I'm trying to upgrade my system from MBR/BIOS to UEFI, and since it's time for a refresh, I want to install Windows 10 first and then Linux Mint 22.2 alongside it. I'm using an SSD and planning to partition it roughly 60GB each. However, I'm stuck. The Mint USB Media Creation tool creates the USB drive with an MBR partition, which doesn't recognize my UEFI Windows 10 installation when I boot from it. As a result, the option to install Mint next to Windows isn't available because it claims it can't detect any existing operating system, even though Windows 10 runs perfectly.
I've also tried using Rufus in Windows to create a UEFI-compatible Mint install stick, but when I boot from it, I get an error stating that the drive can only boot in UEFI mode and I'm attempting to boot in BIOS/Legacy mode, which confuses me since my BIOS clearly has a 'UEFI Boot' option set to enable UEFI-based operating systems only. I'm concerned that it might not be possible to turn off Legacy mode and that might be causing the problem. Any ideas? Alternatively, I'm open to manually setting up my GPT partitions for both Windows and Mint, although I've always felt more comfortable letting the install media handle the dual-boot setup for me.
3 Answers
It sounds like a classic BIOS or UEFI configuration issue. Even if you create the USB with MBR, it should still detect the GPT disk. Check your firmware settings to ensure it’s set to UEFI only, and you might want to look for settings related to AHCI or RAID modes. Sometimes toggling these can help. Plus, if you can access the `fdisk -l` and `lsblk` commands from the live environment, they can provide some clarity on whether your drives are visible or not.
I think the problem could stem from how Rufus is setting up the USB for UEFI mode. If it's indicating a BIOS/Legacy issue, double-check that your BIOS settings confirm UEFI is enabled and that there are no conflicting options. Also, ensure that Secure Boot is disabled when you're trying to install Linux, as that can interfere with the installation.
Since you've mentioned that the drive doesn't show up twice in UEFI and Legacy modes, it’s likely a sign that your system is indeed set to only allow UEFI booting. You might want to try a different tool like Ventoy for creating your USB because it supports both UEFI and Legacy and might avoid some issues you're experiencing with Rufus.
Related Questions
How To Get Your Domain Unblocked From Facebook
How To Find A String In a Directory of Files Using Linux