Hey everyone, I'm trying to install Linux Mint on an older Lenovo Ideapad to replace Windows 10, but I've hit some roadblocks. I downloaded the Mint ISO and verified it, but I got an error when I tried to write it to a USB stick using Etcher, which is what Mint recommends. The error said it couldn't open the source. After some searching, I found another tool that worked for writing the USB (though I can't remember which one).
I spent some time figuring out the BIOS settings to boot from USB, but when I finally did, all I saw was a black screen with 'GRUB' in the upper left corner, and nothing else happened! I'm stuck here. Do I need to re-image the USB? Can I even reuse it? Or did I miss something? I haven't dealt with Unix in about 20 years, so it's been a while!
3 Answers
First off, check your BIOS settings. You definitely want to disable both legacy boot and secure boot if you haven't done that already. Secure boot can be turned back on after installing Mint since it supports it now. You might also want to reset the BIOS to default settings and then disable secure boot again. Make sure to specify your laptop model if you need help!
GRUB is just the bootloader menu which should show more options like different versions of Linux Mint. If it's not doing that, try pressing enter to see if anything changes. It's odd that it's stuck, as GRUB typically only hangs for 5–10 seconds. If nothing happens, there might be an issue with the bootloader itself, possibly caused by an improper write of the ISO or BIOS settings that need tweaking.
Seeing only 'GRUB' at boot means you're probably in legacy mode, which can mess things up if the boot sector can't find the core image. I don't want to assume the tools you used were right, but if they weren't, that could be the issue. Instead of Etcher, give USBImager or Win32 Disk Imager a try—they often do the job better for creating bootable drives. If you're using Rufus, make sure to select 'DD mode'. If the USB isn't faulty, you should be okay to write the image again.
That could be true! Just a heads up, if the bootloader breaks, all you'll see is GRUB. It might require a reinstallation of GRUB whenever the kernel updates. I'd recommend checking on your ISO first or looking into your BIOS settings.