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I just tried to speed up an old laptop I had lying around by installing Ubuntu on it.

I formatted the complete HDD and I've downloaded and tried installing the latest version of Ubuntu (14.10) on it but it won't boot.

I've also tried boot-repair but that doesn't seem to help either.

All I currently get is:

Reboot and select proper Boot device or Insert Boot Media in selected Boot device and press a key

http://paste.ubuntu.com/9796186/

Edit: My hdd is set as my primary boot device in my bios

Edit: my laptop is a Toshiba Satellite C50-B that came pre-loaded with Windows 8.1, it seems like Windows 8.1 is used to making 3 partitions

Edit: It seems like Ubuntu is indeed installed in EFI Mode as the checkmark Separate /boot/efi partition does appear in Boot-Repair. Also: the documentation states: if Ubuntu is the only operating system on your computer, then it does not matter whether you install Ubuntu in EFI mode or not., I also disabled Secure Boot in the Bios, I currently have never seen any Secure Boot signature errors so this did not change anything.

Edit: I still have no answer on how to fix this, please help

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It sounds like you have come across the BIOS vs UEFI issue. Newer machines that come with Windows 8 use EFI and not BIOS. You may need to install Ubuntu in EFI mode. I would refer you to read the Ubuntu UEFI page. The UEFIBooting page is also most informative. A brief excerpt is below:

Installing Ubuntu Quickly and Easily via Trial and Error

If you have a computer that is more recent than 2010 and you do not know whether or not you need to install Ubuntu in EFI mode, you should be able to get Ubuntu installed quickly and correctly using the following steps:

  1. Create a LiveDVD or LiveUSB of Ubuntu (>=12.04.2) 64bit.
  2. In your BIOS, disable QuickBoot/FastBoot and Intel Smart Response Technology (SRT). If you have Windows8, also disable FastStartup.
  3. Boot your PC using the LiveDVD or LiveUSB and choose "Try Ubuntu". If you get a Secure boot or signature error, you may wish to disable SecureBoot as described here, then retry to boot the disk.
  4. Install Ubuntu from the Live CD/DVD or Live USB in the usual manner, then reboot the PC.
  5. If the PC does not load Ubuntu (but instead loads Windows, for example, as in Bug #1050940), or if the Windows entry in the GRUB 2 menu does not boot Windows (see Bug #1024383), boot your PC using the Live CD/DVD or Live USB and choose "Try Ubuntu" once again. When the live session has loaded, run Boot-Repair (see link for details). When Boot-Repair loads, click on the "Recommended repair" button, and write on a paper the URL (paste.ubuntu.com/XXXXXX/) that will appear. Then reboot the pc. Do not run Boot-Repair unless you have problems booting the computer; the expression "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" applies to this tool.
  6. This should fix most boot problems. If this does not fix your boot problems, please create a new thread in this forum, describing your problem and indicating the URL you wrote in the previous step.

If your laptop is running SecureBoot also, as described in step 3, then other steps may be required.

New Windows PCs come with UEFI firmware and Secure Boot enabled. Secure Boot prevents operating systems from booting unless they’re signed by a key loaded into UEFI — out of the box, only Microsoft-signed software can boot.

Microsoft mandates that PC vendors allow users to disable Secure Boot, so you can disable Secure Boot or add your own custom key to get around this limitation.

I came across this issue myself a couple of weeks ago, trying to dual boot Windows and Ubuntu, and the links above proved most useful. However, as you aren't trying to dual boot, and only want Ubuntu, it should be relatively straightforward, once you've got your head around, how it differs from the older, more straightforward, BIOS setup.

I hope this helps.

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  • Intel Smart Response Technology can also be named "Intel Smart Connect Technology"
    – younes0
    Nov 12, 2015 at 17:10

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