USB boot drive not working in two computers (Solved!)

[Jim0000]

I am planning on getting Linux Lite 64 bit operating system onto a HP Mini 210-1036VU laptop computer.
I downloaded the latest version (6.0) and created a bootable drive in my Linux Mint 20.3 operating system following these instructions:

https://linuxmint-installation-guide.rea.../burn.html

I first tried to boot off this medium in my laptop. I got so far as to see the GRUB menu.

That seemed to begin to work, as it showed the above menu. However, it stalled and would not boot.
I then tried the bootable USB stick in my main desktop computer and it also would not boot.
It appears that I have not successfully created a boot medium.

What am I doing wrong?
I should add, that I have tried to do this before for other earlier operating systems, but never succeeded in making a USB boot device that will actually boot.

Any helpful assistance would be most appreciated.

Jim.

[trinidad]

https://www.freecinema2022.gq/manual/insta...l#llusblin

If you're downloading and running from Mint just use the dd method as described in the Linux Lite help menu.

TC

[WytWun]

I am planning on getting Linux Lite 64 bit operating system onto a HP Mini 210-1036VU laptop computer.

As it happens I have one of these laptops.  Mine came with Windows XP, a 160MB spinning rust hard drive and I don't recall how much RAM (512MB??) but got upgraded to Windows 7 Pro 32bit, a 128GB SSD and 2GB of RAM at some point in it's life; it still runs Windows because I use it for some Windows only software for reflashing car ECUs and it doesn't get used for anything else.

Your query aroused my curiosity though

I used Rufus on another Windows machine to write the Lite 6.0 ISO to an 8GB Lexar USB 2 flash drive, using Rufus' default settings and was pleasantly surprised that I was able to boot that USB to the Lite Live desktop - especially as I wasn't sure that the HP's ancient Atom CPU was even 64bit capable.  I saw an error message reporting a BIOS bug or compatibility issue but as that Lexar USB drive has an activity LED that was still flashing I let it go and after about 3 or 4 minutes the desktop eventually appeared.  I was able to open a terminal window and run "inxi -F" to look at the system info so the system was up and appeared to be viable, but as I have no intention of touching the Windows installation on this machine I left it at that and shut the Lite Live desktop down.

Windows 7 performs quite well on this machine, so I expect that Lite would too, however I have to caution that I wouldn't install Lite (or any other 64bit OS) without the 2GB RAM upgrade - if you only have 512MB of RAM you would be very well advised to stick with a 32bit OS (you might try MX 21.1 which is available in 32bit versions), and I would probably stick with 32bit OSes even with 1GB of RAM.  Upgrading the original hard drive with a 2.5" SSD would also be very highly recommended!

Going back to using Rufus: it defaults to using "ISO mode" rather than "DD mode" (see Rufus FAQ) which is what I used.  This produces a different data layout on the USB drive and unfortunately I'm not aware of (and haven't searched for) any Linux tool that uses the same strategy (standard Linux approach is to use DD mode).  I have encountered some older hardware (older Lenovo laptops with Insyde UEFI firmware in particular) that will only boot a USB drive with Lite flashed using Rufus ISO mode; Lite flashed to USB using DD mode (by any tool including Rufus and the recommended Etcher) fails on such hardware.  I don't know whether using Rufus' DD mode option would work with the HP Mini as my curiosity has been satisfied without going to the lengths of testing that...
:imsorry

Hopefully this at least leaves you knowing that your objective should be reachable, though as I didn't attempt to actually install Lite I can't be certain how that will pan out; at least my HP Mini has a standard BIOS rather than UEFI so I think the chances are pretty good.

Good luck!

[Jim0000]

[quote author=Jim0000 link=topic=8820.msg58799#msg58799 date=1658831770]
I am planning on getting Linux Lite 64 bit operating system onto a HP Mini 210-1036VU laptop computer.

As it happens I have one of these laptops.  Mine came with Windows XP, a 160MB spinning rust hard drive and I don't recall how much RAM (512MB??) but got upgraded to Windows 7 Pro 32bit, a 128GB SSD and 2GB of RAM at some point in it's life; it still runs Windows because I use it for some Windows only software for reflashing car ECUs and it doesn't get used for anything else.

Your query aroused my curiosity though

I used Rufus on another Windows machine to write the Lite 6.0 ISO to an 8GB Lexar USB 2 flash drive, using Rufus' default settings and was pleasantly surprised that I was able to boot that USB to the Lite Live desktop - especially as I wasn't sure that the HP's ancient Atom CPU was even 64bit capable.  I saw an error message reporting a BIOS bug or compatibility issue but as that Lexar USB drive has an activity LED that was still flashing I let it go and after about 3 or 4 minutes the desktop eventually appeared.  I was able to open a terminal window and run "inxi -F" to look at the system info so the system was up and appeared to be viable, but as I have no intention of touching the Windows installation on this machine I left it at that and shut the Lite Live desktop down.

Windows 7 performs quite well on this machine, so I expect that Lite would too, however I have to caution that I wouldn't install Lite (or any other 64bit OS) without the 2GB RAM upgrade - if you only have 512MB of RAM you would be very well advised to stick with a 32bit OS (you might try MX 21.1 which is available in 32bit versions), and I would probably stick with 32bit OSes even with 1GB of RAM.  Upgrading the original hard drive with a 2.5" SSD would also be very highly recommended!

Going back to using Rufus: it defaults to using "ISO mode" rather than "DD mode" (see Rufus FAQ) which is what I used.  This produces a different data layout on the USB drive and unfortunately I'm not aware of (and haven't searched for) any Linux tool that uses the same strategy (standard Linux approach is to use DD mode).  I have encountered some older hardware (older Lenovo laptops with Insyde UEFI firmware in particular) that will only boot a USB drive with Lite flashed using Rufus ISO mode; Lite flashed to USB using DD mode (by any tool including Rufus and the recommended Etcher) fails on such hardware.  I don't know whether using Rufus' DD mode option would work with the HP Mini as my curiosity has been satisfied without going to the lengths of testing that...
:imsorry

Hopefully this at least leaves you knowing that your objective should be reachable, though as I didn't attempt to actually install Lite I can't be certain how that will pan out; at least my HP Mini has a standard BIOS rather than UEFI so I think the chances are pretty good.

Good luck!
[/quote]

Thanks for that encouraging post.
I will study the details about "Rufus" later tonight when I get home. I am a bit rushed at the moment.
I do already have a 2 Cb RAM stick to fit to it and I am keen to upgrade the drive to a SSD. i will search out suppliers and prices etc.
More later.........

Jim.

[Jim0000]

I tried using unebootin, but without success.
This problem I am experiencing is far wider than a Linux Lite problem, as I have had it historically when trying to make a Linux Mint bootable USB.
I have never succeeded.

Accordingly, I will take this over to the Linux Mint forums, and link this thread in discussions that, I hope, will arise.

Before I finish, I should add that I have bought new USB drives specifically to make boot drives; this made no difference.

Something is fundamentally wrong in the software I am using, or the way I am doing it or..........who knows?

Jim.

[Jim0000]

I have posted a new thread regarding this intractable problem over on the Linux Mint forums.. (Well, intractable for me that is).

https://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.p...6&t=378114

After spending yet another long, late night trying to resolve this, I have abandoned the USB boot drive option. I have ordered an external DVD drive and use DVD for the purpose of installing new operating systems exclusively in the future.
I tried multiple times to write to USB in two Linux systems and also in Windows 7.
All failed!
I would still love to find out why I have had this problem multiple times over the years.
The last post over on the Linux forum from Cosmo could explain this.
I plan to give that one last try.

Jim.

[Jim0000]

I have ordered a cheap external DVD drive. Then I can plug it into my HP Mini laptop and flash the operating system from a DVD burned with the image.
That should by-pass the problem.

Jim.

[trinidad]

If you can't get a bootable LL ISO using dd and continue to purchase and try new sticks by now you could have purchased one here.

https://www.freecinema2022.gq/shop.html

I have written literally hundreds of Debian and/or Ubuntu based Linux ISOs (including Mint and LL) to USB sticks using dd on several different Linux systems often downloaded over wifi. Something is wrong with your praxis. Carefully follow the Lite help manual concerning dd and you should not have a problem if your download is clean. Use a new stick and don't pre-format it. Forums can often be TMI.  Specialized USB burning software uses more memory and just adds more probability of memory and/or user errors regardless of what you have read.

https://www.freecinema2022.gq/manual/insta...l#llusblin

As far as this:

I would still love to find out why I have had this problem multiple times over the years

We would have to know what you did and what hardware and OS you used.

TC 

[Jim0000]

If you can't get a bootable LL ISO using dd and continue to purchase and try new sticks by now you could have purchased one here.

https://www.freecinema2022.gq/shop.html........................

I would have done that except for the fact that I live in Australia and it would cost around A$50 to pay for and ship it to my address.

I have written literally hundreds of Debian and/or Ubuntu based Linux ISOs (including Mint and LL) to USB sticks using dd on several different Linux systems often downloaded over wifi. ...............

Congratulations! I am happy for you!

Something is wrong with your praxis. .............

I thought so, and still suspect so. However, for one of my attempts at flashing a USB to Linux Mint to make a bootable drive, one of the international highly experienced contributors to the Mint forums attempted to do one via remote access. It also failed.

Carefully follow the Lite help manual concerning dd and you should not have a problem if your download is clean. .........................

I agree totally; I "should not have a problem"!  The fact that I am here "should" be evidence enough for that.
But............thanks for the reply.

Jim.

[Jim0000]

I found an older USB stick in my collection and tried that with success!
I had previously bought new ones that did not!

It appears that my problems have been hardware related.

I am left with the puzzle of how to select future USB sticks and purchase them specifically for this purpose.

Any tips please?

Jim.