I'm new to this, and I recently installed Linux Mint 22.2 Cinnamon with the intention of dual booting it alongside Windows 10 on my Lenovo T440p. However, every time I start my computer, it bypasses the GRUB menu and boots directly into Linux. I can see that the Windows partition is still there, but I received a message during installation regarding an EFI partition not being found. After some reading, I realized that my Windows is set to boot in legacy mode, and I was told it should work if I also boot Linux in the same mode. I did try booting from UEFI, but that didn't work at all. I've noticed some posts that only focus on issues with Windows. Any help on how to make GRUB show by default would be greatly appreciated!
5 Answers
If GRUB is hidden, try holding down the LEFT shift key while booting to get it to appear. As for your EFI partition issue, it sounds like you're stuck in legacy mode. You can check this with the `efibootmgr` command in Linux to see if it's showing errors about efivars not being found.
It's usually best to have both operating systems running in UEFI mode instead of legacy. Legacy BIOS can mess with Windows updates and boot partitions. If you want a smoother experience, I recommend reinstalling both Windows and Linux in UEFI mode; it might take longer but it'll be worth it in the end.
Just ditch the Windows partition already! It sounds like you're ready to embrace Linux fully. But hey, I get it; change can be tough!
You might need to tweak the GRUB settings since the current setup is likely configured to hide the menu by default. To fix this, find the grub file in the /etc/default directory and modify the TIMEOUT to your preference (set it to something like 10 seconds). Make sure to uncomment the OS_PROBE line so it can detect Windows. After saving those changes, run `sudo update-grub` in the terminal.
If Windows is stuck in legacy, it’s best to install Linux in the same mode. These days, dual boots can clash over the MBR even in UEFI, but they usually resolve better. Personally, I think having a separate SSD for Linux is a smart move; it keeps things cleaner and lets you run Windows in legacy mode without issues.
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