I recently got my hands on an HP 22-b013w All-In-One that was discarded but seems to function properly. Unfortunately, I can't log into Windows 10 since I don't have the previous owner's password, and I had to restore the BIOS to change the boot order. I've installed Linux Mint 22.3 Cinnamon on my Acer Aspire 7736Z using a USB boot drive created with Rufus, and it went smoothly. However, when I tried using the same USB on the HP All-In-One, I received an error message indicating that the operating system was invalid. I thought it might be an issue with the partition scheme in Rufus, so I created another USB using GPT instead of MBR, but that didn't solve the problem either. What should my next step be? Is there something specific about this machine that might require a different distribution? If so, how can I determine that for future reference? I'm keen on finding a solution and learning some troubleshooting techniques in Linux as I'm quite new to it but have a background in IT. Thanks in advance for your help!
3 Answers
First, check your boot menu to see if the USB drive is recognized there. If not, try these troubleshooting steps:
- Use different USB ports on your machine.
- Try a different USB stick altogether.
- Download a different version of the Linux OS and create a new bootable USB (don’t transfer files across).
An alternative method is to install the OS on an external drive and boot from that instead. Usually, an "Invalid Operating System" error indicates the computer can't read the USB. There's no indication that HP blocks specific operating systems, so this might just be a compatibility issue with the hardware itself. Make sure to use a distro that supports older hardware if that's the case!
I recommend trying out Ventoy on an 8 or 16 GB USB stick. You can find it at their website [here](https://www.ventoy.net/en/index.html). With Ventoy, you can easily load different Linux distributions without having to reinstall every time. The persistence plugin even lets you run your chosen distro like it’s fully installed! For someone new, MX-Linux is user-friendly and great to start with. You might also want to check out Elive, which is another solid option. Enjoy experimenting with different distros!
You might want to look for more specific guidance regarding the HP 22-b013w model. Here's a link to a discussion that could provide additional insights: [HP 22-b013w Linux Compatibility](https://www.perplexity.ai/search/hp-22-b013w-all-in-one-linux-s-82UbDaNbQeuR7Z7GCISUfA). It might give you some ideas on which distributions work best for it!
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