Issues combining elementaryOS with Windows 10.
Issues combining elementaryOS with Windows 10.
It appears the setup process encountered several unexpected issues. Initially, the system accepted the SSD as primary storage but rejected the HDD for Windows installation. After using a flash drive, the installer restricted partition selection to only the 300GB HDD. When prompted for driver installation, it required a Secure Boot password, which I provided. The OS installed successfully, but upon reboot, I faced persistent problems accessing the command line and rebooting repeatedly. After multiple attempts—hard resets, changing BIOS settings, and trying to remove Linux—I still encountered the same boot loop with GRUB. Secure boot remained active throughout. Possible solutions might involve adjusting Secure Boot settings, verifying hardware compatibility, or reinstalling the OS from a clean media. Let me know if you'd like guidance on any specific step.
Power on your system and restart it. Then reinstall the Windows bootloader from the Windows installation media. Refer to instructions on Google for the correct command and steps, as I’m not familiar with the process. This action will eliminate Grub from the MBR/UEFI section.
You should remove the Linux partitions first. After checking the disk manager, it looks a bit unclear. Your Windows installation is on the C: drive, which holds 300GB, and you’ve allocated 100GB for elementary use. You mentioned deleting just the 92.87GB partition—likely the one with your OS files. The E: drive appears after the Linux install, so it probably contains system files or boot data. The two OEM partitions on C: and D: suggest something is loading unexpectedly. Double-check which partitions are present and ensure only the necessary ones are removed.
Begin by fixing the bootloader. The problem lies with secure boot. It can be resolved within the bootloader, though it involves more steps. For guidance, refer to the article here: https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Secure_Boot
Day 2, I turned off secure boot and managed to access Linux, but whenever I restart or shut down after booting, the GRUB error persists. I’m looking for solutions. Also, I want to transfer Linux from my 300GB HDD to an SSD because I believe using the hard drive could cause issues. Can I simply remove the HDD, install Linux on top of Windows on the SSD, reinstall the HDD, and then clean up the old partitions in Windows?
You need to examine your partition layout. Your EOM has set up two recovery partitions on the SSD. To run Linux on this drive, you must swap it out with an extended partition since MBR only allows four main partitions. Changing a primary to an extended format isn't feasible inside Win-OS, so using a Linux Live CD is essential. Consider adopting a simpler partitioning method during setup from a Live environment.
For the SSD: allocate a 512MB UFI FAT area for booting, then split the rest—NTFS for Windows 10 and ext4 for Linux. On the HDD: copy two NTFS partitions from the SSD (before re-partitioning) for the Win-10 recovery system, leaving the rest as data storage to ensure compatibility with Win-OS. Linux file systems offer better security, though some experimental Open Source drivers exist for translating Linux filesystems to Win-OS.
First, acquire a Linux Live CD, such as Knoppix, and boot from it. Most Live CDs launch a graphical interface, but not all do. Next, transfer any data from your D drive to a safe external storage. Then, create the recovery partitions on the newly formatted D drive, copying their contents individually. After completion, delete the recovery partitions from the SSD, followed by moving the UFI partition to the start of the SSD and then the Win-OS partition. This process will require data shifting and may take time.
By this point, you should have removed the MBR so Grub is gone (or it should be resolved). Test your setup by restarting into Win-OS. If successful, reinstall Linux; if not, reinstall Win-OS first.
Dutch Master offers solid guidance here with minimal additional input. I’d like to mention that the EFI partition is quite particular, requiring precise entries and adhering to specific constraints. I strongly advise reviewing the wiki article I shared along with all linked resources to grasp EFI limitations.
It’s best not to waste time reinstalling your Windows partitions just for Linux; consider restoring your Windows system first to fix the boot loader. After that, proceed with a Linux installation in a virtual machine before switching to a dual-boot setup on Windows.
Many websites claim Linux installation is simple, but hardware and system factors must be taken into account. Stay persistent, but do some research. If you need further help finding reliable resources, just let me know.