Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Computing/2019 September 26

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September 26

How to install Ubuntu/Debian/Turnkey Linux latest compatible distro in about 366GB unallocated space of a Dell x64 type PC with pre-installed Windows 10 Pro with bootable pen drive

I am facing trouble in giving correct configuration setting probably because I keep on getting boot device not found error even though I have chosen boot sequence and disabled SAFE boot option at UEFI boot iterface by clicking.I do not want to use CD/DVD.I have created around 366 GB of free unallocated space out of the uused free E and F drives and by shrinking C drive with a partition manager then I created a boot-able Ubuntu flash drive in a 64 GB pen drive and Universal Ubutu Installer but alas poor me I am in total mess as keep on getting boot device not found sort of error and I feel hopelessly embattled and harangued after 2 days of war effort.Please help

The configuration of my system is:
The following discussion has been closed. Please do not modify it.
OS Name Microsoft Windows 10 Pro Version 10.0.16299 Build 16299 Other OS Description Not Available OS Manufacturer Microsoft Corporation System Manufacturer Dell Inc. System Model OptiPlex 3046 System Type x64-based PC System SKU 079B Processor Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-6700 CPU @ 3.40GHz, 3408 Mhz, 4 Core(s), 8 Logical Processor(s) BIOS Version/Date Dell Inc. 1.1.2, 8/30/2016 SMBIOS Version 2.8 Embedded Controller Version 255.255 BIOS Mode UEFI BaseBoard Manufacturer Dell Inc. BaseBoard Model Not Available BaseBoard Name Base Board Platform Role Desktop Secure Boot State Off PCR7 Configuration Elevation Required to View Windows Directory C:\WINDOWS System Directory C:\WINDOWS\system32 Boot Device \Device\HarddiskVolume2 Locale United States Hardware Abstraction Layer Version = "10.0.16299.371" User Name SG-0ITERP-02\ERP02 Time Zone India Standard Time Installed Physical Memory (RAM) 4.00 GB Total Physical Memory 3.90 GB Available Physical Memory 1.72 GB Total Virtual Memory 6.28 GB Available Virtual Memory 3.09 GB Page File Space 2.38 GB Page File C:\pagefile.sys Virtualization-based security Not enabled Device Encryption Support Elevation Required to View Hyper-V - VM Monitor Mode Extensions Yes Hyper-V - Second Level Address Translation Extensions Yes Hyper-V - Virtualization Enabled in Firmware Yes Hyper-V - Data Execution Protection.

Wrogh456 (talk) 15:15, 26 September 2019 (UTC)

(I formatted your detailed specs.)

You need to load a Linux boot manager to the flash drive which specifically allows you to download Linux onto the hard drive. This is tricky as many only use the hard drive for storage, and still run from the flash drive. Also, using multiple hard drives may be problematic, but Linux distros are small so it will probably fit on one. Some PCs just inexplicably refuse to boot from flash drives. If you have one of those you would need to boot up in Windows and use that to download Linux to one of the other hard drives, and then make that the boot drive in the BIOS settings when rebooting (this likely requires Linux to be on a physical hard drive, not a virtual one.). You could also use a boot manager that allows you to choose whether your boot in Linux or Windows, but I haven't had much luck with those. Hopefully others can make specific recommendations for boot/download managers. SinisterLefty (talk) 17:04, 26 September 2019 (UTC)

Also, a general comment on your PC: It looks like a nice one, in general, but only having 4 GB of RAM will tend to limit speed and capabilities (perhaps more of a problem in Windows than Linux). It seems to be expandable to 16 GB, for around US$74: [1]. I don't think this has anything to do with the problem of downloading Linux, though. SinisterLefty (talk) 17:59, 26 September 2019 (UTC)

Have you attempted to load any Linux variants directly on a physical hard drive ? If so, how did that work out ? SinisterLefty (talk) 17:47, 27 September 2019 (UTC)

Please suggest the version and Linux distro along with GRUB loader that I should try to install in the above machine keeping the existing Windows 10 intact in approximately 367 GB of unallocated space.Waiting for your help103.24.110.131 (talk) 10:20, 29 September 2019 (UTC) Pen drive is detected by Windows 10 after creating boot-able pen drive for Ubuntu with universal installer but evening after deselecting Windows boot manager disabling secure boot changing the boot sequence first priority to usb storage device from UEFI I cannot make the machine boot from pendrive and install Linux distro and the bootable-flash drive when i open and check it in windows 10 that I have prepared from downloade iso image file with universal installer i can find boot folder presumable it contains the loader for unix but of no use and theere no mention of usb flash drive or pen drive in the UEFI boot sequence.I cannot use CD/DVD.Please help me.10:26, 29 September 2019 (UTC) — Preceding unsigned comment added by 103.24.110.131 (talk)

I'm surprised nobody else has answered. Please try:

1) Boot in Windows, then download your favorite version of Linux onto one of the other physical hard drives.

2) Then use the BIOS to change the boot sequence to boot that hard drive first. (Some very old PCs required use of jumpers on the hard drive to specify which was the boot drive, but I seriously doubt if you have one that old.)

That method doesn't depend on pen drives at all, which seem to not be bootable on your PC. SinisterLefty (talk) 23:15, 30 September 2019 (UTC)