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Ubuntu.com instructions say to press F12 or F10 or look for a brief message after switching on but none of these are applicable; laptop just goes to Windows. When I try to open Ubuntu from the USB, it wants to know which Windows app to open it with, none of which work. I have also installed something called Rufus under some weird instructions on this same site, but it just opens something called Hex Editor which shows the Ubuntu thingy as a page full of incomprehensible numbers. I've been at this for hours and it's doing my head in - can't even get past go. I'm not a computer geek but I would've thought Ubuntu a tad more user-friendly after reading all the hype.

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    You need to tell your BIOS to boot from the USB instead of the hard drive. How you tell BIOS depends upon the manufacturer of your machine. We're not there, we don't know who made your machine, we cannot see what you see. For most folks, the instructions work first time. Contact the customer support of whoever made your machine and ask them how to do it.
    – user535733
    Feb 12, 2020 at 14:47
  • Yeah, thanks for the reply but I have no idea what a BIOS is or how to talk to it. The laptop is an expensive standard bog issue Sony Vaio but Sony is probably closed seeing as it's the middle of the night, and I can't do this during the day. Rufus is now busy erasing 'structures' and the USB for some unfathomable reason. Guess I'll hafta buy Windows 7 or 8 from from the local computer shed for all the help I'm gonna get here. Cheers.
    – OHL4
    Feb 12, 2020 at 15:25
  • If you look on the serial number sticker, there will also be a model number there, AKA the 'Model Part Number'. Other part numbers elsewhere on the machine are marketing names and do not help us find your manual online. If you provide that information, we may be able to find Sony's manual for your machine and help you with booting from USB. If you find that, please click edit and put the model part number in your question.
    – K7AAY
    Feb 12, 2020 at 19:36
  • Yeah, look thanks - turns out the Vaio has a button next to the on switch,marked 'ASSIST' and that's the BIOS. But I looked at all the other tech stuff involved in establishing ubuntu Desktop and it's way too complicated for me, although the product sounds awesome in its performance, etc. But I've had a gutful of Windows 10, so I'm taking my computer into the shop and throwing some money at 'em. Cheers.
    – OHL4
    Feb 14, 2020 at 6:44

1 Answer 1

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User535733 is right.

Boot into your bios settings (usually one of the F keys at power up) and look for the way to set the boot order to go to the USB before it goes to disk or CD.

And yes Rufus does make a USB bootable. I have done it with both sticks and drives.

As for the ubuntu hype, no worries, it is a highly diversified system and you will find your place in it.

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  • here's a thought - why can't I just download it onto my laptop and open it just like any other app or program? Or is that too simple?
    – OHL4
    Feb 12, 2020 at 15:32
  • I know of two ways you might consider. One is putting ubuntu entirely on the USB stick (as long as you can make it bootable) and the other is to use a VM program (Oracle has a good one) and install your ubuntu in that. Because the VM is just another app on your Windows system, you would be able to alt-tab between Windows and your ubuntu. Feb 12, 2020 at 15:37
  • Sorry guys, this is all Greek to me, I'm in the wrong place but thanks anyway. I now have a ubuntu ”informed” badge which I wear with pride. With $6.95 it'll get me a cappuccino. Also – why aren't all USB's bootable? Whatever, I've just successfully managed to boot my Rufus-stripped USB – into the dumpster next door. G'night, folks.
    – OHL4
    Feb 12, 2020 at 18:15
  • USB manufacturers are in a commodity business and people buy on price/size/speed, not other features. Did you look for a bootable USB when you bought it? Which operating system tell you make sure was preinstalled on the USB when you bought it?
    – K7AAY
    Feb 12, 2020 at 19:38
  • Download Ubuntu's ISO file at ubuntu.com/download or for a 'flavour' with a different Desktop, download from ubuntu.com/download/flavours . The ISO used to make a LiveUSB should be checked by tutorials.ubuntu.com/tutorial/tutorial-how-to-verify-ubuntu#0 . Make a LiveUSB on another Linux PC tutorials.ubuntu.com/tutorial/… or on Windows tutorials.ubuntu.com/tutorial/… . Once you make a LiveUSB, install it: tutorials.ubuntu.com/tutorial/tutorial-install-ubuntu-desktop#0.
    – K7AAY
    Feb 12, 2020 at 19:42

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