NVram locked

Hardware Support
1

After almost a week of trying to install Zorin Pro to dual boot on my HP Envy Windows 11 desktop I cannot get beyond fatal error NVRam locked in either install or boot repair. Zorin is basically telling me it is a hardware issue because everything they have suggested I have already tried,

This includes BIOS reset, removing secure boot and fast boot. trying from a different USB stick etc. My BIOS has no passwords anywhere and NVRam isn't mentioned anywhere in the BIOS screens.

I just tried unplugging the power cord and holding the power button for a minute or two which one search said would discharge the capacitors. I haven't opened the box to do anything with a CMOS jumper because I'm not sure I could even identify one and the box has never been opened.

I'm sure I'm not the only person ever to have this issue but none of my online searches have found a close enough comparable solution, just a lot of frustration from lots of users. Anyone have ideas? I feel like I'm real close to getting this to work and quite like Zorin based on using it in live USB mode.

2

At any point, have you done a BIOS firmware update?
HP (Lenovo and others) completely lock changes to boot on some models; but a BIOS Firmware Update can sometimes unlock it.

MBR (Legacy); installing to MBR can bypass this lock, since it is an UEFI issue. MBR only allows up to Four bootable partitions, which GPT and EFI can offer up to 256 bootable partitions. But... do you need more than four?

rEFInd:

rEFInd don't need no stinkin' nvRAM badges. It can install around it.

Last suggestion: In your BIOS settings, see if HP included an advanced option > Sure Start.

Sure Start will block write to nvRAM and it is enabled by default; so resetting the BIOS to defaults will not turn it off.

3

Did you take a look in your BIOS if it is set to RAID or AHCI?

4

No to the BIOS update. HP says I already have the most up to date version.

5

Not sure whether MBR is possible if everything on computer is UEFI. I probably don’t understand the suggestion.

6

So reFINd would be a separate program I would download and install that would take charge of the selection between windows and Zorin? I’m a bit scared of the idea but I’ll continue reading the documentation.

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7

So many things look scary but aren't. Believe in yourself.

But yes, that wall of text on the RodsBooks page looks daunting - it is actually very easy.

8

I’ll go back into the BIOS settings and see if there is a reference to sure start and turn it off if there is and I can. Later tonight probably. Are you thinking that would unlock the NVram?

9

AHCI. I changed it during the Zorin install saga.

10

Would it be the first of his install options?

11

I listed all the possibilities I could think of.

For MBR, this is just a matter of choosing that option when you use an etcher to burn the .iso to boot stick. If using Rufus, I think it is fairly easy to spot (I have never actually used Rufus, myself. Only seen screenshots of others posts).

This one, as it is a native .deb pacakge:
http://sourceforge.net/projects/refind/files/0.14.2/refind_0.14.2-1_amd64.deb/download

the .deb pacakges are like .exe packages - double click to run and install.

12

No reference to sure start in any of the bios screens as far as I can see. Sounds like reFINd may be the best bet. I'll continue reading his notes. If I did the executable form (1st install option) would I copy it into the ventoy USB stick and select it on boot up like I do with Zorin? Would it automatically see the preexisting windows OS? What about Zorin given the install failed at boot install or whatever? Would I boot into Try Zorin and do boot repair or would that be no longer needed?

13

You may have already answered one of the questions I just asked you. If so sorry!

14

Could the problem have something to do with TPM? I don’t know anything about TPM but saw a reference to it in the BIOS

15

Just a side comment. I dual-booted my youngest's Windows 11 machine with Q4OS on a separate drive in the tower's Hot Swap Bay. After installing a TPM chip Q4OS won't boot. I used Zorin boot repair and got the same message as yourself, NVRAM locked. Having done some research it looks like I need to install an x-64 EFI Debian shim/driver which I am not sure how to deal with. I had installed Q4OS as mbr as far as I can remember. Will post back later. (Footnote: The machine has an ASUS Maximus Ranger VIII motherboard and Secure Boot is greyed-out so cannot be disabled).

UPDATE: See if this askubuntu thread helps:

16

Try it with disabling TPM, Secure Boot and Fast Boot in BIOS. If Windows should still be installed, disabled Fast Start-Up in Windows, too.

17

Yes, it could; disabling that would possibly help.
TPM is "Trusted Platform Module" and it can block changes to boot.

18

Some time ago a few users were having installation issues, that were not remedied by traditional BIOS Secure Boot, Fast Boot or Windows Fast Start-Up setting changes, but they had TPM.
Following from that, the content of this pre-installation advice thread was amended to include TPM as another thing to check. Re: Before you install

19

tried with TPM disabled. No difference unfortunately so I re enabled it.

20

And did You looked again if Secure Boot and Fast Boot in BIOS are still disabled?

Besides that ... does Your BIOS run in UFEI Mode or Legacy? What Tool did You use to create the bootable USB Stick? When using Windows, I can recommend Rufus for it.

If Your BIOS is in UEFI, use there on the Partition Sheme Option GPT and when it is in Legacy Mode use MBR:

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