Can't dual boot Win 8.1 and Ubuntu 14

[chrstrbrts]

Hello,

I bought a new laptop last summer, an HP 15-r264dx to be exact.

It came with Windows 8.1 installed.

I successfully installed Ubuntu 14.04-02 LTS along side the original Windows 8.1.

I gave the Ubuntu OS a sizable partition for itself.

Now, it's my understanding that what should happen is that the BIOS should pull the GRUB bootloader in and GRUB should give me the option of booting Windows or Ubuntu.

However, what actually happens is that the computer just boots straight into Windows.

I guess the BIOS is pulling the Windows bootloader into RAM and obviously the Windows bootloader has no knowledge of an alternate OS existing.

I'm new to computers and haven't studied BIOS systems in depth, so I'm not knowledgeable enough to handle the issue myself.

Though, I have read that the new motherboards make it difficult to install and run different OS than what comes from the manufacturer.

Further, I have read that Linux distributions in general don't like the new UEFI booting scheme.

I do, however, have the option in my BIOS setup of booting in legacy (MBR style?)

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks.

P.S.

My BIOS vendor is Insyde, and my BIOS version is F.36

I also have the rest of the info listed on the screen when running the BIOS setup program if it's necessary.

 

[chrstrbrts]

Any thoughts, guys?

 

[ninaholic37]

Any thoughts, guys?

I can tell you how to kill Windows 8.x and replace with Linux:

- disable secure boot (uefi firmware settings)
- disable fast startup (windows 8's hybrid/hibernate mode)
- switch to legacy mode (bios)
- reformat hard drive (not ntfs, probably ext or fat32)
- install linux distro(s)
- install grub

I don't support UEFI or Windows. Too bad 95% laptops come shipped with both.

 

[chrstrbrts]

I can tell you how to kill Windows 8.x and replace with Linux:

- disable secure boot (uefi firmware settings)
- disable fast startup (windows 8's hybrid/hibernate mode)
- switch to legacy mode (bios)
- reformat hard drive (not ntfs, probably ext or fat32)
- install linux distro(s)
- install grub

I don't support UEFI or Windows. Too bad 95% laptops come shipped with both.

Thanks for the reply.

I've actually already done that with another drive I have.

But, I'm interested in having both installed side by side.

Is this possible?

 

[mv2devnull]

Should be.

UEFI has menu entries stored on the motherboard. The default entry is used unless you invoke the menu.
UEFI loads the bootmanager (described in the chosen entry) from GPT's EFI System Partition (ESP).
Windows loader and GRUB can co-exist in ESP.

This is how I boot now. I either let the default OS to load, or bring up the menu and choose the other OS' entry.


UEFI can support "legacy BIOS" mode too. BIOS has no menu. BIOS simply loads sector 0 of chosen disk. Sector 0 can contain first part of bootloader. That was the old way.

GPT can have a "fake MBR" with "legacy bootloader". Again, one has to invoke/adjust the UEFI boot order/menu in order to select the non-default entry (be it Windows UEFI entry or legacy BIOS).

That is how I had earlier. Ancient GRUB (that did lack EFI-support) loaded as legacy BIOS vs. UEFI Windows.


You did not tell whether you did boot the Ubuntu installation in UEFI or BIOS mode. That did determine how the GRUB (and Ubuntu) is installed: legacy or UEFI.