I'm in a bit of a bind here, folks! I bought a used ThinkPad T480 for a hackathon tomorrow and I'm trying to install Linux Mint on it. I faced a ton of issues while trying to create a bootable USB. First, when I used Balena Etcher, I got an error about a corrupted image. Then I switched to Rufus, which didn't give me any trouble at that point. However, when I tried to boot into Linux Mint, I got a Bitlocker error because I had already disabled secure boot. I decided to reinstall Windows 10 to wipe the old Bitlocker-protected version, but that led to an error during installation: 'Windows can't install required files. Error code: 0x8007025D.' Now, with Windows gone, I'm trying to boot into Linux Mint again, but it seems to freeze at the logo. After some attempts to reinstall, I received another error indicating potential hard drive issues. After troubleshooting, I still can't get Linux Mint to boot, and I get messages saying various files aren't found. I've spent over 5 hours on this and I'm out of ideas. Can anyone help me out?
3 Answers
If you're encountering the Bitlocker issue, just remember you don't necessarily need to deal with that if you're planning to wipe it anyway. On the ThinkPad, try hitting enter during the Lenovo logo boot screen to select your boot device. And seriously consider downloading a fresh version of that Mint .iso, using Rufus with default settings should do the trick. If you need some extra hands to walk you through the installation process, I'm here to help!
When you're dealing with these installation issues, it’s really key to check your BIOS settings. Fast Boot can be a real pain and might just be causing the trouble you're facing. Double-check to make sure it’s turned off. If you're still stuck, try booting from the USB on a clean slate without Windows messing things up. And don't forget to use an Ethernet cable for a stable connection during install!
Wow, that sounds super frustrating! First off, it might be worth re-downloading that Linux Mint .iso just to make sure it's not corrupted. Try using Ventoy to create a bootable flash drive, but make sure you verify the .iso before copying it over to the USB. Also, head into your BIOS settings and make sure Secure Boot is disabled to give yourself a clear shot at installation. You'll want to boot straight from the USB without any old Windows files causing issues. Good luck! Let us know if that works!
Thanks, I'll definitely give Ventoy another shot. I'll double-check the .iso this time too!