So I had decided it was time to wipe out my whole system and install only Linux. This would then allow me to format my game library for Linux eliminating the problems accessing an NTFS volume.
I cleared all partitions on both drives. I created an EFI 100G partition then formatted both devices remaining space as Ext4 making the setup as the simplest possible for installing Linux.
I popped in my Zorin Pro USB stick, sat there for 2 hours (well...it felt like 2 hours) for the software to perform the validation of all of the files on a 2TB USB stick, then I assume it went into creating the ramdisk to run the OS. However, at that time I got a gray blank screen and it just sat there for a very long time. EVERYTHING IS SO HORRIBLY SLOW!!!
Finally I shutdown my computer and in minutes I had Linux Mint running and getting the install to start was ever so simple. WHY CANNOT ZORIN BE THIS FAST AND SIMPLE???
By the way I did what the screen said to do and I hit CTL-C to end the file validation and that was a lie! I hit it many times and it continued running giving me the middle finger while laughing at me.
System: Ace Magic AMD 5700U APU, 32Gig single channel memory, 1T/.5T Nvme sticks. OS on the .5T stick.
That seems very large to me, for an EFI partition...
Linux Mint defaults to the standard Xorg/X11 desktop. Zorin OS has started since the release of Zorin OS 17 to default to Wayland.
It may be that your download corrupted and that was why the validation of files seemed to take so very long and even so, did not install correctly.
Or it may be that the default to Wayland, as the display compositor, caused issues.
There are a few reasons why the keyboard shortcut may not work. A less likely one is that the keyboard drivers were not fully loaded during that step.
A likely possibility is that there are certain periods during the script that the signit is set to ignore (I have not verified this on Zorin OS). This may sound bad, but is a good thing. Most of the time, the process will be terminated but during critical component checks it is set to ignore in order to prevent cancellation of the process from doing damage.
You can see this is not done to inhibit the user since the sigint works the majority of the time; but instead to protect your computer.
As a Pro user, you are entitled to direct Installation Support from the ZorinGroup:
Here, you can get help from the Zorin OS developers in resolving installation issues or resolving a copy that you cannot use.
As to the stuff on the USB. It was created by Rufus, it was then validated by Rufus and this Zorin USB has lived a much shorter life than my Linux Mint USB. (both are equal models/size USB drives) So I highly doubt that there was a problem with the files on the stick. Data stored on current technology is a ton safer than back in the 90's.
As to the length of time I'm sure it ran the same as every other time the past four(?) times I tried installing Zorin. Just waiting for it for any more than a minute or so feels like hours to me. Zorin just does not want to install and run on my system.
Did You used as Partition Sheme GPT or MBR? That depends if Your BIOS is in UEFI or Legacy Mode. When it is UEFI, then GPT is the better Choice. With Legacy is MBR.