USB booting issues with UEFI

[Epic B]

I'm trying to install Debian on a Windows 8 laptop. After I figured out how to disable secure boot and boot from USB with UEFI, I booted up GParted Live and safely set up a partition for my Debian installation. After that, I made a USB boot disk for Debian (I'm using the LXDE Live image if it matters), but when I use Shift+Restart in Windows, which I need to do to access alternate boot devices, my USB drive isn't being recognized as a boot device. It was once, maybe a few times, but when it was, it just went back to Windows when I picked it. I tried switching from UEFI to legacy BIOS mode, but the USB wouldn't boot all the way. I don't understand why this is working. I realize it's Friday the 13th, but that's just a dumb superstition and these issues (Though maybe not these USB issues specifically, I'm not sure) started on Thursday night. Any ideas?

 

[Grayfox]

I run Zorin OS from a USB drive and when I disable UEFI boot and enable legacy/CMF boot and I use the select boot device menu my USB drive is shown.

 

[Epic B]

I run Zorin OS from a USB drive and when I disable UEFI boot and enable legacy/CMF boot and I use the select boot device menu my USB drive is shown.

I disabled secure boot and switched from UEFI to legacy BIOS mode. It will show my USB drive as a boot device, but it won't boot when I try it. That isn't the problem. The problem is getting Windows to recognize the USB as a boot device (From the shift-Restart menu), and if it does, getting the USB to boot.

 

[Robin]

Depends on the laptop, some Windows 8 laptops will not allow booting from USB even with UEFI and secure boot disabled (like the Surface Pro) so that people don't install other OS'.

Also not all 3rd party USB bootable stuff is compatible with the current generation boot systems. I have noticed many vendors are trying to play catchup to make their stuff compatible.

 

[Epic B]

Depends on the laptop, some Windows 8 laptops will not allow booting from USB even with UEFI and secure boot disabled (like the Surface Pro) so that people don't install other OS'.

Also not all 3rd party USB bootable stuff is compatible with the current generation boot systems. I have noticed many vendors are trying to play catchup to make their stuff compatible.

Oh, okay. What confuses me is that my USB actually booted the first time, and that's how I partitioned my drive. But now my computer doesn't acknowledge my USB drive as a boot device anymore for no apparent reason. It knows the drive exists, it just doesn't acknowledge it's bootable when I go to the menu. It makes absolutely no sense. On the one occasion that it actually showed up as a boot device, it didn't work. I don't know what to do and I'm all out of ideas.

If it matters, I'm using Rufus to make the USB a boot device.

 

[Robin]

Oh, okay. What confuses me is that my USB actually booted the first time, and that's how I partitioned my drive. But now my computer doesn't acknowledge my USB drive as a boot device anymore for no apparent reason. It knows the drive exists, it just doesn't acknowledge it's bootable when I go to the menu. It makes absolutely no sense. On the one occasion that it actually showed up as a boot device, it didn't work. I don't know what to do and I'm all out of ideas.

That is confusing, maybe you could try formatting and creating the USB stick again or try a different stick just to make sure.

 

[Epic B]

That is confusing, maybe you could try formatting and creating the USB stick again or try a different stick just to make sure.

I've tried that. Still didn't work. My dad suggested the image may be corrupted. I will try redownloading the image to see if that helps.

 

[Grayfox]

Try making a new partition layout using GPT instead of MBR

Plugging it into a USB port with sercureboot disabled and CMF enabled should show it in the boot selection menu.

Try another USB port or another USB device.

 

[Epic B]

Try making a new partition layout using GPT instead of MBR

Plugging it into a USB port with sercureboot disabled and CMF enabled should show it in the boot selection menu.

Try another USB port or another USB device.

What do you mean new partition layout? What's CMF? I have secure boot disabled. I've tried two USB drives, which are the only two I have. I've tried at least two ports. Does it matte whether it's a USB 2.0 or USB 3.0 port?

 

[Robin]

I've tried that. Still didn't work. My dad suggested the image may be corrupted. I will try redownloading the image to see if that helps.

Yeah that's a good shout. Also adding to what Grayfox said, the format of the partition can affect what will and work boot when working with the next technologies like secure boot and UEFI. GPT is new and not everything plays well with it.

 

[Grayfox]

What do you mean new partition layout? What's CMF? I have secure boot disabled. I've tried two USB drives, which are the only two I have. I've tried at least two ports. Does it matte whether it's a USB 2.0 or USB 3.0 port?

CMF is another term for Legacy Boot and may be another option that has to be enabled.

The Partitioning scheme is the way the partitions are made.
MBR is the older style that works with legacy bios and should work on a UEFI based bios
GPT is the newer style that works on UEFI based bios systems.

In order to boot off a USB based Live system you need to disable secure boot, then enable legacy boot which can only be done after you disable secure boot

 

[Epic B]

CMF is another term for Legacy Boot and may be another option that has to be enabled.

As in legacy BIOS? I tried that. It let me boot the USB, but it didn't work. I've redownloaded the ISO and have rewritten it to the USB. I'll try again, even if it probably won't work.

For the record, the partition I've created for Debian is currently unallocated space.

 

[Grayfox]

As in legacy BIOS? I tried that. It let me boot the USB, but it didn't work. I've redownloaded the ISO and have rewritten it to the USB. I'll try again, even if it probably won't work.

For the record, the partition I've created for Debian is currently unallocated space.

Try using this tool to made the USB device bootable with your image of linux
https://rufus.akeo.ie/

 

[Epic B]

Try using this tool to made the USB device bootable with your image of linux
https://rufus.akeo.ie/

I linked to it before. That's the exact tool I've been using. When you refer to the partition scheme, do you mean on the USB drive? With Rufus, I've been setting it to the default of "MBR partition scheme for BIOS or UEFI computers", and GParted Live booted fine with that, even without setting it to legacy BIOS mode. But using that setting with Debian, it won't even show up as a boot device for no clear reason. I'm running out of ideas. I'll try GPT to see if that makes a different.

Except it won't let be try the UEFI-only MBR or GPT schemes because Debian doesn't support EFI. I'm pretty sure installing Linux, UEFI or not, shouldn't be this hard.

 

[Grayfox]

The issue might be Debian itself, It might have the EFI boot folder.

 

[Epic B]

The issue might be Debian itself, It might have the EFI boot folder.

It doesn't. But considering how GParted Live booted (I'm pretty sure it doesn't have the EFI folder either), I'm not sure how much of a difference it would make.

 

[Grayfox]

When the bios is set to UEFI mode it looks for UFI, EFI folders and the boot.efi file
This is a screen cap of 2 partitons of Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 on my MBR flash drive.

 

[Epic B]

When the bios is set to UEFI mode it looks for UFI, EFI folders and the boot.efi file
This is a screen cap of 2 partitons of Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 on my MBR flash drive.
View attachment 329743

And the Debian image contains none of those.

 

[Grayfox]

Then the drive if it was made bootable correctly, it should boot in correctly when secure boot is disabled and CSM/Legacy boot is enabled

 

[Epic B]

Then the drive if it was made bootable correctly, it should boot in correctly when secure boot is disabled and CSM/Legacy boot is enabled

It did, but when I pick live mode, it just goes to a black screen. Also, my computer beeps for some reason.

 

[Grayfox]

Try pressing esc or one of the Fx buttons.
This should bring up verbose mode and should tell you where abouts it is hanging if it has started the boot process.
The beep could mean an error

 

[Epic B]

Try pressing esc or one of the Fx buttons.
This should bring up verbose mode and should tell you where abouts it is hanging if it has started the boot process.
The beep could mean an error

When the Debian Live image starts up, it gives me all the boot info, and it says there's an error or something with Windows and that I have to run chkdsk. But when I go back to Windows, I don't need to run chkdsk. I don't really know anymore. I'm just gonna let it go until tomorrow. Maybe I'll figure it out then.

 

[Grayfox]

When the Debian Live image starts up, it gives me all the boot info, and it says there's an error or something with Windows and that I have to run chkdsk. But when I go back to Windows, I don't need to run chkdsk. I don't really know anymore. I'm just gonna let it go until tomorrow. Maybe I'll figure it out then.

Do you know what the error is?

The only error that i know of with in linux that tells you to run a chkdsk is when you try to mount a dirty NTFS volume which can normally be by passed with the NTFSFIX command when in linux or at the linux terminal.

Is there a Message like
Could not mount /dev/sdX# partition, press S to skip mount, Press M for advanced?

 

[Epic B]

Do you know what the error is?

The only error that i know of with in linux that tells you to run a chkdsk is when you try to mount a dirty NTFS volume which can normally be by passed with the NTFSFIX command when in linux or at the linux terminal.

Is there a Message like
Could not mount /dev/sdX# partition, press S to skip mount, Press M for advanced?

I don't think so.