I recently used an old laptop to install Linux Mint to get more familiar with Linux. Now that I feel more confident, I reformatted the USB flash drive and reinstalled Mint on it. However, I'm having trouble booting from the USB drive on my main laptop. I'm wondering if the original Mint file got corrupted or if there's an issue with the USB itself. After re-flashing the USB drive using Balena Etcher, it doesn't show up in the boot menu. Balena tried formatting the drive during the flashing process but failed, and the error message I receive mentions an 'invalid signature'. Should I try a different USB drive?
2 Answers
Also, double-check the error message during the installation process. You mentioned an 'invalid signature' error when using Balena. Have you tried running Balena as an administrator? Sometimes permission issues can cause problems during formatting. If all else fails, it might indeed be worth trying a different drive to see if that solves the issue.
It sounds like you might have a couple of issues going on. First off, make sure that secure boot is disabled in your BIOS. That's a common culprit when USB drives don't boot. If it’s still not showing up in the boot menu, your USB drive might be having formatting issues. You might want to try a different USB drive just to rule that out. Sometimes, older drives just don't cooperate after multiple formats.
Yeah, I had a similar problem with an old USB stick. Switched it for a newer one and it worked fine!
Good tip! Running as admin can help, especially with USB permissions. A fresh drive could save a lot of headaches.