Hey everyone! I recently installed Linux Mint using a USB flash drive I created with Rufus. I went ahead and installed it on the same drive that has my Windows 10, using the default settings without creating any partitions. Now, when I turn on my PC, it boots straight into Windows 10 and I don't see an option to choose Linux Mint. I'm a bit lost here—what did I do wrong and how can I fix it? I'm new to this dual-booting stuff, so any help would be appreciated!
2 Answers
One common mistake is booting your USB installer in a different mode than Windows. Make sure you boot the USB in the same mode that Windows is using—either UEFI or Legacy mode. If not, it can lead to installation issues and won't create the necessary boot files for Linux Mint. Double-check that for next time!
It sounds like you might not have set up your boot options correctly. When you start your computer, try pressing the boot menu key (like F12 for Dell or F11 for MSI) to see if you can select Linux Mint from there. If that doesn’t help, check your BIOS/UEFI settings and change the boot order to prioritize Linux Mint. Also, make sure Secure Boot is disabled and that you have the latest BIOS version installed. Just to be safe, back up your files before making major changes! Here are some helpful links: [Prepare Windows 10](https://easylinuxtipsproject.blogspot.com/p/prepare-windows-10.html) and [Install Mint](https://easylinuxtipsproject.blogspot.com/p/install-mint.html).
Thanks for the links! I’ve been hesitant about fiddling with BIOS since I'm worried about messing things up.
Is it really possible to run both without having to set up a dual boot? That sounds interesting!
I'm in the process of backing everything up now and thinking I might try resetting everything. Maybe I messed up by skipping partitions?