I am attempting to install Linux Mint 16 "Petra" – Cinnamon on a new Sony Vaio Pro. I am not partitioning the computer, it will only be running Linux.

I used http://www.pendrivelinux.com/univers...easy-as-1-2-3/ to create the USB installer and changed the BIOS settings…

Intel(R) AT Support System -> [Disabled]
Secure Boot -> [Disabled]
External Device Boot -> [Enabled]
Select 1st Boot Priority -> [External Device]
Boot Mode -> [Legacy]

I then booted from the USB and installed Linux. Where I run into trouble is when I restart. It seems that when restarting I am supposed to be prompted to remove the USB and hit enter and linux will then boot from the internal drive and not the USB, however that does not seem to happen. I’ve tried this process a few times and every time I do not receive any prompts and it appears to be booting from the USB. I am not asked to enter the password that I selected and I still see the installation icon on the desktop.
I tried changing the BIOS boot options, but that did not help.
I tried recreating the USB installer, but that didn’t help either.

Does anyone know what I’m doing wrong here?

Thanks!

Have you tried shutting down, removing the USB, then restarting (or removing the USB during the POST (sometimes called the memory check)?

What are the current BIOS boot settings?

The BIOS setting are still as listed above.

I did try sutting the computer down, removing the USB and restarting. I can't remember exactly what happened that time, but it did not boot.

As long as the external boot device has priority, the computer will boot from it because the BIOS tells it to.

Try resetting the BIOS to give the HDD priority over the external device.

I tried changing all the BIOS setting back to what they had been. So they are now...

Intel(R) AT Support System -> [Enabled]
Secure Boot -> [Enabled]
External Device Boot -> [Disabled]
Select 1st Boot Priority -> [Internal Hard Disk Drive]
Boot Mode -> [UEFI]

I restarted the machine and was taken back to the Assit screen
"You VAIO failed to start Windows"
the options are
-Start troubleshooting
-Start BIOS
-Start VAIO care

Did you install Mint over the previous windows installation (windows 8?)?
Did you install the Mint Grub bootloader to the master boot record?
If you wrote over windows it is obviously not going to boot. If you wrote over windows and only have Mint, you should disable 'Secure Boot' in the BIOS and try rebooting.

If that doesn't help, use the Mint flash drive and go online and search for 'bootinfoscript', read the instructions, download and run it and post the output here.

Did OP try to install over gpt partitioning?

Thanks for the advice.

I got a friend of a friend to help me out. The solution was to hold the shift key to see the boot options, edit the linux option and add "libata.force=noncq".

I have to admit that I don't really understand what happened, but its all working now!

Great if your problem has been solved mark as solved so as to help others who may eperience same problem.

Please take a little time to research the options and how they affected your situation. That done, please report back then mark this situation SOLVED.

• libata seems to be a 'driver' kernel option.
• noncq says to disable (no) a drive feature(ncq)

I found this discussion involving those options and solid state(SSD) drive troubles.
http://www.howtoeverything.net/linux...er-ssd-upgrade
I leave it to others to discover and decypher why these option setting helped the original poster (OP).

It is wonderful to "make the problem go away." However, if you don't understand things, "the problem" might return through another door.

Regards,
~~~ 0;-Dan