Hello. I've replaced my old Win 11 machine with Zorin Pro.
I've also made a bootable USB for Mint using Windows on my newer machine and this boots with no problem on this Windows machine.
However, when I plug it into my Zorin machine to try Mint on the same machine as Zorin, it doesn't boot, though the drive is visible in Files in Zorin.
How do I try Mint on my Zorin machine?
Did you change your boot order in the BIOS before attempting to boot? On Dell machines it is usually F12, and HP machines F10 during boot if you don't want to enter the BIOS.
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Yes. I do the exact same thing changing the boot order on the two machines using the same USB stick and it works on the Win 11 machine, but not the Zorin one.
The bootable USB is made on the Win 11 machine - does this make a difference?
What application did you use to create the USB? I recommend Ventoy.
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SWARF is right...
Hold F2 to enter the BIOS after turning computer on.
(1) Please make sure that you have secure boot disabled in your computer's BIOS.
Hold F12 after turning computer on, to access the boot loader.
(2) After holding down the key to enter the boot loader menu, you should see something like this. Make sure to click on the one in "your" list, that says Mint.
FYI: The keys you hold down to access the BIOS and boot, varies from computer to computer. If the keys mentioned do not work, please look up your computer model online, to find the exact keys. Hopefully, this has been helpful to you.
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For Your Motherboard should be exist a Shortcut to start the Boot Order during the Start Up - similar to the Shortcut to start the BIOS. Spam-pressing this Key and then You should see a List for Boot Devices. and there choose the USB Stick with Mint on it.
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Thanks @Ponce-De-Leon. All these years and I thought the boot menu and the boot order were the same! It's F11, and it works! Why would this happen,?
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Is it better than Rufus and the others? It seems quite popular on here
Ventoy is a nice Tool because You can easily have several Distros on one USB Stick. You install Ventoy on a Stick and then You can simply move the Distro ISO's on the Stick and that's it. There is no writing Process like You have it with Rufus or Etcher for Example. and when You don't need an ISO, You can simply delete it from the Stick.
So, you can have several Distro's at once on the Stick and test them. That is - at least for me - a big + Point. And if you want do that, You can play a bit with the Design and put a Theme on it to personalize it. But that is not neccessary; it is only an Option.
I wouldn't call it better. It has simply a different Way to use it. I like Rufus a lot. On Windows, it is a great Tool.
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Thanks, @Ponce-De-Leon. I'll add it to my list of things to do, as well as mastering Zorin and Mint (and the others)! This is meant to give me a project in my life after 37 years of depression.
Can I ask another question? Or 2, in fact.
How easy is it to revert to Windows from a Linux setup? I'm thinking of trying to speed up my neighbour's laptop and it's probably got too few resources for a dual boot and he might want to go back to Windows.
Question 2 - I've not yet worked out where Linux is installed. If I do a backup in Windows of a dual boot system, does it also backup the Linux, wherever that is?
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Well, Resources ... does he has limited Drive-space? Or limited Hardware Power? If it is the last one, maybe Zorin Lite would be good for Trying.
For the Case of Replace Zorin or Linux in general with Windows: At the End, You save the Data that You need on an external Drive. Then You take the Windows USB Stick and start the Installation and the Windows Installer should wipe the Disk and install Windows. Or You could start from an USB Stick Zorin, go in the ''Try Zorin'' Mode and in this Live Mode, You use GParted to wipe the whole Drive and then use the Windows USB Stick to install it.
Here I must say, that I'm not really sure but when You make a Back Up in windoes, it should only affect Windows and not the whole disk. This could maybe work with a third-party Tool what can save whole Disk's. And where Linux is, you should see in the Windows disk Management:
That is an Example from my earlier Dual-Boot System. You see the Linux Partition there. And the EFI Boot Stuff for Linux is in the first EFI-Partition.
So far a quick Overview.
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I strongly, strongly recommend you do not try backing up from Windows. Make a Ventoy USB as was mentioned above, and put Rescuezilla or Redo Rescue on it (both are free, Linux based tools). Also bring a USB HDD or large second USB. You can boot right into Rescuezilla or Redo Rescue, and back up the entire system to the second USB device. Windows' backup tools aren't great at backing up entire operating systems, much less entire drives. Redo Rescue and Rescuezilla are great at it.
(The reason you need Ventoy is that you're going to want bootable ISOs for both Linux and your backup tool. Rufus only allows one ISO per boot, so I'll respectfully disagree with Ponce-de-Leon and say Ventoy actually is the better tool nine times out of ten. Rufus gets that one in ten for some specific features related specifically to Windows, like making Windows-to-Go USBs.)
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In respect of your neighbour:
-
Download the Windows .iso for their version of Windows to make a clean install.
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Open Notepad and copy this script into it:
Set WshShell = CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
MsgBox ConvertToKey(WshShell.RegRead("HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\DigitalProductId"))
Function ConvertToKey(Key)
Const KeyOffset = 52
i = 28
Chars = "BCDFGHJKMPQRTVWXY2346789"
Do
Cur = 0
x = 14
Do
Cur = Cur * 256
Cur = Key(x + KeyOffset) + Cur
Key(x + KeyOffset) = (Cur \ 24) And 255
Cur = Cur Mod 24
x = x -1
Loop While x >= 0
i = i -1
KeyOutput = Mid(Chars, Cur + 1, 1) & KeyOutput
If (((29 - i) Mod 6) = 0) And (i <> -1) Then
i = i -1
KeyOutput = "-" & KeyOutput
End If
Loop While i >= 0
ConvertToKey = KeyOutput
End Function
Save it as winkeys.vbs
Open winkeys.vbs on neighbour's machine and that will display the Windows Activation key should he need to reinstall. Make sure he writes it down correctly.
If your neighbour's machine is undepowered then they should try Zorin Lite, or alternatively, 32-bit version of Q4OS KDE. It too has some alternative Windows themes, using something called "Look Switcher". Before doing anything I would advise your neighbour to backup all their data to an external device at the very least. Better still usecRescuezilla to create a full system backup before installing any GNU/Linux. (GNU is the OS, Linux is the kernel).
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God! What a struggle! Ventoy wouldn't install on the USB. I then found Ventoy liveCD and used that to put Ventoy on the stick. Then booting from the USB gave a warning of an unsafe device, so I then found I needed to disable Safe Boot, but found there was no option to disable it. Finally found an article saying how to disable Safe Boot on Asus. Three frustrating hours later, I've got it working.
I'll read the replies from other people tomorrow - I'm physically and mentally exhausted! (only had 1 good night sleep in the last 2 weeks, which doesn't help!)
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Thanks, @Locklear93. I'll try that sometime, but I'm shattered by a frustrating afternoon making the Ventoy USB stick - see reply to @Ponce-De-Leon
With Windows, I back up with Macrium and also Ashampoo and EaseUS.
We've all been through this same struggle before, and I am pretty sure everyone has gone 48-hours without sleep at least once in their life.
Part of the struggle, is you come from a lack of knowledge. We do try our best to get the knowledge, but somethings, you just got to gain knowledge through personal experience.
I want to congratulate you on a job well done, as you achieved success in the end. Now go to bed, and try to get a well deserved 10-hours to regenerate. Then come back here, to read more posts.
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Did I say 2 days? I meant 2 weeks
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Did you used the GUI to install it? It should be very simple.
Thanks @Ponce-De-Leon. For backups, I use the imaging programme Macrium (and Ashampoo and EaseUS to be safe).
I don't currently have a dual boot computer - I decided to switch it completely to Zorin. But it's good to know I can check in the future
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It ran each time, but never installed anything. I then googled the problem and found liveCD
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