Problems Installing on HP Laptop

Installing Zorin OS
1

Trying to install Zorin on my HP laptop (details below). Not having any luck. Probably making some silly mistakes.

Laptop Details

HP Gaming Notebook

Intel (R) Core (TM) i7-6700HQ CPU @2.60 GHZ

8 GB RAM

Graphics Card 128 MB Intel HD Graphics 530

Storage 1.8 TB

First tried to install directly onto laptop

Fast Startup - turned off.

Secure Boot - turned off

Boot order changed in BIOS

Used RUFUS

Booted from the USB (f9 on HP)

Got the menu & chose to install on laptop

Nothing happened for a long time so pressed CNTL ALT f2.

Got the message - 3499.920787 systemd[1] : Failed to start system-journal. service - Journal Service

Had a quick try with mint cinnamon & Ubuntu with no success.

Then tried to install trial version onto the USB

Used RUFUS (BIOS)

Again the system hung & I got the same message -
3499.920787 systemd[1] : Failed to start system-journal. service - Journal Service

Then tried RUFUS (DD)

Got a screen full of text & numbers -

Down the left hand side a lot numbers & letters something like -

75aa1055000-75aa1050a00 r--p 00000000 00:02 2217

Bottom Left a section headed - backtrace

To the right letters and numbers -

Something like -

/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gru/1ibm.......... (deleted)

balenaEtcher

Tried using balenaEtcher instead of RUFUS.

Selected the Zorin distro from the Download folder on my laptop. Got the following error message -

Error opening source

Error: (0 , h. requestMetadata) is not a function

Hope you can make some suggestions as to what I am doing wrong.

Thanks,

              Keith
2

Do you have an Nvidia Card? If yes, which model?

Or is there only the integrated Intel graphics card?

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3

This is... a very strange post.

Every symptom says it is a corrupted .iso

Yet, the O.P. says they tried multiple .iso's and burners. It seems statistically improbable that every .iso would corrupt the same way.
Unless, maybe, Some tool like anti-virus or a download helper is repeatedly interfering with downloaded binaries on each download attempt...

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4

Graphics Card 128 MB Intel HD Graphics 530

5

@KeithB Did you verify the SHA256 checksum of the downloaded .iso with the checksum published by Zorin?
See: Check the Integrity of Your Copy of Zorin OS - Zorin Help

When using Rufus. Did you select "GPT" for UEFI, or "MBR" for Legacy BIOS, according to your HP Laptop BIOS configuration?

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6

Have used MBR (didn't really check what that was for - assumed default was OK). Used Rufus with the GPT setting. Selected trial version when the USB had booted. Just got a screen full of text & numbers (exactly the same as detailed in my original posting).
Have downloaded the Zorin ISO several times & checked at least one of them. Also no luck with Ubuntu or mint Cinnamon.

7

Welcome to the Forum!

Is Your BIOS in UEFI or Legacy Mode? How was the USB Stick formatted?

So, You have Windows installed, yes?

Is Fast Boot in BIOS disabled, too?

8

Also. Is TPM disabled in BIOS?

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9

Regarding Balena Etcher, I see from 'Ask Ubuntu' that many people have had the same problem as you using Balena in WIN. Maybe they have fixed it by now. Someone described it as a 'known bug'.
You could try Ventoy as you have had so much trouble with Rufus.
After booting, if you can get to the Zorin start page, it says 'try Zorin' or 'Install Zorin'. Click on 'Try' before installing, and see if everything works (running live from USB everything is a little slow).

10

So near yet so far.

Disabled TMP

Don't think HP laptops have a Fast Boot option. Can't find it on mine.

Tried to boot up but got same error message.

Installed Ventoy on a USB.

Got some mixed results.

Often failed right at the start. A couple of times got as far as the selecting the language. Once got to the Wi-Fi option (rather stupidly selected yes rather than skip) but it hung after that.

Always get the error message - Zorin.... Not responding.

I've come to the conclusion that Zorin & my laptop are not to be.

Might try again but taking up a lot of time.

Thanks for all your help.

Really impressed buy the Zorin Community.

1 Like
11

Did You tried a different Distro like Linux Mint for Example?

12

Yes. Didn't work.

13

I have an HP Spectre x360 and am also having trouble running Zorin 18 on it. Is the conclusion of this post that Zorin 18 cannot install on HP laptops?

I currently have Win10 Home on it and tried to run Zorin live from a Ventoy USB. Couldn't load either 17 or 18. Earlier posts suggested Windows gets messed up if too many BIOS settings are changed and I don't want to do that until October, when Win10 finally dies for good (at least for me).

I have successfully installed the same iso on a desktop, so I know the iso is good...

14

How did You set up Ventoy? Depending on the used BIOS (UEFI or Legacy Mode), You can choose in the Ventoy Settings GPT for UEFI BIOS and MBR for Legacy BIOS.

15

I don't remember anymore. When restarting from Menu (Change Advanced Startup...), it offers to use USB (UEFI).

This is what happens:

  • select Z18-r3
  • Select Install normally
  • Checking md5sums
  • hp-zorin icons on screen
  • Try vs Install options on screen
  • "Try Zorin" leads to error message with sad computer face:
    "Oh no! Something has gone wrong.
    A problem has occurred and the system can't recover.
    Please log out and try again."

That's all I can do.

I'd be happy to create a new Zorin18 usb; recommendations for most reliable way? I really want to be sure I can get Zorin up and flying!

17

First make sure that Secure Boot and Fast Boot in BIOS are disabled and Fast Start-Up in Windows.

Because You have Windows, I can recommend for creating a Bootstick Rufus. There You can actively choose between GPT and MBR for fitting to the used BIOS.

On Linux, I use Impression. But this doesn't have an Option like this. It creates by default in GPT.

18

Am I correct that when using Rufus I choose MBR for my Win10 laptop? And I must disable Secure Boot (I never could find Fast Boot in the HP BIOS).

19

Disable Secure Boot, yes.

When You BIOS is in Legacy Mode, You choose MBR. When it is in UEFI You choose GPT.

1 Like
20

I'm trying to understand here. Using the same Ventoy(1.1.11) USB, I tried:

  1. Booting into Zorin. Failed with previous error message
  2. Booting into Solus. Failed with Security Failure Message.
  3. Booting up Cachyos. No problem at all.

Why is Zorin so particular?

21

You can in Ventoy set up the Partition Sheme (GPT or MBR) and Secure Boot Support. Did You checked the Settings of Ventoy and that Secure Boot and Fast Boot in BIOS are disabled?