Linux Ubuntu Dual-booting horror

Classy@sh.itjust.works to Linux@lemmy.ml – 20 points –

Any and all help would be so greatly appreciated. I've been battling with my laptop to be able to dual-boot Ubuntu Cinnamon and Windows 10 for about four days now. I've probably gone down five or six different rabbit-holes of troubleshooting, GRUB command-line fun, reinstalling and updating the BIOS, trying and failing to deal with VMX and locked NVram. As of now, my system boot-loops and fails to run Windows, but paradoxically I am able to get Ubuntu running, which is what I am using now.

I'll try to provide as much relevant information here as I can:

  • Device: HP ZBook 17, gen 6
  • Primary OS: Windows 10 Home
  • Linux distro: Ubuntu Cinnamon 23.10
  • Ubuntu location: /dev/sda3
  • grub-install --version = 2.12~rc1-10ubuntu4
  • boot-repair Boot-info summary: https://paste.ubuntu.com/p/rxZ3D5GtpP/
  • I'm more than happy to provide more information as it's requested.

As of now, I am unable to run Windows through the BIOS. If I run via the dedicated SSD as I normally do, it boot-loops, and if I try to go through any other drives it just tells me I need to install an OS. I am currently able to run Ubuntu, but only by going through the following process:

  1. Startup menu
  2. Boot configuration
  3. Boot from EFI > Ubuntu > shimx64.efi

At this point, I am happy with two outcomes to this scenario:

  1. I am able to run my laptop with Windows 10 as the primary OS, with the ability to dual-boot to Ubuntu Cinnamon 23.10.
  2. Assuming option 1 is impossible/requires a Herculean amount of work to pull off from this state, I am willing to scrub Windows 10 from my laptop and move forward with Cinnamon as my daily driver, though I am rather inexperienced in it. I can learn to move forward as I need to and run a VM or WINE for any Windows-specific processes I still need to do. But I would rather keep this option as my dead man's switch.
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Imo at this point you're better off just nuking everything (after you backed up your important files) and reinstalling with the following process:

  • Install windows, with the linux drive removed
  • Plug linux drive back and install ubuntu on it (make sure you select the right drive in the installer) If you do this ubuntu should automatically detect windows. If it doesn't you should still be able to boot into either one of them using your device's bios.

I am going with this game plan, courtesy of ChatGPT 4. It aligns very nicely with my goals and the steps involved also seem to coincide nicely with the suggestions made in this thread. Gives me a path forward, which is really what I need now.

  1. Backup Personal Files:

    • Access your Linux partition (A:).
    • Mount the Windows SSD (C:) and HDD (F:) within Linux.
    • Carefully check for any personal files on C: and copy them to F:. Verify that all important data is on F:.

  2. Create a Full Backup of F:

    • Connect an external storage device with sufficient space.
    • Create a full backup of your HDD (F:) to this external device. This is crucial to prevent data loss.

  3. Verify Backup Integrity:

    • Ensure that the backup on the external storage is complete and the files are accessible.

  4. Prepare for OS Installation:

    • Download the latest Linux Cinnamon 23.10 ISO.
    • Create a bootable USB drive with this ISO using a tool like Rufus or Etcher.

  5. Remove HDD:

    • Power down your PC.
    • Physically remove the HDD (F:) to ensure it remains untouched during the OS installation.

  6. Boot from Linux USB Drive:

    • Insert the bootable Linux USB drive.
    • Access BIOS/UEFI and set the USB drive as the primary boot device.

  7. Install Linux Cinnamon on SSD:

    • Proceed with the Linux installation on the SSD (formerly C:).
    • During installation, select the option to format and use the entire SSD. This will erase Windows 10 and all data on it.

  8. Post-Installation Checks:

    • After installation, boot into Linux Cinnamon.
    • Check that all hardware components are recognized and functioning.

  9. Reinstall HDD:

    • Power down your PC.
    • Reinstall the HDD (F:).

  10. Mount and Access HDD in Linux:

    • Boot into Linux.
    • Mount the HDD (F:). You may need to install additional drivers or file system utilities depending on its format.

  11. Data Restoration or Access:

    • If required, restore the personal files from the external backup to HDD (F:).
    • Alternatively, if the HDD is accessible without issues, use it as is for storage.

  12. Install Necessary Software:

    • Install any Linux-compatible software that you need.

  13. Final System Checks:

    • Ensure everything is working as expected.
    • Make any necessary adjustments in system settings, drivers, or configurations.

  14. Create a New System Backup:

    • Once everything is set up, consider creating a new system image backup.

You might not want to trust chatgpt with anything where accuracy and specificity are both essential to not brick a machine or lose data though. Especially since you can't check the sources it used. It did a decent job at getting the general workflow right, but even that's not a given. :/