Zorin installation

Forpli · May 21, 2026, 9:19am

I wanted to remove Windows from my Dell Laptop with my Zorin VM and install Zorin.
Now I have problems with the installation. I already have deleted the EFI partition and Windows partition with gparted from Zorin bootstick.
In the installer program I set a 500MB boot partition (/dev/nvme0n1p1) for FAT32 filesystem and wrote '/boot' as mount point, but in the selection field there was only shown /dos and /windows and no option for /boot.
The other partition (/dev/nvme0n1p2) is a 170GB partition for /. As place for the bootloader installation I set the entire nvme. But then I get an error when I clicked on install that the installation may fail because there is no efi partition.
Then I tried to change the boot partition from FAT32 to efi but formatting was greyed out and there is no mount point shown.

Now the program has hanged up...What is the right way? Please help me!

Nourpon · May 21, 2026, 9:29am

Restart with GParted and fix the partition type:

Boot back into your Zorin live USB/stick and open GParted
Right-click on the 500MB FAT32 partition you created and select "Manage Flags"
Check the "boot" flag (this marks it as bootable)
Right-click the same partition again and select "Type" from the context menu
Change the partition type to "EFI System Partition" — this is the critical step you missed

At this point, the partition type should show as EFI System in GParted (or similar, depending on your version).

Apply all changes (green checkmark icon)

Forpli · May 21, 2026, 9:32am

In gparted I only have deleted the partitions from Windows and not created new ones.

Nourpon · May 21, 2026, 9:32am

After that you can install Zorin

Launch the Zorin installer
Select "Manual Partitioning" (or equivalent)
For the 500MB partition:

Set mount point to /boot/efi (not /boot )
Filesystem should already show as FAT32
Keep the boot flag enabled

For the 170GB partition:

Set mount point to /
Set filesystem to ext4

Set bootloader installation location to your nvme device (e.g., /dev/nvme0n1 )
Proceed with installation

Nourpon · May 21, 2026, 9:35am

then remove it, but if you really want to install Zorin over you old install why you don't launch the Zorin install and auto set partition your disk or manual partitions if you prefer ?

Forpli · May 21, 2026, 9:39am

I'm at the manual partitioning but I can't set a mount point for efi and I can't format it (I'm not sure if that needed). I don't want to erase the entire disk because I have a data partition on the drive and no backup drives.
I thought I can make the partitions here with the installer but when I installed Zorin and other OS I always had a EFI partition from Windows and now I have deleted it unfortunately because always was said 100 MB are too small.

Nourpon · May 21, 2026, 9:42am

I think you can't format it because it's mounted, unmount it

Forpli · May 21, 2026, 9:47am

No, it is free space it is not a partition at the moment and not mounted. I don't see it in file manager.

Nourpon · May 21, 2026, 9:51am

Then I don't understand your problem

Ponce-De-Leon · May 21, 2026, 9:57am

When You want completely remove Windows, why You make Circumstances in creating manually Partitions? You could simply start the Installation Process and choose ''Erase disk'' and the Disk will be wiped and Zorin gets installed automatically.

Forpli · May 21, 2026, 9:59am

Then my personal datas are lost.

Forpli · May 21, 2026, 10:02am

I try the installation now without the boot flag. It was not possible to set it for efi, only for FAT 32. Perhaps I can run boot repair if it doesn't boot. I'll see. At the moment I regret to have Windows removed😭

Ponce-De-Leon · May 21, 2026, 10:02am

But then I don't quite understand Your Plan. Because when You create the Partitions on the Drive manually, You delete the Stuff, too. Or is this p4 Partition in ntfs a Partition that You want keep?

Would be a BackUp of Your Data no Option? Safe them on an external Drive and then install Zorin.

Forpli · May 21, 2026, 10:04am

Yes, my datas are on partition 4.

Forpli · May 21, 2026, 10:09am

Puh...It has worked!!! Zorin 18.1 Core installed and booted successful.
Now I connect to internet and make the updates. I really was scared because the flag was not shown.

Nourpon · May 21, 2026, 10:12am

So what you did for ?

Forpli · May 21, 2026, 10:13am

What do you mean?

Nourpon · May 21, 2026, 10:13am

what did you do to make it work ?

Forpli · May 21, 2026, 10:18am

I created the two partitions in gparted but that made no difference. Then I simply clicked on install but without a mount point shown for the efi partition and set as place for the boot loader installation the first partition.

In gparted everything looks right after the installation:

Thank you very much for your help, @Nourpon and @Ponce-De-Leon!

Forpli · May 21, 2026, 2:07pm

I'm curious to see if snaps will be inserted, even though I followed the steps outlined in this guide.

https://linuxconfig.org/how-to-remove-snapd-on-ubuntu-26-04

After the removal of snapd I set

sudo apt-mark hold snapd

and created a file at /etc/apt/preferences.d/nosnap.pref
to set the Pin-Priority for snapd to -1.