Issue to install to clean drive Then pc wont work with Zorin at all

jpen · August 31, 2026, 10:49pm

USB stick with Zorin 18 Education
I want to run Zorin on its own drive along with Windows 10
Installed forst option to try zorin
Installed trial second time a few days later but only wanted to put perminate appkicaion over my Win10 - no option for clean drive i wanted to install on.
The third time it would not install (start) at all
At install I choose first install option Zorin logo appears Then screen goes black, with none discriptive error and dos help
Even purchase SSD with pre installed Zorin OS but the PC will no longer work with Zorin I dont understand how this could have happened Verified settings but it did previously work

Fast boot disabled
secure boot disabled
VEFi set
USB DISK set as first boot
WIFI disconnected

Does anyone have an suggestions?

nite_route · September 1, 2026, 2:19am

zorin logo then black with no useful error is almost always the installer kernel choking on the gpu, not the ssd being cursed. a preinstalled zorin drive dying on the same machine points the same way.

at the usb grub menu hit e, add nomodeset on the linux line, ctrl+x. if that gets a desktop, install from there.

for dual boot / clean drive: use Something else, put / and the EFI system partition on the new drive only. leave the win10 disk alone for now. if bios still prefers the wrong efi, temporarily unplug the win10 drive while installing.

also re-flash the education iso with balena in dd mode (or rufus dd). windows-mode writers make zorin usb boots fail weird after a couple tries.

same nomodeset test on the bought preinstalled ssd with the other drives disabled in bios.

JustZorin · September 1, 2026, 3:43am

Hello and welcome to the Forum!

So you have two internal disks on your PC, is that right like this?:

one SSD has Windows 10 and should stay there
the other SSD is to install Zorin OS and can be override

Your goal is to have dual boot with Win10 and Zorin OS Education on two separate SSDs?

In this case you can proceed like this:

Boot from your USB Stick with the Zorin OS Education ISO file
Go on until you get the window to choose Install Zorin OS (also your language)

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Choose getting Zorin Updates and third-party software

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Next step is where you need to choose "Erase disk and install Zorin OS". The box afterwards will then ask you on which disk you want to install Zorin OS.

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-> Do NOT choose the first Option "Install Zorin OS alongside Windows" as this option is for installing Zorin OS on the same disk as Windows is installed.
Within the next box select the disk you want to install Zorin OS in a drop down menu. This disk with all data will be erased (so data should be backup before). Be careful NOT to choose the Windows disk. If you have verified to be right, klick on Install now and then on Continue.
Go on with the usual setup process: your location, PC name Username and password until it says: Installation is complete....

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Restart your PC and disconnect the USB Boot stick, when you are asked for to do this (not before). Make sure that you are booting from the Zorin OS SSD.