I'm trying to move from Windows to Linux and I'm completely new to the process. I switched the system to UEFI mode, confirmed that both the computer and USB use GPT, formatted the USB as FAT32, and disabled fast boot. However, whenever I insert the USB and restart the Lenovo computer to press F2 and begin the installation, it freezes on the Lenovo logo screen. I've followed several video tutorials but still can't figure out what's wrong. What should I check?
3 Answers
Start by checking how the USB was created. You need to write or flash the Linux ISO image to the drive using the instructions for your specific distribution, not simply copy the ISO file onto the USB. The official installation guide is usually more reliable than video tutorials. After flashing it correctly, try booting from the USB again.
The USB may appear as an ISO9660 image after it has been flashed properly, rather than behaving like a normal FAT32 storage drive. If you only formatted the drive and copied the installer file onto it, recreate it by writing the ISO image directly with a suitable imaging tool.
Thank you—that was the problem. I had only copied the installer file to the drive.
If the system still hangs at the Lenovo logo after recreating the USB, try temporarily disabling Secure Boot in the firmware settings. Also make sure you select the USB’s UEFI boot entry from the boot menu rather than relying only on the default boot order.
Thanks, I’ll follow the distribution’s official instructions.