This is my first experience with Linux, and I've been trying to install Linux Mint on an old laptop because it's running really slow. Here's what I did: I created a bootable USB using Rufus with Linux Mint MATE (linuxmint-22.1-mate-64bit) and adjusted the BIOS settings to boot from the USB. It seemed to work fine at first; I could use Firefox and was even looking into configuring my touchscreen.
However, during the installation, the installer crashed after I selected to overwrite the disk. When I restarted my laptop, I received several error messages related to booting, specifically about files not being found. I've tried redoing the bootable USB, disabling Secure Boot, and resetting the BIOS, but I keep encountering the same error messages.
My laptop specs are an Intel i5-6200U processor, 8GB of RAM, and 1TB hard drive. I'm really worried I might have messed it up, so any advice or confirmation on my situation would be greatly appreciated!
3 Answers
If you can still boot from the flash drive, consider trying a different Linux distro. I recommend Debian-LXQT, especially for older laptops. If it boots, use Gparted to check your hard drive partitions and prepare for installation! Here's the link for the ISO: [Debian-LXQT ISO](https://cdimage.debian.org/debian-cd/current-live/amd64/iso-hybrid/debian-live-12.11.0-amd64-lxqt.iso)
It sounds like you might be dealing with a corrupted ISO file or a faulty USB stick. If you can, try using another computer to create a bootable Windows USB, and then use the Start-up Repair feature instead of a full reinstall. This might help get your laptop back on track!
This is a known issue with Rufus. You might want to give Ventoy a try instead; many users have had better luck with it!
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