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I'm trying to install 20.04.1 on an HP 8570w laptop with Windows 7 already installed, using a USB flash drive. It gets through all of the steps correctly until it reaches the "Installation type" screen. When this step is reached it displays a screen that wants me to set a new partition table, with buttons for "+" "-" and "Change", and also to select a location for the boot loader installation /dev/sda. No matter which button I press, the installation freezes. It acts like it cannot read the HDD. Do I have something set incorrectly in the bios? I've set it for legacy boot and allowed the OS to interact with TPM.

Any help would be appreciated.

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  • Does your installation media pass integrity checks? Do you have free, unpartitioned space available? Are you presented with the option "Install alongside Windows"?
    – Nmath
    Oct 9, 2020 at 20:35
  • Yes, media passes integrity checks, it's a 750GB HDD with 277 GB available (but it's all in one partition), no options presented to "Install alongside Windows".
    – rdjohnson
    Oct 9, 2020 at 23:06
  • You need unpartitioned free space. Ubuntu cannot be installed to free space on an already-in-use partition.
    – Nmath
    Oct 9, 2020 at 23:14
  • I thought Ubuntu would give me the option to replace my current operating system, essentially wiping the hard drive?
    – rdjohnson
    Oct 9, 2020 at 23:37
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    If that's what you want to do, you should get an option to erase everything. If you don't, then use "Disks" in the live session to format your hard drive before starting the installation
    – Nmath
    Oct 10, 2020 at 0:02

1 Answer 1

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Very likely, your installation media/software could be corrupt. Are you sure whether your hard disk was functioning properly earlier? If yes, re-write bootable ubuntu image to the USB stick again and try installation again. Use rufus to write image to USB stick, if using windows. If the problem persists, try disabling IRST (Intel Rapid Storage Technology), if enabled, in BIOS/UEFI and change your SATA controller to AHCI.

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  • Thank you. I tried a new USB stick using rufus and have the same problem. Can RST be simply disabled, or do I have to uninstall the program? I could not find a way to disable it in the RST program settings.
    – rdjohnson
    Oct 9, 2020 at 23:36
  • RST can be disabled through windows, though process is cumbersome as we have to edit some registry values and all. You may refer this article [discourse.ubuntu.com/t/… for further information.
    – aneesh_nair
    Oct 10, 2020 at 8:47
  • But first in hand, you should identify this is the problem. Otherwise, it is very likely that you break your system and unable to boot to windows itself !!! In which partition you are trying to install ubuntu? Are you trying to have a dual boot option? If you trying to install it in C: where windows exists, there are multiple things to be taken care off, like shrinking your volume etc. Without exhaustive information, I am unable to help !
    – aneesh_nair
    Oct 10, 2020 at 8:47
  • as @Nmath commented, first go to "try ubuntu" and then you may use "Disks" program in the live installation media, to fully format the disk before trying installation. This should probably help. And you may check your BIOS/UEFI settings for IDE controller. Change it to AHCI
    – aneesh_nair
    Oct 10, 2020 at 8:53
  • In the BIOS I changed the IDE controller to AHCI from RAID, but then on reboot into Windows it wanted to rebuild and install Windows. So I cancelled that and went back to RAID in the BIOS. I thought the Ubuntu installation would allow Ubuntu to be installed alongside Windows to allow a dual-boot system. And that it would resize the existing hard drive volume as needed to create a partition for Ubuntu. Is that not correct?
    – rdjohnson
    Oct 10, 2020 at 18:59

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