GUIDE: (U)EFI installation

[oldfred]

@tamashumi
Are you starting CD or USB flash from UEFI menu not from BIOS boot?

@GerMulvey
It may just be better to start a new thread. Too many different questions with possibly different solutions starts to get confusing.

[tamashumi]

@tamashumi
Are you starting CD or USB flash from UEFI menu not from BIOS boot?

I'm booting USB flash. The notebook has not any optical drive.
Installing in BIOS mode from the same stick works fine. EFI files are also loaded as I'm getting to the GRUB menu (UEFI's menu as it's black-and-white).
Then when any option selected screen goes blank and USB led (depends on stick used) flashes/glows for some time then stops and nothing more happens.

[oldfred]

If you can get to grub then you have a boot issue. Often video, sometimes other options.

How to set NOMODESET and other kernel boot options in grub2
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1613132
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/BootOptions

Natty or later Video issues. MAFoElffen
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1743535

[Vidar30]

Sony Vaio E

In UEFI-mode, it will _only_ boot the pre-installed windows7 or a DVD with Windows8.

These media will boot in BIOS-mode, but not UEFI:

- DVD with windows7
- Live DVD Ubuntu12
- Ubuntu USB installation

I apologize in advance if the answer to my question is to be found in this thread:

Any tips on how I can install Ubuntu in UEFI-mode? It puzzles me since the installation DVD won't boot unless I switch to BIOS -mode.

Thanks in advance - Windows is slowly killing me.

[YannBuntu]

Hello Vidar30,

i am not a EFI expert, but if i were you, i would:
1) backup my documents
2) backup the current EFI partition, and make sure you have a Windows CD in case you need to reinstall it
3) use the latest Gparted CD to create another EFI partition (FAT32, >200Mo, close from the beginning of the disk for example just after the Windows EFI partition), without deleting the Windows EFI partition, and move the boot flag from the Windows EFI partition to the new one. Also create a BIOS_boot partition (>1Mo, bios_grub flag, unformatted) just in case. And partitions that will contain Ubuntu (SWAP= size of your RAM + system / in ext4, >15Go).
4) boot a Ubuntu CD in BIOS mode (as you can't boot in EFI mode), install Ubuntu in your previously prepared partitions. If you have a GPT disk this will install GRUB in MBR+BIOS_boot partition. If not, this will not use the BIOS_boot partition. Reboot and check if this works (=if you have access to both Windows and Ubuntu or not)
5) If not, purge grub-pc and install grub-efi. This can be done via the "Separate /boot/efi" option of Boot-Repair for example. This will create a grub(..).efi file in your new EFI partition. You may then need to setup your BIOS to add this file as an entry in your BIOS menu (but i have doubts as you said you don't have EFI mode in your BIOS).

[Spudgun79]

Hi all,

I'm trying to follow this guide, but the Ubuntu 12.04 live usb stick I've created does not appear to want to boot if I pick UEFI mode. All I get is a grub> prompt.

Everything seems to fire up okay if I choose BIOS mode, and looking on the contents of the usb stick the efi folders with the 'bootx64' is present. I've googled for an hour with no success before posting here.

Have I missed something?

For info my motherboard is an Asus P8P67 LE

[YannBuntu]

@Spudgun79: please indicate your BootInfo URL.