Ubuntu Linux

esuhl

Do you need to disable the "fast startup" and "secure boot" settings in Windows to enable booting into a different OS?

http://ubuntuhandbook.org/index.php/2014/11/install-real-ubuntu-os-usb-drive/

Otherwise, the easiest thing to do would be to set the boot drives correctly then reinstall GRUB.

Fergie76

Frozen_up_north wrote: »

You might find it a lot more convenient to use Oracle Virtual Box under Windows, then install your Linux in VB. You are then able to use both at once, if need be. I run XP 32 bit under Win 10 64 bit courtesy of VB.

The best part is it’s free and you can isolate the O/S that runs in the Virtual Box, so no need to worry too much about virus and malware in the case of XP.
https://www.virtualbox.org

I think I remember what the problem with virtualbox was now. I don't think it listed my system. I have Windows 10 64-bit, however, it would only show the 32-bit.

Fergie76

emptybox wrote: »

It occurs to me that setting the BIOS to boot from USB first was perhaps not the correct move, because Ubuntu by default will put it's bootloader files (grub) on the main HDD (usually sda), so if the BIOS is looking to boot from the external USB drive it won't find grub there.

Can you remember where you asked it to install grub to?

Perhaps set the BIOS to boot from the main HDD first, and if you want to boot from USB subsequently then press F12 while booting up.

ETA: reading your OP again, you say that it just loads Windows, which suggests that grub was not installed on sda, so perhaps you installed grub to the external drive, and your system can't boot from it for some reason.

Maybe try again, installing grub to sda.
Or, if you don't want to disturb the Windows hard drive in any way, install grub to the external drive, and make that the primary HDD in BIOS, and use BIOS to switch between OSs.

Either way, I think it's the location of grub coupled with your BIOS settings that are causing your problem.
Sorry for the rambling post, but I was trying to think while typing it.

May possibly be the grub that you mention, as I have no idea what this is. I followed this youtube video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsAzRGMimgQ

I had to set my BIOS to boot from USB first, so that it would load the LiveUSB Linux on the flash drive, to allow me to install it on the external HDD.

Fergie76

I'm also using Linux Live USB Creator as my LiveUSB, if that makes a difference.

emptybox

Fergie76 wrote: »

May possibly be the grub that you mention, as I have no idea what this is. I followed this youtube video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsAzRGMimgQ

I had to set my BIOS to boot from USB first, so that it would load the LiveUSB Linux on the flash drive, to allow me to install it on the external HDD.

If you followed that video to the letter, at about 2 mins 55 secs he chooses sdc for the bootloader installation. That is grub.
That means he (and presumably you?) installed grub to the external drive.

At the very end of the video he says to make sure you set BIOS to boot from the external drive. And that is the step I think you missed out.

Go into your BIOS settings and make the external hard drive the Primary boot drive. Just making the computer boot from USB first is not enough. You must make that specific drive the primary drive.
The setting you want is probably called something like 'hard drive order'.

After that the computer should boot up the Ubuntu grub menu, and allow you to choose to boot into Ubuntu or Windows.

Fergie76

emptybox wrote: »

If you followed that video to the letter, at about 2 mins 55 secs he chooses sdc for the bootloader installation. That is grub.
That means he (and presumably you?) installed grub to the external drive.

At the very end of the video he says to make sure you set BIOS to boot from the external drive. And that is the step I think you missed out.

Go into your BIOS settings and make the external hard drive the Primary boot drive. Just making the computer boot from USB first is not enough. You must make that specific drive the primary drive.
The setting you want is probably called something like 'hard drive order'.

After that the computer should boot up the Ubuntu grub menu, and allow you to choose to boot into Ubuntu or Windows.

Thanks, will give it a go, I can't see how to set that BIOS, so will have play about.

esuhl

Fergie76 wrote: »

May possibly be the grub that you mention, as I have no idea what this is.

GRUB is the Grand Universal Bootloader. It can boot GNU/Linux operating systems and also load the Windows bootloader to let you boot Windows.

When your PC boots, and completes the POST (power-on self-test), the first thing it will do it look for a bootloader on the boot drive. If it finds GRUB, it will boot into a menu allowing you to select which OS you want to load (Ubuntu or Windows).

I manually install GRUB and am not familiar with Ubuntu. But at some point during the installation of Ubuntu, GRUB will have been installed. You need to make sure that it is on the drive that your BIOS/UEFI is set to boot.

The official GRUB manual is here if you need to know how it works in detail:
https://www.gnu.org/software/grub/manual/grub/grub.html

emptybox

Fergie76 wrote: »

Thanks, will give it a go, I can't see how to set that BIOS, so will have play about.

On the PC that I'm on at the moment, which has an old Intel motherboard, it is in the Boot section under 'Hard Drive Order'.
But you'll just have to poke about, as BIOSs differ quite a lot.
See if you can find any mention of the external drive in the Boot section.

It is just possible that the BIOS might not support booting from an external drive, in which case you might have to do the setup slightly differently; either installing grub to the internal drive, or using the Windows bootloader to switch.
But you can cross that bridge when you come to it.
If you tell us which motherboard you have we might be able to google for a manual.

Fergie76

Thanks for all your help, I think I have cracked it.

Fergie76

Or I should say, you cracked it.