Linux startup problems.
Linux startup problems.
Your ASUS laptop features an HDD with three partitions—one containing Windows and another being a fresh SSD. After installing Linux Mint on the SSD, you booted via GRUB but faced issues with touchpad support, prompting you to uninstall it. You then switched to a live Linux USB, formatted the SSD, and followed similar steps with Windows, formatting it as NTFS. Now the SSD appears as a blank 111GB drive despite being unused. In the boot menu, Ubuntu still appears and launches GRUB when selected. Attempts to remove the boot partition from BIOS were unsuccessful. No Wi-Fi files are present. You’re looking to erase the SSD completely and eliminate the Grub installation.
Grub was likely added to the Windows UEFI partition. You'll need a Linux Live installation media booted to the Linux Live Desktop you prefer. Identify a Fat32 partition on the drive with your Windows install. Eliminate any entries that mention Grub, Ubuntu, Linux, or Mint. Open a terminal. efibootmgr will display entries such as "Boot0003* Arch Linux". The final number you need is the one following the sequence, for example 3 in this case. Run efibootmgr -b number_of_entry -B to restart your system.
Because the issue isn't caused by any mistakes on your end. A Live Installer tends to reuse the same EFI partition even if it's on a different drive. Just remove the files and delete the entry—no need to reinstall anything.
Looking for a way to proceed without a live system? I only have a single flash drive, and I'm trying to see if installing Windows on an SSD is possible.
I don’t know of any method, but I’m not confident enough with Windows to understand. Your SSD should be okay. The boot entry is saved in the BIOS and the Grub files are on your current Windows EFI partition. Adding something to the SSD won’t help if you’ve formatted it, since it’s already empty.
Hey everyone, I'm still getting the hang of this. My main goal is to run Windows on an SSD, but Linux doesn't work well with the touchpad. I'm wondering if installing Windows fresh on the SSD will interfere with the boot process. If I do that, can I just keep using the Ubuntu Boot partition? And what about the potential issues with Grub?
It shouldn't create any problems. Yes. You might only need to adjust your boot sequence. If you're setting up Windows on an SSD and wiping the old installation, it should remove the GRUB files during that process. GRUB is actually stored in your existing Windows Boot Partition, so leaving it in place won't cause issues. As a tip for smoother starts later, disconnect all other drives except the one you're installing to. After finishing, reconnect them to avoid partition conflicts.
I experienced the same issue before. Assuming Windows is still running, you can proceed. (Be cautious) From the Admin Command, execute: mountvol U: /s dir /A /S U:\ If a loader.efi file exists: delete /F U:path\loader.efi. If your directory contains an Ubuntu folder, use: RD /S /Q "U:EFI\ubuntu" mountvol U: /D Reboot. I suspect your folder will be labeled as Mint or similar. Let me know! Edited August 22, 2020 by Jurien72 Added clarification details