did all the right things after four desktop installs and had a similar issue on an Acer laptop.
We also had the issue on one desktop where it looks to see if Secure Boot is turned off. It kept throwing an error because it couldn't find Secure Boot either way because it doesn't exist. That was the one Acer desktop. I see Acer come up a lot for install issues.
Note : This fix is commonly needed after Ubuntu 24.04 upgrades or clean installs on Acer laptops.