Flumoxxed by Dual Boot Installation ...

[Langstracht]

I want to get a dual boot of Win 10 and ubuntu 18.04 on a Lenovo IdeaPad.

There is 20 Gig of unallocated space on the HD.

After choosing a language, the installation wants me to "configure the interface", then "enter a proxy if required", and then an "alternative mirror if required".

I have no idea whether any of these are required or not and, if they are, have no idea how to do any of them.

It then goes on to ask whether I want to partition the "whole disk", "the whole disk and set up LVM" or do this "manually". I would think I would want to do it manually but choosing this option does not permit choosing the unallocated space. The option is greyed out.

Can someone please get me out of this dilemma?

I don't know ... perhaps I'm just using the wrong file to boot from ...

TIA

Allan

[CelticWarrior]

Is Windows 10 installed in BIOS or UEFI mode?

If the former, how many partitions are already in the drive?

[Langstracht]

It's UEFI.

[CelticWarrior]

If it's UEFI you need to assure the Ubuntu installer is booting in UEFI mode (better disable Legacy/CSM in UEFI settings). Apparently it's booting in Legacy mode.

[Langstracht]

I'm afraid I have no idea how to do that.

Can you further assist?

[CelticWarrior]

How to do that depends entirely on your hardware. Please check your manual before anything else.

If Legacy/CSM is enabled you're likely to see two different entries for the external media you're trying to boot like the Ubuntu installer. Without disabling Legacy/CSM and having those two entries you need to choose the one that says "UEFI:".

There are other settings that you need to change in UEFI so better to get familiar with yours. No one ignoring this should be trying to install any OS.

[dragonfly41]

Not knowing Lenovo IdeaPad I used Google to search and found this rather wierd method of getting into bios.

https://forums.lenovo.com/t5/Lenovo-...B/td-p/4168291
Search the Lenovo forum for instructions.

In my Dell PC I tap F2 immediately after switching on (within seconds of the Dell logo being visible).

Lenovo might need Fn+F2 buttons from what I read.

[CelticWarrior]

Lenovo might need Fn+F2 buttons from what I read.

Yes, very likely. My own experience with a few Lenovos confirms it.

This is because of the fad of changing the function keys (F1-F12) from their default actions to the additional actions that before required FN. Some UEFIs allow changing this new faddish behavior back to what we were used to, some don't. This is the reason for FN+F2 - normally it would be just F2 - but because the actions are inverted we need FN even to open the firmware settings.

[Langstracht]

Thank you both for your inputs.

And the link. I'm afraid I found nothing there that deals with disabling Legacy/CSM.

I've spent the last while repeatedly re-starting the Lenovo and trying to access the BIOS. Totally unsuccessfully. I'll keep trying but it seems to be a bit of a lost cause. Why DO manufacturers make it so difficult?

And that said why don't they supply manuals anymore? My 2 month old IdeaPad has no manual ...

All of this said, if I do FINALLY get into the BIOS, is that where I disable Legacy/CSM? Is it obvious, even to a septuagenarian like me how to do it?

[CelticWarrior]

Manuals are available online. Manufacturers always try to cut costs in anything they can. In this case it's actually a good thing because most users will never need them and we all save on paper.

You need to press FN before powering on and, while keeping FN pressed, spam the F2 key immediatelly after pressing the ON button.

Now, nitpicking, you don't have BIOS, you have UEFI but for all intended purposes UEFI is what replaced BIOS a decade ago. Unfortunately many manufacturers still call it "BIOS" or "UEFI BIOS". I guess it will take another decade to re-educate everybody about the correct terminology. That said, UEFI ("BIOS") settings is where you should find the setting but where exactly depends on your model and I'm not familiar with it. Typically but not necessarily it will be in the Boot menu or Advanced Settings (or anywhere else the firmware vendor decided to put it).

But I must also stress that disabling Legacy/CSM is for your convenience only, it's not mandatory for UEFI installations as long as you know what you're doing. As I mentioned before, if you see your USB stick twice then just choose the entry that mentions UEFI. This always works if the USB stick has been burned with most recommended tools but if done with Rufus in Windows it will also depend on having selected the correct settings before burning and those settings are not the Rufus defaults, users must change them to GPT/UEFI otherwise the stick will only boot in older BIOS based machines or UEFI ones with Legacy/CSM enabled.