Issue to access Boot menue

[ollio123]

Hello everyone. I bought a used laptop with existing Ubuntu and now want to start my Linux Mint Boost CD. which key combination is required? I don't have a password for the existing Ubuntu access. Thank you very much for useful tips.

[ajgreeny]

There is no quick answer to that as we know nothing about the computer you're asking about but it will probably be one of the F# function keys immediately after power-on.

Tell us as much as you can about the laptop; make, version of Ubuntu, etc, etc.
It will also be useful to run terminal command inxi -Fzx and then copy the output back here using Code-tags.
See my signature below for a how-to of code tags.

[MAFoElffen]

Or you could run the UbuntuForums 'system-info' script and just post the URL of the pastebin it uploads to. One of the 2 Stickies for that is at the top of this Section.

'inxi' is not a default installed application. Well, I admit that the 'system-info' script is not either, The script was adopted by the Forum for gathering information for it's Members to make support recommendations. It gathers more information than inxi to be able to make those recommendations, using just the default installed Linux utilities, system files, and environment variables. The public seen version of the report that is uploaded to a pastebin, makes it easy for new users to just post the URL of where it uploads, and the report is sanitized for safety and security.

And it can be run from the installation Live USB media... As you might tell, I am proud of what the Project has come up with, what it is, and does for the Members of this Community. External reviews say it is a valuable Ubuntu tool that should be used by Users of "other distributions" besides just Ubuntu.

As for getting into your existing Ubuntu installation... I am assuming, by what you said, and the way you worded that, that you do not have the user account name and password? Right?

Are you looking to reinstall Ubuntu fresh? Or to get into the existing installation, creating a new User account for yourself, then deleting the old existing account?

The pro's and cons of that are that the existing installation is already installed, though you do not know how well it was setup and configured. If okay, and working, then less work having to setup any needed drivers. On the other hand, installing a fresh new installation may be less work (in other ways) than cleaning up an old installation that was meant for someone else, who might have installed a lot of extras to their own liking.

It goes both ways. But that decision is yours.

[anthonymahe]

Common keys for accessing the Boot Menu are Esc, F2, F10, or F12, depending on the computer or motherboard manufacturer.